-The Economic Times KOLKATA/ AHMEDABAD: India's protein basket comprising pulses, egg, Meat and fish has become costlier by 15-20 % over the last one month. Producers and traders say lower acreage in pulses, less availability of poultry feed like corn and rising input costs for fish breeding have impacted the stocks of protein food. Eggs, the breakfast protein staple , have become expensive by 20% in the past few weeks. Current retail...

-Reuters ROME: Food prices are set to remain high and volatility in food markets could increase in coming months, a senior economist at the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation told Reuters on Thursday. "Prices are sustained. It is highly unlikely we will see a normalisation of prices anytime soon," said Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at FAO. "Volatility is not going to go away, if anything it may even intensify further in coming months,"...

-PTI Economic prosperity is fuelling food inflation in the country, Chief Economic Adviser Raghuram Rajan today said while making a case for increasing productivity to fight price rise. In his first media interaction after assuming charge, Rajan justified the diesel price hike saying there is a need to link domestic fuel prices with international rates to curb fiscal deficit. "One of the concerns of the last few years has been food inflation, which...

-The Times of India With finance minister P Chidambaram recently declaring at a full Planning Commission meeting that cash transfers may replace subsidies for food, fertilizers and fuel by the end of the 12th five-year Plan, the controversial proposal has again taken centre stage. A recently concluded pilot project which substituted ration cards with Rs 1,000 transferred monthly to families throws light on the pros and cons of the scheme. The study...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: Good cholesterol spells bad news for Mumbaikars. A new survey analyzing risk factors for heart diseases among Indians shows that 54% of Mumbaikars over 30 have low levels of good cholesterol, better known as HDL. Since HDL draws out the body's excess fatty cholesterol molecules and ejects them through the liver, Mumbaikars have a reason to worry. But it isn't only Mumbai. The survey found that across...