Columnists

Siraj Hussain

Hussain is former Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (GoI) and currently Visiting Senior Fellow at ICRIER

Diverting rice to produce ethanol during pandemic is unethical

Wed, May 06, 2020

Such diversion of food crops to produce biofuel was considered one of the reasons for the rise in food prices globally. Corn and other grain is also used in feedstock for poultry and cattle and is hence part of the food economy. Should India, a country with rampant poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, use food grains for making ethanol?

Utilise FCI stock for those who have ration cards and those who don’t

Mon, Apr 06, 2020

The states must engage NGOs, factories and charities including religious organisations to raise funds for meeting the expenditure on milk, eggs, cooking oil and vegetables, and even soaps and sanitisers.

From Plate to Plough: Premium delayed, farmer denied

Mon, May 14, 2018

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana does not inspire confidence of farmers. They have to wait for months, sometimes years to get compensation.

From Plate to Plough: How to help the farmer

Mon, Jan 29, 2018

Price deficiency payment schemes in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana do not cover farmers’ losses. Telangana’s input support scheme deserves nation-wide emulation.

From Plate to Plough: Left behind on the farm

Tue, Jan 02, 2018

Farmers have suffered in the last three-and-a-half years. For the prime minister and the BJP, agricultural reforms make both economic and political sense.

From Plate to Plough: Onion tears and how to wipe them

Mon, Nov 20, 2017

Onion farmers have suffered even in a bumper crop year. Needed: Scientific storage facilities, a judicious trade policy.

Innovators, not pirates

Mon, Oct 23, 2017

India must curb intellectual property rights violations, like the one on herbicide tolerant Bt cotton, in order to become an innovation hub.

A sketchy roadmap

Mon, Sep 25, 2017

NITI Aayog’s three year agenda does not recognise the role of trade policy in agriculture, and is silent on money-guzzling food and fertiliser subsidies

From plate to plough: Tall tales for farmers

Mon, Aug 28, 2017

The first time the PM had shared his dream of doubling farmers’ income (DFI) was at a kisan rally in Bareilly on February 28, 2016. A day later, the finance minister talked about this goal in his budget speech.

From plate to plough: Everybody loves a good crop

Mon, Jul 31, 2017

The states need to pull up their socks, make farmers stakeholders, to ensure success of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

From Plate to Plough: Lessons for the field

Mon, Jul 17, 2017

Diversification is essential to making Punjab a star performer in agriculture once again

From plate to plough: Farm and the tax

Mon, Jun 05, 2017

A smooth GST regime can break inter-state barriers on movement and facilitate direct linkages between processors and farmers

From plate to plough: An unfulfilled farm manifesto

Mon, May 22, 2017

On agriculture, three years into the Modi government, while many steps have been taken to realise promises made in 2014, others have fallen by the wayside

From plate to plough: The faraway fields

Mon, Apr 24, 2017

The Modi government has made the right moves with its flagship schemes for agriculture, but these have not made much difference to the lives of farmers so far