-TheWire.in The rise and fall of the biggest importers of edible oil in the world. ‘Freedom is the greatest fruit of self-sufficiency’ – Epicurus The COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental for globalisation and has led to a clamour for protectionism. India’s national strategy is also in line with this trend with calls for ‘Atmanirbharta’ and ‘vocal for local’ increasing. Traditionally, India was an exporter of edible oil before Independence, became self-sufficient post-Independence (till the early 1970s),...

-Financial Express The current guidelines may not inspire confidence among farmers on entering into collective enterprises. Prime minister Narendra Modi, in his address commemorating 75 years of the UN’s FAO, reiterated India’s commitment to enhance its farmers’ income. He also reiterated the resolve to create 10,000 additional Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), one of the main pillars in the proposed transformation of the agri-economy. Will his futuristic vision result in creation of successful...

-The Indian Express Farmers in poll-bound Bihar are seeking mandis 'like in Punjab and Haryana' Begusarai, Khagaria: In 2006, Nitish Kumar’s government showed the way by repealing Bihar’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and allowing crops to be freely traded outside the state’s regulated mandis. But 14 years on – when the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has enacted a law dismantling the monopoly of APMC mandis all over India and...

-Financial Express Only three crops -- groundnut, jowar and moong -- have recorded higher arrivals on year (see chart). Even in the case of jowar and moong, arrivals fell in the largest-producing states of Maharashtra (-39%) and Rajasthan (-7%), respectively. Amid the row over the three new federal farm laws aimed at giving unfettered market access to farmers, the producers of various crops seem to have started to rely much less on...

-Business Standard Rajasthan has amended The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (promotion and facilitation) Act, 2020 to restore what it calls 'the safeguards for the farmers of the state' as under state's APMC Act The Congress-ruled states’ plan to nullify the three central laws on agricultural markets and provide for alternatives of their own for protection of famer interest, especially on prices for their produce has been executed with three states of...