The government’s latest estimates show that foodgrain production in the crop year 2010-11 rose sharply by 10.75% to a record 241.56 million tonnes (mt), a move that could potentially have a dampening effect on inflationary expectations. The impressive increase led by wheat, maize and pulses is revealed in the final estimates for 2010-11, and is partially explained by the fact that 2009-10 was a drought year. The crop year extends from July...

To promote self-employment among people living below poverty line (BPL), particularly women, the rural development ministry proposes to set up a dedicated national bank for women self-help groups (SHGs) and also lower the interest rate on the credit they receive from any nationalized bank. Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday said he will soon take up both these proposals with the finance ministry. “We have proposed a detailed paper for a...

The ministry of agriculture has written to the ministry of rural development asking them to suspend Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) projects during peak farming seasons because of labour unavailability. The ministry of rural development headed by Jairam Ramesh has still to take a decision on this matter. The secretary of agriculture P.K. Basu in his letter has rung the alarm bells by pointing out that the ministry’s assessment...

-The Hindustan Times   Unacceptably high food prices are a result of slow and below-target farm growth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday. Singh said the farm growth had been less than the targeted 4% and a “consequence in recent years has been unacceptable levels of food price inflation”. He said he expected the Twelfth Plan to contain all measures required to accelerate Agricultural growth. Speaking at a function to mark the foundation...

THE LAND acquisition process for Posco in Gadag district of Karnataka has been called off by the Karnataka government owing to intensified opposition from the farmers. A day after Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa announced that land acquisition for Posco project in Gadag will be called off and the project will be shifted elsewhere, around 40 villagers from Halligudi met him in Bangalore on Thursday and expressed their willingness to give up...