The paradox of a Food Security Bill focused on the availability and distribution of cereal grains, while grain rots due to lack of proper storage, draws many critiques of the Indian government’s management of national food security. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/inadequate-storage-facilities-lead-to-wastage-of-grains/400527-3.html
Thai Rice Pledging, Moisture Content, and Corruption
Major losses in the government’s flagship pledging program led officials to slash the pledging price of unmilled white rice by 20%, set a limit on household pledge amounts, and cap the total amount of paddy to be bought each year at 15 million tonnes. Many say modifications aren’t enough to curb corruption among millers and […]
India’s Food Security Rots in Storage
A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India finds that 13% of India’s GDP is wasted in the food chain annually, perpetuated in large part by a 40% shortage of storage. The coming of monsoon season brings heavy rains and flash flooding, meaning issues for unstored grain. http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/06/indias-food-security-rots-in-storage/
Obsolete Policies ‘Fanning Africa’s Hunger’
A FAO official says many African nations still lack agricultural policies founded in research, causing them to lag behind in food security matters. Experts call for a systematic mechanism for monitoring policy across the continent, and emphasize the need to focus more on smallholder farmers and their access to inputs, infrastructure, and markets. http://www.africareview.com/progress/Good-policies-key-to-Africa-food-security/-/1502374/1864828/-/oes15r/-/index.html?relative=true
Wheat Worth Rs 45 Crore Rotten at FCI’s Godowns in First Monsoon Month
Farmers are angry over the lack of storage for the just-beginning monsoon season as the Food Security bill remains pending, and bumper stocks pile up in government godowns. http://www.fnbnews.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=33897§ionid=1
ICAR Seeks Funds to Set Up Rice Mill for Goa Tribal Farmers
The Indian Council for Agricultural Research’s Goa chapter is pursuing the establishment of a rice mill in south Goa under their tribal sub-plan. The mill would enable farmers to earn twice as much per kilogram of rice in a fraction of the time. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/icar-seeks-funds-to-set-up-rice-mill-for-goa-tribal-farmers-113062400158_1.html
Growth in Crop Yields Inadequate to Feed the World by 2050 – Research
University of Minnesota, United States, researchers say crop yields are far below targets for 2050, after analyzing 2.5 million agricultural statistics. Looking at maize, rice, wheat, and soybeans, they found yield improvement grew between 0.9% to 1.6%, far slower than the 2.4% necessary to meet calorie demands. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/20/crop-yeilds-world-population Report — http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0066428
Who Really Benefited from the Rice Scheme?
Thailand’s rice scheme is under scrutiny after being found to incur major losses in its first year. Public officials, bureaucrats, millers, processors, and other middlemen in the agro-processing sector are targeted as corrupt, at the expense of farmers. http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/355674/who-really-benefitted-from-the-rice-scheme
India to Consider Allowing Extra Wheat Exports on Friday
As procured stocks reach 44 million tonnes as of June 1, India is considering adding two million more tonnes of wheat to its tender scheme of 4.5 million tonnes, of which nearly all has been released. http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/19/india-wheat-exports-idINDEE95I06R20130619
Farmers Lose in Rice Review
Major losses in the government’s flagship pledging program led officials to slash the pledging price of unmilled white rice by 20%, set a limit on household pledge amounts, and cap the total amount of paddy to be bought each year at 15 million tonnes. Many say modifications aren’t enough to curb corruption among millers and […]