India on Tuesday said its top priority is to manage its own food shortages and control seven-year high inflation rather than listening to advice from those seeking lifting of ban on export of edible articles. "We do not need advice and we will not compromise our food security," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said. He said India's first priority is to ensure that it has sufficient food stock. The US, United Nations and several African countries have criticised India for imposing bans on export of food articles such as rice and wheat. Managing inflation has become one of the biggest challenges for the UPA Government in the last year of its tenure. The price rise, measured by the Whole Price Index, has touched a seven-year high of close to nine per cent, giving a handle to the Left and the Opposition parties. Nath is London on a busy schedule of meetings, including the one with EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson. He had addressed a joint conference of FICCI and Oxford University on Monday where he said the US was the main stumbling block in the Doha trade talks.
