-The Indian Express Rice is not enough under PDS, but the only thing they can afford; potatoes are cheapest, but still costly; Pulses, vegetables are out of the question; biscuits are a luxury; and Aadhaar is well-entrenched. Her hair brushed back, a comb tucked in her bun, Gudiya (26) is at ease this Tuesday afternoon. People from the administration are hovering around her, while six policemen keep a vigil on visitors. Officials...

-The Hindu Business Line Price incentives for farmers should be followed up by better marketing infrastructure The Centre, while announcing the minimum support prices for the oncoming rabi season, has stuck to its policy of announcing moderate increases in the case of cereals, while promoting a shift towards Pulses and oilseeds. MSP increases have moderated after 2013, after double-digit spurts that were the norm in the preceding four years. Hence, the rise...

-The Hindu Business Line The global pulse trade is in a tailspin. After living in a comfort zone provided by India in the form of a large ready market for long years, pulse exporting nations — many of them cultivating the leguminous crop with India as the primary target market — are now forced to grapple with new ground realities. To be sure, not only has India, the world’s largest producer, processor,...

-The Hindu Business Line The dilution of government intervention in the form of minimum support prices, procurement and public distribution is undermining agricultural production in the country Farmer movements and farm loan waivers in different States have driven home the fact that the viability of agriculture is under challenge. This is surprising, since the comprehensive framework for reviving agricultural production, introduced in response to the agricultural crisis in mid-1960s, is in principle...

-PTI According to sources, the CCEA approved Rs 110 per quintal hike in wheat MSP to Rs 1,735 per quintal for the 2017-18 rabi crop, up from Rs 1,625 per quintal last year. The government today increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 110 to Rs 1,735 a quintal and of Pulses by Rs 200 per quintal to help boost the output of these crops and check prices,...