The government today reviewed the prices and availability of sugar in domestic market in the backdrop of strong industry demand for allowing exports. An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on food, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, did not take any decision in this regard due to the absence of three key ministers -- Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar , Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and Food Minister K V Thomas. "Sugar was...
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Food crisis depicts marginalisation of the poor by Vikram Doctor
Everyone agrees that there is a food crisis. As ordinary members of the public we know there’s one every time we go out shopping for vegetables. My mother knows there’s a crisis because, after recently sacking her cook, she discovered the lady had left with all the onions in the house. The media agrees there’s one, and sends more TV crews to talk to onion farmers, even though the TV reporters...
More »Labour shortage hits jute mills in West Bengal by Jayajit Dash
After sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh, it’s now the turn of jute mills in West Bengal to reel under shortage of labour. This has forced many jute mills to reduce their production hours and go for production cuts. The 52 working jute mills in West Bengal employ around 400,000 workers and the labour shortfall is about 30 per cent. “The workers are more interested in getting engaged in different government schemes like...
More »Centre allows sugar export of 5-lakh tonnes by Gargi Parsai
It will have no impact on domestic prices, says Pawar Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that the government will allow export of 5 lakh tonnes of sugar under Open General Licence by the end of this month after working out the modalities. All sugar mills would be allowed to take advantage of higher domestic sugar production and high global sugar prices.Mr. Pawar also announced a hike...
More »Labour shortage in the fields drives farmers to tractors by Shally Seth
Pawan Goenka noticed something unusual last year—tractor sales were climbing even though India had its worst monsoon in more than three decades and farm output dropped 2.8% in the three months to December last fiscal. The umbilical cord that tied rainfall patterns and tractor sales seemed to have been ruptured. The president of auto and tractor maker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd offers an interesting explanation to this puzzle: growing labour shortages...
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