Punjab, once India's richest state, has slipped and fallen behind. It needs to get off the paddy-wheat-MSP high and rediscover its entrepreneurial impulse
While the agitating farmers are clamouring for its continuation, the mechanism is a drain on govt resources, with the Centre buying far in excess of what it needs for distribution under PDS
Rice is among the biggest agriculture exports from India along with buffalo meat and cotton
Ironically, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, the top two rice-producing states, account for less than 10 per cent of the total procurement