Heena Sharma Blog

With onion prices skyrocketing, traders from Tiruchi wholesale market , which is one of the largest in Tamil Nadu, have imported 30 tonnes of onion. The import has brought down prices to Rs 100 per kg at the market, which caters to five districts. In other parts of the state, prices range from Rs 140-160. According to the traders, there may not be further imports as margins are set declining due to increased arrivals from Perambalur, Tiruchi and Namakkal districts. Major wholesale markets in Tamil Nadu are dependent on onions from Bellary and Nashik, apart from procurement from neighbouring districts, where rains destroyed 75 per cent of crops this year. According to local media reports, the crop is raised on over 8,000 hectares in Perambalur district and on about 4,000 hectares in Tiruchi district. Traders say arrivals from these districts have plunged to 25 bags daily from 500, earlier. Meanwhile, Centre is also importing onions from Egypt, among other nations. The Union...

Poor diet leads to hundreds of deaths in India annually, according to a Lancet study which found that globally one in five people die due to the lack of optimal amounts of food and nutrients on their plates. The report, which tracked trends in consumption of 15 dietary factors from 1990 to 2017 in 195 countries, showed that almost every region of the world could benefit from rebalancing their diets. The study estimates that one in five deaths globally -- equivalent to 11 million deaths -- are associated with poor diet, and diet contributes to a range of chronic diseases in people around the world. In 2017, more deaths were caused by diets with too low amounts of foods such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds than by diets with high levels of foods like trans fats, sugary drinks, and high levels of red and processed meats. Low intake of whole grains -- below 125 grammes per day -- was the leading dietary risk factor for death and disease in India, the US, Brazil, Pakis...