Gaddiannaram wholesale fruit market...

Indian people inspect watermelons at the Gaddiannaram wholesale fruit market on the outskirts of Hyderabad on March 4, 2008. Analysts say India, which produces most of its own food, exports surplus items such as sugar and heavily subsidises supplies for the poor, has so far managed to avoid severe price shocks. But it is facing the same mix of factors as other nations that are grappling with rising food prices, higher incomes are boosting demand for protein, surging demand for energy is pressuring oil prices, and diversion of agricultural land to urbanisation and industrialisation, as well as grain production for biofuels, is pushing land values sky high.

Indian labourers sort and grade oranges at the Gaddiannaram wholesale fruit market on the outskirts of Hyderabad on March 4, 2008. Analysts say India, which produces most of its own food, exports surplus items such as sugar and heavily subsidises supplies for the poor, has so far managed to avoid severe price shocks. But it is facing the same mix of factors as other nations that are grappling with rising food prices, higher incomes are boosting demand for protein, surging demand for energy is pressuring oil prices, and diversion of agricultural land to urbanisation and industrialisation, as well as grain production for biofuels, is pushing land values sky high.