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On a campus in southern India, Kiran Sharma and his team of biologists are perfecting a recipe that may solve the nation’s inflation woes.
Sharma . . . has been testing a new variety of pigeon pea, a 3,000-year-old indigenous crop used to make dal, a staple . . . in India. By adding a gene . . . he hopes to make it pest-proof, boost output by 30 percent and help reduce dependence on imports in a country that’s both the world’s biggest producer and consumer of dry legumes. . .
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Widespread use of the revamped pigeon pea. . . has the potential to boost yields that are less than half of China’s, and could help the country reach its longer term inflation target of 4 percent, lowering borrowing costs. Yet it could take years to get to market: Many states in India oppose genetically modified crops, and won’t allow field trials.
Related on the SLP
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Pulses are a key driver of Asia’s second-highest inflation rate. Prices of the beans, chickpeas and lentils as a group have risen between 20 percent and 40 percent each month for the past year.
Read full, original post: An Upgraded 3,000-Year-Old Pea Could Ease India’s Inflation Problem
