Harish Damodaran

1 week ago | indianexpress.com | Harish Damodaran

India’s agriculture exports rose 6.4% to $51.9 billion in 2024-25, from $48.8 billion during the preceding fiscal year ended March 2024. This was as against the almost flat 0.1% growth in the value of its overall goods exports, from $437.1 billion in 2023-24 to $437.4 billion in 2024-25. But the difference was even more in the value of imports.

2 weeks ago | tamil.indianexpress.com | Harish Damodaran

நீண்ட காலமாக, பணவீக்கம் உணவுப் பொருட்களின் விலைகளால் இயக்கப்படுகிறது. இதன் விளைவாக, ரிசர்வ் வங்கி 'மொத்த' பணவீக்கத்தை விட 'முக்கிய' பணவீக்கத்தில் கவனம் செலுத்த வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கைகள் எழுந்தன. ஆனால் இப்போது, உணவுப் பணவீக்கம் மொத்த மற்றும் முக்கிய பணவீக்கத்தை விட பின்தங்கியுள்ளது. இதன் அர்த்தம் என்ன? நீண்ட காலமாக, பணவீக்கம் உணவுப் பொருட்களின் விலைகளால் இயக்கப்படுகிறது. இதன் விளைவாக, ரிசர்வ் வங்கி 'மொத்த' பணவீக்கத்தை விட 'முக்கிய' பணவீக்கத்தில் கவனம் செலுத்த வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கைகள் எழுந்தன.

2 weeks ago | indianexpress.com | Harish Damodaran

Between February 8, 2023 and February 6, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept its key short-term ‘repo’ lending rate for banks unchanged at 6.5%. This roughly two-year period (February 2023 to January 2025) saw inflation based on the official consumer price index (CPI) average 5.2% year-on-year. It was even higher, at 7.6%, for the consumer food price index (CFPI).

3 weeks ago | indianexpress.com | Harish Damodaran

Farmers, like all businessmen, are rational and risk-averse. Everything else being the same, they will choose to grow crops that offer reasonable price as well as yield assurance. No surprise, then, that rice and wheat are their most preferred crops – more so when they have access to basic irrigation that can supplement natural rainfall. Between 2015-16 and 2024-25, the area planted under rice has increased from 29.8 to 32.4 lakh hectares (lh) in Punjab, while from 10.5 lh to 47 lh in Telangana.

1 month ago | indianexpress.com | Harish Damodaran

Agriculture is a source of food, feed, fibre and fuel. Take cotton: The raw kapas bolls that farmers harvest yield not just the white fluffy fibres or lint. They also contain seeds, from which edible oil (food) is extracted. The residual protein-rich cake after oil extraction is used as a feed ingredient for cattle and poultry. But it is the fourth ‘F’ – as fuel – that’s creating ripples, if not consternation, among existing user industries. This is especially so with maize.