-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,"...

-The Guardian Allowing foreign chains such as Tesco to open in India will drive up unemployment and exploit small producers India's ruling coalition has been rocked after its second-largest partner withdrew this week. The latest round of political instability comes about because prime minister Manmohan Singh announced a number of economic measures without consulting his allies. The announcements – that diesel prices were to be raised, and that India's retail and domestic...

-The United Nations Argentina’s announcement that it would export an additional 2.75 million tonnes of maize this year will help ease tight international markets, the United Nations food agency said today, adding that while this is a welcome measure, countries must remain vigilante to avoid a global food crisis. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the announcement was made by Argentina’s Minister of Agriculture, Norberto Yauhar, who had just...

-The Times of India The Syrian Christian who could not speak Gujarati found it difficult to find a paying guest accommodation when he first reached the city of his destiny, Anand. But soon, Verghese Kurien would turn the small Gujarat town into the heart of India's white revolution. In the process, Kurien would also stitch together a cooperative movement of millions of women and farmers into owning a brand which generations...

-Outlook The father of India's 'white revolution' Dr Verghese Kurien passed away early this morning at Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital in neighbouring Nadiad town due to age-related problems, Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) sources said. He was 90 years old and is survived by wife and daughter. Kurien, who took India from being a milk-deficient country to the world's largest milk producer, is recognized as the father of white revolution and the...