-Livemint.com The actual determination of MSP is driven by a ‘business as usual’ practice of incremental increases in line with past trend, combined with the political need for ‘look good’ optics The recent increase in the minimum support pRices (MSP) for major kharif crops has reignited the debate about food pRice policy. Some analysts believe that the increase has been excessive, that it will push up inflation, both directly and also indirectly...

-The Tribune The input costs of only chosen farmers are considered to decide the MSP. This is unfair to the farmers of the 'Granary of India' as their input costs are much higher than those of farmers from the rest of the country. In the Indian system, farmers are the only 'businessmen' who cannot set their own pRice for their products —foodgrains. Even a 'rehrhi-wala' sets his own pRice daily for whatever...

-The Hindu Business Line Direct bank transfers plug leakages in food distribution, ensure better nutritional security New Delhi: Irrespective of teething problems encountered in places where it was launched as pilot, direct cash transfers are far more effective than food subsidy in reducing food insecurity and nutritional imbalances among the Indian population, a new report has shown. Currently, India spends ?1,45,400 crore — about 1.3 per cent of its GDP — to give...

-Livemint.com The best way to double the real incomes of Indian farmers would be to halve their numbers through job creation in other parts of the economy The Narendra Modi government last week announced sharp increases in minimum support pRices (MSPs) for a variety of farm products. The move itself is not unexpected. The first sign that the Modi government would shift away from its earlier strategy of minimal hikes to douse...

-Newsclick.in Govt. buys only about one third of the total Rice and wheat produced and MSP is paid for that only. The recent announcement of Minimum Support PRices for 14 kharif crops including paddy and many coarse grains has been met with a frenzy of self-congratulation by the Modi govt. and the BJP, egged on by an embarrassingly sycophantic mainstream media. Many have however pointed out that the declared MSP is...