Major foodgrains producing states have been the worst hit by rising prices, thanks to the Centre’s decision to pay more to farmers for their produce. Although inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), has been in double digits for nearly six months, there are several states where CPI in the rural region has been around 20%. A look at state-wise consumer price index numbers shows that pre-dominantly agri-based...
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Can we achieve 4% farm growth? by T Nanda Kumar
The prime minister, in his Independence Day address said: “I am happy that the growth rate of our agriculture has increased substantially in the last few years. But we are still far from achieving our goal. We need to work harder so that we can increase the agricultural growth rate to 4% per annum” . Is it possible? If so how? The production shortage of wheat in India in 2006...
More »Fault Lines in the 2010 Seeds Bill by S Bala Ravi
The 2010 Seeds Bill that has been introduced in Parliament does address some of the major concerns in the aborted 2004 version, but strangely a number of important correctives – on regulation, consistency and punishment – that had been incorporated in the 2008 version (which lapsed in 2009) have now been modified or dropped altogether. What forces are pushing the government to act against the interests of India’s farmers? The third...
More »The right side of the food security debate by YK Alagh
There is an interesting debate on food security and we should get the Planning Commission’s perspective on this. But as I write this, the Planning Commission Web site still does not have the mid-term appraisal, so Yojana Bhavan must still be polishing it. This column has, over time, taken the position that the food security programme is really important and a country growing as fast as India simply cannot ignore...
More »Fruits of reform have failed to reach the poor by Vinay Pandey
The top 20% of India’s population has a more than 50% share of the national income in 2009-10, up from 36.7% in 1993-94, says a study by the National Council for Applied Economic Research, or NCAER. This would seem to confirm the charge that income disparities have increased in the reform years, 1991 onwards, and the rich have got richer as a freer economy has created more opportunities. According to...
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