-Newsclick.in Experts worry that with the government aggressively promoting a "singular reductionist corporate-controlled silver bullet solution" like fortified rice, a myriad of diverse local and natural solutions will get neglected and even eroded. Synthetic fortification of rice is not proven to be effective and can be toxic to many Indians, according to a report prepared by the Right to Food Campaign. The report was released following a three-day fact-finding visit to Jharkhand...

-The Hindu Extension of procurement season to benefit farmers, it says The Centre has asked wheat-producing States and union territories (UTs), whose procurement closing dates were expiring early, to keep procuring wheat till May 31, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a statement on May 15. The extension of the wheat procurement season was “expected to benefit farmers”, the Ministry said. The Ministry had also directed the Food...

-The Hindu Classes 1-5 to benefit; this is among 5 schemes announced Chennai: On the occasion of the DMK government of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin stepping into its second year on Saturday, the State was richer by five new development schemes. Mr. Stalin made the announcements in the Assembly. The schemes are a free morning breakfast scheme for government school students, a scheme to eradicate nutrition deficiency, establishment of schools of excellence...

-The Tribune While many of the big defaulters have escaped abroad, why is it invariably a farmer (or a small borrower) who is left to face ill-treatment and injustice in the loan recovery process? While the big defaulters are treated with kid gloves, farmers are always treated with a different yardstick, as if they are children of a lesser god. WHILE the Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank (PADB) has issued arrest...

-Hindustan Times The situation, according to the Punjab food and civil supplies department, has arisen due to delay in the Centre’s approval to grant relaxation in the procurement norms as the crop in the current rabi season has percentage of shriveled grain more than the permissible limit of six Chandigarh: There is a glut-like situation in the mandis and procurement centres of Punjab as at least 38 lakh tonne wheat is waiting...