Page 3 - Food Security

Cabinet approves extension of free ration scheme for poor by three months

The government on Wednesday extended by three months its programme to provide free rations to the poor at a cost of over Rs 44,700 crore, as it looked to ease pain from high inflation and make political gains in the upcoming Gujarat election. The scheme to provide 5 kg of wheat and rice free of cost to 80 crore poor every month, which was ending on Friday, will now run through December 31, 2022, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was started in April 2020 to help the poor whose livelihoods were shuttered by a nationwide lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the Coronavirus.

World Food Programme calls for $1.1 billion aid for food-insecure Afghans

The World Food Programme has called for $1.1 billion to continue delivering monthly food and nutritional assistance for the next six months to 15 million acutely food-insecure people in Afghanistan

ADB commits $14 billion to ensure food security in Asia Pacific

The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday announced a USD 14 billion fund to fight food security crisis in Asia Pacific, threatened by adverse climate and exacerbated by Russia-Ukraine war choking supply lines, triggering soaring food prices. The multilateral funding agency is hosting its 55th annual meeting at its headquarters in Manila from September 26-30 in a hybrid mode with 45 governors of the member nations attending in person after 2019. Others will join virtually. "In this meeting, we are discussing our region's path to recovery as new uncertainties facing our developing member countries. These headwinds include food security, inflation and debt crisis. All these challenges need to be understood in rising threats of climate change," ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said in a press conference addressed virtually. Offering a few reflections of the situation the Asia and the Pacific region is facing, he said the social and economic conditions have changed. "The pandemic was difficu

World is 'edging into' a recession, warns WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

"The indicators are not looking good," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said during an interview in Geneva Tuesday. "I think a global recession - that is what I think we are edging into."

India, Caribbean nations to work on food, energy security, climate change

India and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations have agreed to work together on global issues such as food and energy security and combating climate change, as they held discussions on deepening political engagement and increasing cooperation in the context of post-pandemic economic recovery. The 4th India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration of Belize co-chaired the meeting. The meeting was a follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic meeting with the leaders of CARICOM countries on the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of Barbados, Dominica, Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname. During the ...

Biden pledges $2.9 bn in food security aid amid Ukraine war, climate change

President Joe Biden on Wednesday is announcing $2.9 billion in global food security aid to address shortages caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the effects of climate change. The White House says Biden will use his speech at the UN General Assembly to announce the funding, which includes $2 billion in direct humanitarian assistance through the United States Agency for International Development. The balance of the money will go to global development projects meant to boost the efficiency and resilience of the global food supply. This new announcement of $2.9 billion will save lives through emergency interventions and invest in medium to long term food security assistance in order to protect the world's most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis, the White House said.

PM Modi airs 3-point initiative to boost SCO countries' collective rise

PM Modi cited start-ups, traditional medicine, and food security as domains where India can pioneer a collective initiative for the region.

Need to build resilient supply chains, boost connectivity: PM Modi at SCO

India assumes rotational annual presidency of SCO summit nations; China, Russia and other countries offer support for summit next year in India

Output of kharif rice may drop by 4-5 mn tonnes due to drought: Govt

In full 2021-22, around 81,000 tonnes of broken rice was allotted from FCI's godowns for ethanol production

Ukraine conflict increases food insecurity among developing nations

United Nations recently voiced concern over the global repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, saying that it has increased the risk of food insecurity among developing countries.

World's food supply faces new threat after India's rice crop falters

The threat to India's rice production comes at a time when countries are grappling with soaring food costs and rampant inflation

USAID chief's India visit aimed at enhancing strategic partnership

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power India's visit is targeted to advance US-India strategic partnership and address the global food security crisis

Grain of the matter

Govt's grain stock reduction is a good development

Ensuring nutrition security

Food safety programmes need adjustments

Rice production under threat due to higher fertilizer costs, booming demand

China's worried about the crop impact of pests, while India's output depends on a good monsoon

G20 diplomats to meet today with Russia-Ukraine war, its impact on agenda

Top diplomats from the world's richest and largest developing nations are confronting multiple crises as they open talks beset by sharp divisions over Russia-Ukraine war and its impacts

Odisha ranks No 1 in NFSA 2022 ranking, becomes role model for world

Odisha's transformational food security story is going to be a role model for the world as the state, which was known for its hunger issues in the pre-2000 era, has been ranked No. 1 in India

Odisha top among states on Food Act implementation; UP in second place

Goa and Chhattisgarh at the bottom of the pile on implementation of National Food Security Act

UP, Gujarat ask Centre to restore wheat quota under two food schemes

States raise matter in central government's meeting on food security, say beneficiaries complaining

Odisha tops state ranking for implementation of National Food Security Act

Odisha has topped in the state ranking for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) through ration shops, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, the government said on Tuesday. Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal released the 'State Ranking Index for NFSA' 2022 during a conference of state food ministers on food and nutrition security in India. Among the special category states (the North Eastern states, Himalayan states, and the Island states), Tripura has obtained the first rank. Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim are at the second and third positions. Despite the logistical limitations in these areas, they displayed a high degree of accomplishment in competing with the general category states as well, the report said. As per the government's ranking, Odisha is at first position with a score of 0.836, followed by Uttar Pradesh (0.797) and Andhra Pradesh (0.794). Gujarat is at fourth place, followed by Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu, Madhya ..