Ramesh Chand
Understanding the nature and causes of food inflation
The main reason for the current surge in food prices is the supply shock due to the drought in 2009 and the carry-over effect of the low growth of food production in 2008-09. As the frequency of such shocks is expected to rise, India needs to have an effective food management strategy to deal with these episodes.
Dealing with effects of monsoon failures
The deficiency and uneven distribution of rainfall during the 2009 monsoon has brought several issues to the fore: rising water demand from various sectors, regional effects of a drought and the failure of the India Meteorological Department to provide credible forecasts at the disaggregate level.
Linkages between urban consumption and rural non-farm employment and agricultural income: A new perspective
Linkages between different sectors and segments of an economy keep changing with the progress of economy.
Instability in Indian agriculture during different phases of technology and policy
Agriculture growth and instability have remained the subject of intense debate in the agricultural economics literature in India. While the need for increasing agricultural production or growth are obvious, the increase in instability in agricultural production is considered adverse for several reasons.
The wheat market: Distortions caused by government interventions
Wheat stocks are rising again, well beyond the minimum required, and a large procurement is expected from the 2009-10 wheat marketing season that begins on 1 April. India appears set once again for yet another phase of rising stocks, mounting carrying costs, and a crisis of plenty.
The global food crisis: causes, Severity and outlook
This paper discusses the various factors that have been identified as responsible for the current global crisis in the availability of food and for the rise in prices of cereals. It argues that the crisis is different from the ones in the 1960s and 1970s in that there is now likely to be a permanent upward shift in real prices. It is important that developing countries place renewed emphasis on selfsufficiency to ensure food security, since they are unlikely to be able to afford expensive food imports.
Fertiliser growth, imbalances and subsidies: trends and implications
This paper examines trend in fertiliser use at national and state level and estimates imbalances in use of plant nutrients in different regions. The paper estimates regional disparities in fertiliser use and in benefits of fertiliser subsidy from different angles. Trend in fertiliser subsidy is presented in nominal and real terms and distortions caused by the subsidies are discussed at length.
Risk in Indian agriculture - A case of six major crops
Agriculture in India is subject to variety of risks arising from rainfall aberrations, temperature fluctuations, hailstorms, cyclones, floods and climate change. These risks are exacerbated by price fluctuation, weak rural infrastructure, imperfect markets and lack of financial services including limited span and design of risk mitigation instruments such as credit and insurance.
