All stories by Sanjeeb Mukherjee
Demand, supply mismatch pushing up vegetable inflation frequently
Rediff.com24 Oct 2023Higher growth in vegetable demand relative to supply in the recent past has led to an upward trend in inflation, with spikes becoming more frequent. A study by rating agency Crisil found that vegetable inflation has been the most volatile in the food category, in fact. Inflation volatility is detrimental for both consumers and farmers and also sidetracks policymakers in the short term, necessitating frequent and repeated price-smoothing measures.
20% export duty woes: Parboiled rice exports fall over 80% in a month
Rediff.com9 Oct 2023The government's decision to impose a 20 per cent export duty on parboiled rice and a $1,200 per tonne minimum export price (MEP) on basmati rice has pulled down overseas shipments of the former by almost 83 per cent and around 30 per cent of basmati exports in a month. Data sourced from various trade agencies and shippers showed that between August 25 and September 20, export of basmati rice has shrunk from 342,605 tonnes in 2022 to around 241,083 tonnes in 2023. Similarly, export of parboiled rice, after the imposition of 20 per cent duty during the same period, has dropped from 1.16 million tonnes in 2022 to just around 204,190 tonnes in 2023.
AIIMS-Like Centre For Animals In Delhi
Rediff.com25 Sep 2023The Centre, for the first time, has initiated a draft proposal for setting up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-like institute of national importance for animal health, education and research in Delhi to be called the All India Institute of Veterinary Sciences (AIIVS).
Pulses prices stabilise as rains revive over major growing states
Rediff.com22 Sep 2023After a steady surge, prices of pulses, except those of urad and masoor to some extent, are showing signs of stabilising amid a revival of monsoon rains over major growing areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and on expectations of a rise in imports. Chana prices, which too had moved up in recent months, have dropped by almost 3 per cent since the end of August due to increased liquidation of government stocks, official data shows. Monsoon rains seem to have benefitted the standing soybean crop as well.
How Politicians Prevented Onion Tears
Rediff.com5 Sep 2023Even before NCP-Ajit Pawar leaders came to meet in Delhi, the central government decided to buy 200,000 tonnes of onions from farmers at Rs 24.1 per quintal. This was among the highest prices at which onions have ever been bought from farmers.
Deficient Rains Threaten Kharif Crop
Rediff.com4 Sep 2023Any long dry spell could cause moisture stress in the standing crop during the crucial maturing stage and also make it prone to pest and disease attacks.
Break in rains a threat to kharif yield, rabi sowing
Rediff.com3 Sep 2023A prolonged break in monsoon rains in most parts of the country is threatening to hit the yield of kharif crops. It could even delay the upcoming rabi sowing. Major agricultural states, such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Gujarat, have witnessed a deficit of 30-80 per cent in southwest monsoon rainfall in August compared to the long-period average for the month. Meteorologists see no big revival in monsoon rains from hereon, though they forecast "some activity" over the Bay of Bengal on September 5-6.
Pest Attack May Grow If Monsoon Weakens
Rediff.com1 Sep 2023Pulses are most vulnerable to pests and diseases if the monsoon remains patchy for the rest of the season.
Is the fairy tale of India's sugar sector facing multiple challenges?
Rediff.com28 Aug 2023The last few years have been uncharacteristically good for the Indian sugar sector for a variety of reasons. While on the one hand, the weather supported good crop production; on the other hand, the programme to blend ethanol with petrol took off in a big way. The long-pending problem of burgeoning sugarcane arrears almost came down to nil and exports boomed to record highs.
Govt to procure 200K-tonne onions amid farmer protest
Rediff.com23 Aug 2023Barely days after imposing a 40 per cent export tax on onions to cool down soaring prices, which, in turn, triggered widespread protests across the main growing belts, the Centre on Tuesday sought to mitigate both political and economic tensions gripping parts of Maharashtra. It decided to procure an additional 200,000 tonnes of onions at Rs 2,410 per quintal for its buffer stock from farmers, a rate that is strikingly close to the price at which they were being exported before the 40 per cent duty was levied on August 19. The export price before the imposition of the duty stood at around $320 per tonne free on board (approximately Rs 2,650 per quintal).
NCDEX, Skymet takes initial steps towards tradeable weather index
Rediff.com22 Aug 2023India's leading commodity exchange, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), and private weather forecasting company Skymet took a significant step towards launching the country's first tradeable weather index on Monday (August 14) by entering into an agreement to deepen their understanding of the impact that weather has on agricultural commodities. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NCDEX and Skymet is a profound step in the direction of linking farmers with the weather in a scientific way, according to an official statement. Sources indicate that NCDEX and Skymet will conduct workshops and seminars across the country to educate farmers about how they can scientifically use weather forecasts to hedge risks.
El Nino Clouds Hover Over August Rainfall
Rediff.com8 Aug 2023The El Nino impact on the Indian monsoon typically manifests by way of extended break in rainfall.
Global rice markets in turmoil as India bans export of non-basmati
Rediff.com3 Aug 2023India's decision to ban the export of non-basmati white rice has pushed up global prices, prompting multilateral lending agencies, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to call for a reconsideration of the move. Though nothing has been spelled out yet officially, sources said, the government might consider requests for government-to-government sale of non-basmati white rice, especially to West African nations where India is a major supplier. Also, traders and exporters of specialty regional rice varieties like sona masuri or gobindo bhog feel that they have been short-changed.
Rajya Sabha passes Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill
Rediff.com2 Aug 2023The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday gave its green light to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2023. This Bill introduces significant amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act. These modifications aim to enhance the transparency and accountability of these cooperatives' operations in a bid to improve governance.
Why FCI Stopped Rice Supply For Ethanol
Rediff.com1 Aug 2023Rising prices of cereals and concerns over rice production in the 2023-2024 crop year due to insufficient rains followed by floods could be the possible causes.
Why NRIs Don't Get Non-Basmati White Rice
Rediff.com28 Jul 2023Non-basmati white rice accounts for nearly 25-30 per cent of total rice exported from the country.
Be Warned! Haldi Prices Will Soar!
Rediff.com28 Jul 2023Usually, turmeric is grown over 290,000-330,000 hectares of land. But in 2022-2023, according to official estimates, there has been a drop of about 10,000 hectares.
Cooler Weather Halts Milk Crisis
Rediff.com19 Jul 2023Cooler weather meant that demand for milk products and value-added items like buttermilk and ice-cream did not show the usual rise.
Tomato Prices Increased By 1315%!
Rediff.com12 Jul 20238 out of 10 households are planning to cut their tomato consumption if prices stay in the Rs 75-150 kg range over the next three months.
Farmer's to get a bird's eye view: IFFCO to purchase 2,500 agri drones
Rediff.com5 Jul 2023At a time when climate change poses significant challenges and the need for sustainable and efficient farming practices has never been more critical, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allow farmers to gain a bird's-eye view of their crops from ground level. Drones have become a new force in precision agriculture, helping increase productivity while prioritising sustainability and resilience. Fertiliser major IFFCO is exploring this very transformative power of technology in agriculture.