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Date : 26.09.2013

Farmers told to store and sell turmeric

COIMBATORE

The Domestic and Export Market Intelligence Cell of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has

asked farmers to store turmeric for two months and sell it during October-November this

year.This is because the price will be higher in the forthcoming months, according to a release

from the university. The forecast has been made based on the turmeric price that prevailed at

the Erode Regulated Market for the last 25 years. The predicted price of turmeric is expected to

be around Rs. 6,500 per quintal in October-November.

As per trade sources, the area under turmeric cultivation is around 18,550 hectares, which is 40

per cent lesser than last year.

Central Silk Board looking to up raw silk production

TIRUPUR

The Central Silk Board (CSB), with the help of Indian Space Research Organisation, has

identified lands for increasing acreage under mulberry and Vanya (also called wild silks) in 106

districts through satellite mapping, according to CSB member-secretary Ishita Roy. “Our aim is

to enhance the total raw silk production (including mulberry and wild silk varieties) in the country

from 23,000 tonnes in 2012-13 to 33,000 metric tonnes per annum before the end of the current

Five Year Plan period,” she toldThe Hindu here.

The target includes 5,000 tonnes of bivoltine silk, 6,000 tonnes of improved cross breed

mulberry silk, 9,200 tonnes of Vanya.

As for turnover, the Board had set a target of Rs.4,500 crore of annual exports of silk varieties

by 2016-17, from Rs.2,600 crore attained in 2012-13 fiscal.

Ms. Roy, who is also the Secretary-General of the International Sericulture Commission, the

inter- governmental organisation of silk producing countries, said that the Board had

strengthened research and development strategies to facilitate the production of internationally

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gradable quality of silk varieties and would also give away more incentives to farmers and other

stakeholders for achieving the production targets.

“The improved cross breeds of silk worms produced by the R&D wing, good quality mulberry

saplings and 100 per cent certified Chaki worms will be distributed to the farmers at subsidised

rates,” she added.

The Board had also aimed at setting up a total of 175 Bivoltine silk clusters and 25 Vanya silk

clusters in the country during the current Five Year Plan period.

“As part of cluster activities, the Board will give assistance for chaki rearing, supply quality

seeds and subsidy for setting up rearing houses,” Ms. Roy said.

Ms Roy said steps were underway to increase the share of Vanya silk among the total quantity

of silk exported from the country, from the present 8 per cent to 20 per cent in the next three

years.

Central team assesses crop loss in Sringeri taluk

HASSAN

Spot inspection:The Central team visited agricultural fields in Guddethota and nearbyareas in Sringeri taluk of

Chikmagalur district on Wednesday.

A Central team, headed by K.S. Jacob, Chief Engineer of the Central Water Commission,

visited agricultural fields in Sringeri taluk of Chikmagalur district, where crops were lost due to

heavy rain recently, on Wednesday. The team visited fields in Guddethota and nearby areas in

the taluk. Farmers who have suffered losses narrated their woes to the officials.

The team, which included Vivek Goel, Director of the Central Electricity Authority, and P.S.G.

Rao, Joint Director in the Union Ministry of Finance, interacted with farmers and officers to

collect data.

MP Jayaprakash Hegde, Sringeri MLA D.N. Jeevaraj and Deputy Commissioner B.S.

Shekharappa accompanied the team members during their visit.

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weather

NEW DELHI

INSAT PICTURE AT 14.00 hrs. Observations recorded at 8.30 a.m. on September 25th.

Max Min R TR

New Delhi (Plm) 37 26 0 582

New Delhi (Sfd) 36 25 0 815

Chandigarh 32 24 2 837

Hissar 35 25 0 602

Bhuntar 33 14 6 416

Shimla 21 14 12 876

Jammu 34 21 0 1251

Srinagar 30 13 0 249

Amritsar 36 22 0 761

Patiala 34 24 0 738

Jaipur 33 25 0 693

Udaipur 28 23 10 716

Allahabad 35 27 0 994

Lucknow 35 24 0 734

Varanasi 35 27 0 756

Dehradun 31 21 10 2837

Agartala 35 26 tr 864

Ahmedabad 30 25 81 902

Bangalore 28 19 0 693

Bhubaneshwar 34 27 tr 914

Bhopal 28 23 0 1152

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Chennai 36 27 0 635

Guwahati 37 25 14 758

Hyderabad 31 23 0 680

Kolkata 36 28 0 1606

Mumbai 27 25 4 2289

Nagpur 32 23 0 1442

Patna 36 26 0 609

Pune 28 21 0 752

Thiruvananthapuram 33 24 0 1066

Imphal 33 21 0 1038

Shillong 25 17 12 953

The columns show maximum and minimum temperature in Celsius, rainfall during last 24 hours (tr-trace)

and total rainfall in mm since 1st June.

MAINLY DRY WEATHER

The withdrawal line of South-west-monsoon still continues to pass through Kalpa, Hissar,

Jodhpur and Nalia.

Rainfall: Rain/thundershowers have occurred at many places over Himachal Pradesh, at a few

places over east Rajasthan and at isolated places over rest of the region. The chief amounts of

rainfall in cm. are: (2 cm. and above) HARYANA: Sonipat 3 and Palwal 2, HIMACHAL PRADESH:

Palampur and Pandoh 5 each, Dharamsala 4 and Kandaghat 2 each, PUNJAB: R.S.Dam Site 4,

Phangota 3 and Hoshiarpur, Phillaur and Kapurthala 2 each, EAST RAJASTHAN: Kishangarhwas

and Nagar 5 each, Srmadhopor 4, Dhambola and Veja 3 each and Deeg, Gangrar, Devel, Kanva,

Sabla, Shahpura and Pilani 2 each, WEST RAJASTHAN: Chura and Ratangarh 5 each and Barmer,

Bikaner tehsil and Phalodi 2 each, EAST-UTTAR PRADESH: Gazipur 2 and WEST UTTAR

PRADESH: Meerut 3.

FORECAST FOR REGION VALID UNTIL THE MORNING OF 27th SEPTEMBER

2013 :Rain/thundershowers may occur at a few places over Uttar Pradesh. Rain/thundershowers

may occur at a few places over east Rajasthan during next 48 hours and decrease thereafter.

Rain/thundershowers may occur at one or two places over west-Rajasthan during next 48 hours and

increase thereafter. Rain/thundershowers may occur at one or two places over Himachal Pradesh,

Uttarakhand and Haryana. Weather would be mainly dry over rest of the region.

HEAVY RAINFALL WARNING: Heavy rain may occur at one or two places over south-Rajasthan on

27th.

FORECAST FOR DELHI AND NEIGHBOURHOOD VALID UNTIL THE MORNING OF 27th

SEPTEMBER 2013: Partly cloudy sky. Light rain/thundershowers may occur in some areas.

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Mettur level

TIRUCHI

The water level at the Mettur dam stood at 106.84 feet on Wednesday against its full reservoir

level of 120 feet. The inflow was 10,844 cusecs and the discharge, 22,000 cusecs.

Water level

TIRUNELVELI

Water level in the Papanasam dam on Wednesday stood at 112.65 feet (maximum level is 143

feet). The dam had an inflow of 1,038.57 cusecs and 1,503.50 cusecs of water was discharged

from the dam.

The level of Manimuthar dam stood at 60.33 feet (118 feet). The dam had an inflow of 78

cusecs and 25 cusecs was discharged.

Kanyakumari

The water level in Pechipparai dam stood at 24.75 feet, 62.40 feet in Perunchani, 9.35 feet in

Chittar I, 9.45 feet in Chittar II and 33.40 feet in Mambazhathuraiyaru dam.

Tiruvarur farmers adopt direct sowing on 70,000 hectares

TIRUVARUR

Samba crop directly sown for judicious use of water in the region

Collector S.Natarajan,visiting at direct sowing paddy field at Keeralathur village in Thiruthooraipoondi in Tiruvarur

District on Wednesday.

Farmers in Tiruvarur district have gone for direct sowing on a large scale this samba season. Of

1.30 lakh hectares of samba target this year, direct sowing has been taken up on 70,412

hectares.

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In direct sowing, water requirement is much less and it was introduced in the district in late

eighties when there was water scarcity. Since then, farmers of Tiruvarur district take to direct

sowing whenever there is water scarcity.

This year, as a water saving measure, samba crop has been directly sown in many areas in the

district. In direct sowing, seeds are sown and allowed to sprout in rain and canal water. There is

no transplantation.

S. Natarajan, Collector, along with a press party, on Wednesday visited Thirukaravasal,

Periyakudi, Keeralthur, and Athichakudi where direct sowing had been taken up.

He also visited the fields at Neduvakottai where the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has

been adopted.

Kuruvai

Mr. Natarajan said Kuruvai crop had been raised only in pumpset irrigated areas on 18,394

hectares in the district this year.

Out of this, the System of Rice Intensification was followed on 12,176 hectares. Harvest had

been completed so far on 2,716 hectares.

He said there was adequate stock of fertilisers in the district and 3,575 tonnes of samba seeds

were being distributed.

He said that steps had been taken for providing water to tail end areas where water had not yet

reached so far.

Agriculture Department officials accompanied the collector.

PUDUKOTTAI: With the samba cultivation gaining momentum in parts of the district, various

agriculture agencies have taken steps to motivate farmers to register maximum yield utilising

the available irrigation and other facilities.

A day-long training on mechanisation in direct sowing of seeds was organised under the

auspices of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Vamban near here on Tuesday.

Farmers were exposed to the advantages of the direct sowing technique.

Inaugurating the training, M. Asokan, Professor and Head of the Kendra, said farmers could

save a huge volume of seeds through mechanisation.

Farmers would require only 8 kg of seeds an acre against 30 kg under conventional practice.

The linear alignment of seeds would help avoid intensive labour in weeds management.

The Konoweeder could be conveniently utilised to clear the weeds.

Mr. Asokan said that farmers should level the field through a uniform ploughing technique

before raising the seeds through mechanised broadcast technique.

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He advised the farmers to mix potassium chloride solution with the seeds for registering higher

yield. Crop health would stabilise to a considerable extent.

He suggested the spraying of the solution on the fields to check loss of water because of

evaporation.

Later, a demonstration was held in which farmers were exposed to practical application of the

broadcast method through mechanisation.

A question hour session was held in which Mr. Asokan clarified the farmers’ doubts.

K. Deivanathan, a resource-person, explained the technical steps to be followed for registering

germination through optimum number of seeds.

‘Bt cotton seeds not yielding results’

CHITRADURGA

Legal action will be taken against seed suppliers, says official

Scientists inspect a Bt cotton crop in Chitradurga on Wednesday.

A team of scientists from Shimoga Agricultural and Horticultural Institution, headed by Scientist

T.H. Gowda, visited the Panjayyanahatti, Nandihalli, Isamudra, Gollarhatti and Kogunde villages

here on Wednesday to inspect the Bt cotton growing areas.

Farmers have grown Bt cotton over 20,500 hectares of land and fear crop loss.

Scientists and Agriculture Department officials visited about eight fields and also spoke to

farmers. The visiting team observed deformities in the cotton plants, withering of cotton-bearing

flowers, and also inspected some crops which were severely damaged.

“Many companies are involved in providing seeds to farmers in this part of the region and the

farmers purchase seeds from the companies they trust,” the team said.

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The companies had assured farmers of a harvest within 145 days of cultivation; but there have

been no signs of any results in the Kharif season even after the stipulated time. Instead, crops

have started withering.

“The farmers were told that the seeds provided by MHYCO (BG 2), MRC 7351 (Kanaka) have

completely failed. Unlike regular crops, the pods are not growing and are falling prematurely”,

the team added.

Joint Director of Agriculture R. Krishnamurthy said legal action would be initiated against

companies that had supplied seeds to the farmers in these areas.

State to set up farm price commission

KOLAR

We are committed to safeguarding farmers’ interests: Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the government is taking steps to set up

Price Fixation Commission for Farm Products to safeguard the interests of farmers in distress.

The government has allocated Rs. 1,000 crore for the Revolving Fund in the 2013-14 budget

and it is ready to increase it to provide succour to farmers, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for an industrial area and

district offices complex at Vemgal near here.

He also inaugurated the government first grade college building and stadium besides laying the

foundation stone for several other projects.

Fewer profits

Admitting that the agriculture sector is becoming less profitable, Mr. Siddaramiah said that his

government was committed to safeguarding the interests of farmers.

Migration

The number of rural population declined to 67 per cent and rural people are migrating to urban

areas as agriculture is facing a crisis, he said.

Minister of State for Agriculture C. Krishna Byre Gowda has discussed with agriculture expert

M.S. Swaminathan the ways and means to strengthen dry land farming, he added.

Jobs for locals

The Chief Minister stressed the need to provide jobs to local people in industries started at

industrial areas and asked the authorities concerned to ensure this happened.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that efforts would be made to resolve the water scarcity in the region.

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MLA Varthur Prakash presided over the function. Union Minister K.H. Muniyappa, district in-

charge Minister U.T. Khader, Ministers Vinay Kumar Sorake and Mr. Krishna Byre Gowda and

the former Chairperson of Legislative Council V.R. Sudarshan participated.

Legislators K.R. Ramesh Kumar, K.S. Manjunath, K.M. Narayanaswamy, Y. Ramakka, G.

Manjunath, Y.A. Narayanswamy, D.S. Veeraiah and Nazir Ahmad were present.

Senior officials, including M.N. Vidyashankar, P.N. Srinivasachary, Chakravarthy Mohan and

Rajiv Shukla, were present.

‘Government has allocated Rs. 1,000 crore for the Revolving Fund’

‘We are ready to increase this allocation to provide succour to farmers’

Foundation stone laid for industrial area at Vemgal

Dip in population of farmers in State

BHUBANESWAR

Director of Census, Odisha, says this is a cause for worry due to indication of marginalization of

workforce

Odisha witnessed a fall in the number of farmers while the population of agricultural labourers

went up during the decade between 2001 and 2011.

An analysis of census statistics on workers says, “during the decade 2001-2011, the census

results show a fall of 1,43,672 in cultivators and an increase of 17,40,889 in agricultural

labourers.”

“The finding is a cause for worry. The huge increase in agricultural labourers indicates that

marginalization of workforce is on the increasing trend, which is not a healthy sign for the

economy. Moreover, there is a fall in number of cultivators, which suggests change in land-

holding pattern,” said Bishnupada Sethi, Director Census, Odisha, here on Wednesday.

Mr. Sethi said that in census 2011, of the total workers of 1,75,41,589, 4,10,30,989 were

cultivators and another 6,73,9,993 agricultural labourers. “Thus, 61.8 per cent of the workers

were engaged in agricultural activities in 2011, compared to 64.8 per cent in Census 2001.”

The 2011 census says that about one in two males and two of every three females are engaged

in agricultural activities either as cultivator or agricultural labourer. Of remaining workers,

7,83,080 are in household industries and 59,14,527 are other workers. Fall in number of

cultivators can be attributed to decrease in number female cultivators. “In census 2011, the

number of female cultivators decreased to 7,26,639 from 8,99,970 in Census 2001. However,

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there was slender increase among male cultivators. “Among the male cultivators, the number of

cultivators has increased to 33,75,350 in 2011 from 33,47,691 in 2001,” the report says.

Data dissemination

Census directorate on Wednesday organized a data dissemination workshop in association with

Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneswar.

Addressing data dissemination workshop, Additional Chief Secretary and Revenue and Disaster

Management secretary Taradatt said, “researchers should come up with variety of analysis of

census data as it helps policy makers and administration to change the way development

programmes are being implanted.”

Increase in disparity

“Though development has taken place all over the State, including KBK districts, disparity has

also increased. If analysts give proper perspective or input by analysing data and recommend

means to overcome problem, it will help address the situation,” he maintained.

During the decade 2001-2011, the census results show a fall of 1,43,672 in cultivators and an

increase of 17,40,889 in agricultural labourers

Census directorate organises a data dissemination workshop

Export incentives for onion, cotton, cotton yarn go

NEW DELHI

Cotton, cotton yarn, onion and iron ore exporters will not now get export incentives under the

focus market scheme as there are restrictions on their outbound shipments, according to a

government notification.

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These exporters will now be ineligible for duty credit scrip under the focus market scheme

(FMS).

The objective of the FMS is to offset the high freight cost and other disabilities to select

international markets with a view to enhancing export competitiveness.

It allows a duty credit of 2.5 per cent of free-on-board value of exports to countries that are

identified as focus markets by the government.

The duty credit may be used for import of inputs or goods including capital goods.

“The following categories are added...in the list...bearing the heading ‘Ineligible Exports

Categories/Sectors for FMS — export of cotton; export of cotton yarn; exports which are subject

to minimum export price or export duty,” the notification said.

At present, there is minimum export price of $900 billion on onion, and an export duty of 30 per

cent on iron ore.

An official in the DGFT said that “these products are on one hand availing of export incentives

under the FMS while on the other hand there are curbs on their exports.’’

“It is not logical that on one hand we are giving incentives to boost the export and on the other

hand also putting restrictions on the shipments,” the official added.

Similarly, the government has imposed quantitative restrictions on the exports of cotton and

cotton yarn.

Exporters can apply for registration certificate (RC) for a maximum quantity of 30,000 bales or

actual quantity exported in the previous cotton season, whichever is less. One bale contains

170 kg of cotton.

India is the world’s second largest cotton producer.

Cotton production was estimated to be around 340 lakh bales for the 2012-13 cotton season

(October to September).

India’s cotton exports are likely to remain flat at around 100 lakh bales (170 kg each) in the

2013-14 season due to lesser demand from China. China is the biggest importer of the Indian

natural fibre. — PTI

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Setting an example in harnessing the full potential of jackfruit

Ms. Meena Suresh enterpreneur. Photo: Special Arrangement

Jackfruit trees are found in almost all the districts in Kerala. It is estimated that in a year the

State alone produces about 16 million fruits.

“But not all of the fruits are consumed; a large part goes waste. Our emphasis over years has

been on ensuring employment and income generation for farmers more particularly rural women

by making best use of this underutilized fruit along with papaya, pineapple, rose apple and

plantains for making several edible preparations like halwa, toffee, fruitball, pickles, chutney

powder, squash, jam etc,” says Dr. C.P.Robert, Programme Coordinator, Christian agency for

rural development (CARD), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pathanamthitta, Kerala.

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Potential

CARD identified the potential of processing and value addition in jack to be a money spinning

venture and developed a set pattern of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as a guideline for

making traditional preparations from the fruit which otherwise proved a major impediment in

home scale production practices.

The institute trained entrepreneurs on packaging and labelling with reference to GMP, setting up

of facilitation centres, registration and licensing, quality control measures and effective

marketing strategies.

“A 10 kg jackfruit can yield a net income of more than Rs.500. A single jack tree can generate

revenues of Rs, 4,000 – Rs. 5,000 a year. For the last 15 years our institute has been taking

serious effort in popularising this fruit through various refinement and product development

strategies. But lack of proper technical and infrastructural facilities limited progress for some

time,” says Dr. Robert.

Efforts have also been on till date for refining the traditional products which have much demand

in the local market.

The institute has been conducting regular advanced national level training on jack- fruit

production technology with special emphasis to processing and value addition. The training tried

to explore hidden potentials of the fruit right from the propagation techniques to marketing.

Different topics

“The training covered topics like propagation techniques, processing and preservation

technologies, traditional food products, commercial food products, packaging/ labelling,

processed products and quality standards, credit availability and preparation of new projects.

The trainers were also taken on a field visit to see an SHG called GRAMA (Group Rural

Agricultural Marketing Association) in Kottayam that has been producing and marketing over 30

jackfruit products.

According to Ms. Shana Harshan, subject specialist at CARD, “we have listed about 25

technological and 41 traditional products that are marketed by trained entrepreneurs in and

around the district. The products are available at our Agro products display centre (APDC)

which is run for showcasing our entrepreneur’s products.”

Number of women

CARD's intervention in promoting this concept has brought to the limelight a substantial number

of women entrepreneurs specialised in agro-processing and value addition.

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One among them is Ms. Meena Suresh a homeopathy practitioner from Ayroor Grama

Panchayath.

Ms. Meena was one of the 100 trainees selected under the Kerala Government Food Security

Project implemented by CARD during 2009-10 for exploring the potential of jackfruit and other

fruits to provide livelihood option to rural women.

“She utilises the Agro processing hub facility at the campus and presently manufactures 17

different products under the brand name ‘Yummy.’ All her products carry the phrase “promoted

by CARD-KVK, Pathanamthitta” on its label thus instilling confidence among consumers to buy

it,” says Dr. Robert.

Basic inputs

Raw materials are mostly sourced from her own farm or locally. Processing, preservation,

storing the pulps for value addition during off season are mostly done at the processing hub.

She sells 25 per cent of her products through the APDC and is presently in the process of

establishing her own food processing unit. On an average she earns about Rs.4,750 a month

with net income of Rs. 54,000.

Reason

“One reason for her success is that her production strategy is based on the seasonality chart for

fruit availability in the locality. This enables her to organise and store raw materials all through

the year,” says Ms. Shana.

The entrepreneur tries new innovations in value addition which is otherwise scarce in the

market.

She was conferred a national award during the annual jack fest held at Thiruvananthapuram

recently.

A blog on jackfruit called www.panasamwonders was created three years ago and it has

registered over 68,000 hits and has 109 followers from 12 countries till date.

Ms. Meena Suresh can be reached at Kailath Karayamputhusseril, Ayroor, South.P.O.689611.

Phone: 04735213417, mobile: 9946933748 and Ms. Shana Harshan, phone: 0469 2662094,

Card-Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Pathanamthitta District, Kolabhagam Post Office, Tiruvalla (Via),

Pathanamthitta, Kerala.

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Breeding and health management in dairy

Breeding and health management are the two key points for dairying to be profitable. There are

two ways to increase the breeding efficiency of buffalo and cows.

First is selection of genetically superior females, free from any reproductive and systemic

diseases, and no physical abnormalities, having yearly calving, good growth of calves and lower

age at first calving.

Timely observance of heat and mating of females at appropriate time and pregnancy diagnosis

can help improve reproductive efficiency and thus genetic progress.

Due importance

Artificial insemination is the most successful method for breed development and should be

given due importance because maintaining a number of breeding bulls is a costly issue and

reduces the rate of genetic improvement.

If farmers maintain breeding bulls then care should be taken to see that the animal conforms to

the breed type and should be a progeny from high yielding breed.

The bull should be free from disease and vaccinated and tested for any infections regularly.

Record keeping is a must for all breeding activities and milk production of the females in the

herd.

Breeding bulls should be allowed to walk regularly and not kept tied so that they may not

become fat and have problems in natural mating or in donating semen.

Vaccination

Special drive for vaccination against various contagious diseases such as Foot and Mouth

Disease (F.M.D.), Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (H.S.), Black quarters disease (B.Q) etc. must be

followed according to the schedule.

The animals should be served at the doorstep by local veterinarian and awareness created

among the dairy livestock keepers. Free inputs should be made available for various diseases

and for parasitic control.

This would certainly avoid the expenses incurred on routine treatment and production losses

due to illness.

(Dr. Rajinder Singh is Senior Extension Specialist (animal sciences), Lala Lajpat Rai University

of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. Extension, Rohtak, email: raja.udaybhar@gmail.com,

mobile: 09416495904 and Dr. K.S. Dangi is Director General, Department of Animal Husbandry

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and Dairying Haryana Chandigarh, email: dangikrishan@yahoo.co.in, mobile no is

09876644619.)

Vaigai water released for irrigation

MADURAI

Water gushing out of Vaigai dam on Wednesday.

Water from Vaigai dam was released on Wednesday for irrigating a little over 1.50 lakh acres of

farm lands in Madurai, Theni and Sivaganga districts covered under the single and double crop

areas.

According to a press communiqué, 1,800 cusecs of water was released in the presence of

Ministers ‘Sellur’ K. Raju and K.V. Ramalingam, District Collectors Dr.L. Subramanian (Madurai)

and Dr.K.S. Palanisamy (Theni) and MLAs from the region.

The farmers’ have a reason to cheer as they can carry on with nursery works. Following

appeals, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had directed the release of water for

irrigation from Vaigai reservoir.

According to the officials, the release will benefit double crop farm lands covering 45,000 acres

in the three districts and single crop farms in 85,500 acres covering Dindigul, Sivaganga

(Tirupatthur) and Madurai-Vadipatti, Madurai North, Melur, Perayur and Thirumangalam Main

Canal areas.

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Scientists eye dwarf version of Ponni rice

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre scientists are helping Tamil Nadu Agriculture University to

develop a new mutant of white Ponni Rice that could deliver better yieds than the original one.

On the sidelines of an interactive session on “Radiation and Quality of Human Life’ BARC

director of biomedical group K B Sainis and former head of Nuclear Agriculture and Biotech

division S G Bhagwat told Express that the project to develop a smaller version of white Ponni

rice and ADT 47 is currently underway.

Bhagwat said that the three-year project is being funded by Board of Research in Nuclear

Science.

He said Tamil Nadu Agriculture University is looking for a dwarf variety of white Ponni which

would deliver 10 to 15 per cent more yield than the original Ponni.

He said the testing and trials are going on for the new mutant. “It will take about three years,”

said Bhagwat who is part of the project.

He said once the mutant is identified then trials would be done for three years. Usually these

trials take nearly a decade.But since rice could be grown in two seasons, it is likely to take

another three years and a number of tests before being ready for commercial production, he

said.

He said the reduction in crop height would result in less consumption of water and use of

fertilizers. This could also help the farmers grow more rice in the area with less water.

Veggie prices burn hole again

Prices of most vegetables continue to be very high and some have become more expensive.

According to Horticultural Producers’ Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society Ltd

(HOPCOMS), prices of vegetables increased due to the recent rains and the trend will prevail

for another month.

Onion price increased from `68 per kg to `76 per kg on September 8; palak (spinach), for five

bunches, went up from `32 to `80; tomato prices went up from `17 to `25 and peas from `120 to

`175.

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Speaking to Express HOPCOMS Director Nagini Chandrasekhar said, “We used to procure

vegetables from Jigani in Anekal and Hoskote. Due to rains, prices of vegetables like onions

and greens have increased.”

Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) secretary K G Shantharam said though there

has been an increase in supply of onions, rates have not gone down much. “The minimum rate

per quintal on Wednesday was `3,200,” he said while adding that supply of onions has

increased on Wednesday. APMC received a stock of 54,500 quintals of onions from 51,000

quintals 10 days back.

Scientist Dr A T Sadashiva said the increase in price is due to damage of crops.

Vegetable vendors who sell on pushcarts say that they are finding it difficult to earn a living as

most of the vegetable prices have increased.

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Weather

Strong monsoon ends drought in Maharashtra

With the unexpected spell of rain in the last two weeks, a protracted drought, which left several

districts bone dry for many months, appears to have finally come to a close.

“Thanks to good rainfall in the last 15 days, the farmers could get fodder and water. In fact,

many old village tanks in Jat and Aatpadi in Sangli districts that did not store water in two

decades are now overflowing. That’s good news for us,” said relief secretary Milind Mhaiskar.

In fact, the state has already closed cattle shelters in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts.

“Hoping for good rains in September, we continued operating the remaining cattle shelters for

yet another month. We had assumed that the drought might continue till next monsoon if rains

eluded certain areas,” said Mhaiskar.

20

However, 122 villages and 494 hamlets continue to get water through tankers. Mhaiskar said

that tankers were needed in these areas needed because they did not have pipelines to carry

water from the source.

Such was the severity of the drought situation in 10,000 villages and towns in June-July this

year that the central, western Maharashtra and parts of Vidarbha and north Maharashtra had an

all-time high number of 5,500 water tankers in service.

All reservoirs in these regions had reached their dead stock level.

Looking back, the state government’s expenditure, on drought relief measures such as water,

fodder supply and compensation to farmers, totals Rs5,000 crore since November 2011,

according to Mhaiskar.

“In June-July, we spent Rs7.5 crore daily on providing fodder and water to 10 lakh cattle in the

shelters,” said Mhaiskar. He said the Centre would reimburse half the total amount spent.

“A separate proposal is also being made for the World Bank and Planning Commission’s

approval for taking long-term measures to tackle the drought situation,” he said.With the

unexpected spell of rain in the last two weeks, a protracted drought, which left several districts

bone dry for many months, appears to have finally come to a close.

However, 122 villages and 494 hamlets continue to get water through tankers. Mhaiskar said

that tankers were needed in these areas needed because they did not have pipelines to carry

water from the source.

Such was the severity of the drought situation in 10,000 villages and towns in June-July this

year that the central, western Maharashtra and parts of Vidarbha and north Maharashtra had an

all-time high number of 5,500 water tankers in service.

All reservoirs in these regions had reached their dead stock level.

Looking back, the state government’s expenditure, on drought relief measures such as water,

fodder supply and compensation to farmers, totals Rs5,000 crore since November 2011,

according to Mhaiskar.

“In June-July, we spent Rs7.5 crore daily on providing fodder and water to 10 lakh cattle in the

shelters,” said Mhaiskar. He said the Centre would reimburse half the total amount spent.

“A separate proposal is also being made for the World Bank and Planning Commission’s

approval for taking long-term measures to tackle the drought situation,” he said.

21

Paddy procurement to begin from October 1

NEW DELHI

Haryana Government has made all arrangements for the smooth procurement of paddy during the current

Kharif season

The Haryana Government has made all arrangements for the smooth procurement of paddy

during the current Kharif season. The commencement of the procurement of paddy and bajra

would start from October 1.

"The state government has arranged a sum of Rs 5108.80 crore from Reserve Bank of India

making payment to the farmers for purchase of their produce,""said Food and Supplies

minister,Mahender Pratap Singh.

He said that the minimum support price for procurement of common variety of paddy during this

season has been fixed Rs1310 per quintal while for grade 'A' at Rs 1345 per quintal.

About 52 lakh tonnes of paddy was expected to arrive in the mandis during the current season

and out of this about 16 lakh tonnes of paddy would be basmati and superior varieties while the

remaining 36 lakh tonnes would be leviable.

Singh said six procurement agencies would procure the paddy during the kharif season. He said

that Food and supplies department would purchase 33 %, Hafed 30 %t, Food Corporation of

22

India 12 %, Haryana Warehousing Corporation 10 %, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation 10

% and Confed 5 % of the total paddy which would arrived in the mandis.

As many as 187 mandis had been set up in the state for the procurement of paddy while 53

mandis had been set up for the purchase of bajra in the state.

India may achieve 2nd highest foodgrain output this kharif

NEW DELHI

India is likely to achieve the second highest foodgrain production at 129.32 million tonnes this kharif

season on better monsoon

India is likely to achieve the second highest foodgrain production at 129.32 million tonnes

this kharif season(summer crops) on better monsoon, but rice output is seen declining

marginally.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said a record foodgrain production is expected in full 2013-14

crop year on account of good rain and "there will be a rebound in agriculture growth" from 1.9

per cent in the last financial year.

An improvement in the agriculture sector is vital for the government to contain food inflationand

boost economic growth rate, which was a mere 4.4 per cent in the first quarter 2013-14, ahead

of 2014 general elections in May next year.

23

Releasing the first forecast of foodgrain production in the kharif season, Pawar said: "We are

poised to produce 129.32 million tonnes this kharif. This will be the second highest production."

Foodgrain output had touched all-time record of 131.27 million tonnes in the kharif season of

2011-12. It, however, fell to 128.20 million tonnes last year due to drought.

Higher levels of production in pulses and coarse cereals are projected to lift the overall kharif

foodgrain output, while cotton and oilseeds production are set to be at all-time record levels.

Noting that the current year has been good for the farm sector, Pawar said: "With favourable

weather condition, I am confident that kharif production will be substantially higher than what

has been estimated at present.

"And there will be highest foodgrain production in the entire 2013-14 crop year (June-July).

Definitely, there will be a rebound in agriculture growth."

Pawar also advocated use of new farm technologies, including GM crops, to sustain growth in

the farm sector and meet extra foodgrain requirement under the food law.

According to the first estimates, rice production is expected to drop marginally to 92.32 million

tonnes this kharif due to deficient rain in rice-growing eastern states. Last kharif, rice output was

92.76 million tonnes.

Sowing in kharif season begins with the onset of southwest monsoon in June and the harvesting

starts from October.

24

Water level in dams rises to 97%

NASHIK

After the revival of monsoon since the last fortnight, the water level in Gangapur group of dams,

the main source of drinking water for the city, has increased to 97%.

The total capacity of Gangpur group of dams, which is around 9,335 million cubic feet (mcft),

increased to 9,122 mcft on Wednesday as against 7,040 mcft (75%) on the corresponding day

last year. The Gangapur group of dams includes Gangapur, Kashyapi and Gautami Godavari

dams. On July 9, the water level was recorded at 2,086 mcft, which was 15% of the total

capacity.

The water level of Gangapur dam with a capacity of 5,630 mcft was recorded at 5,565 mcft on

Wednesday, which is 99% of the total capacity. Water level in the dam was 4,758 mcft (85% of

the total capacity) on the corresponding day last year.

The water level of Kashyapi dam, which has a total capacity of 1,852 mcft, was recorded at

1,726 mcft on Wednesday (93% of the total capacity). Water level in the dam was 1,146 mcft

(62%) on the corresponding day last year.

The water level in Gautami-Godavari with a capacity of 1,883 mcft was recorded at 1,831 mcft

(97%) on Wednesday. Water level in the dam was 1,136 mcft (60%) on the corresponding day

last year.

The requirement of the city is close to 390 million litres per day (MLD). With an aim to avoid

water scarcity in future, the Nashik Municipal Corporation had imposed 15-20% water cuts in

the city from February, thereby reducing supply by 50 MLD. However, after increase in water

level in Gangapur group of dams due to good spell of monsoon, the civic administration had

rolled back water cuts from August 6 with initial water supply of 372 MLD. The full water supply

of 390 MLD was restored from August 16.

25

N-science to help develop dwarf rice

Chennai

Picture for representational purpose only.

A project to develop a shorter rice variety by influencing the genes of crop using nuclear science

has been undertaken by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) along with Tamil Nadu

Agricultural University (TNAU) with the aim of achieving higher yield, an atomic scientist said

Wednesday.

“At present, we are developing a shorter rice variety out of White Ponni and ADT 47 varieties.

Our project aims to reduce the stem mass so that the crop does not fall when it bears fruit. We

are working on both the crops simultaneously,” Suresh G. Bhagwat, a former BARC official and

currently involved in the project, said.

While BARC was lending technical support in supplying mutants to these rice varieties, TNAU

was testing the effect of these mutants on these crops in its labs in Tamil Nadu.

“With nuclear science, we can develop mutants which can be used to arrive at a desired variety

of preferred properties in the plant. In this project, we are going for dwarf crops which can avoid

26

‘lodging’,” Bhagwat, former head, BARC’s nuclear agriculture and biotechnology division, told

reporters here.

The project is being funded by the board of research in nuclear science under the Department

of Atomic Energy and the duration of research is expected to be three years.

“The produce would be higher from 20 per cent to 30 per cent,” he said on the sidelines of a

BARC function here.

Asked whether water consumption of these crops would go down, he said, “May be. But, our

primary target is to achieve shorter height of the crop and less stem mass.”

BARC had so far helped develop 41 varieties of such crops with genetic modification. These

include green gram (8 varieties), blackgram (5), pigeon pea (4), groundnut (15), mustard (3),

soyabean (2), and one each variety in rice and jute.

To a query on whether using mutants to get desired variety of plant species was equavalent to

that of genetically modified crops like Bt cotton and Bt brinjal, he said: “No. Bt cotton are crops

genetically modified by bringing a gene from outside the species. In the case of mutation, genes

within the species are modified internally.”

BARC was also undertaking a whole range of nuclear agricultural projects across the country to

develop different varieties of crops, including the famous basmati rice, aimed at increasing its

produce, Bhagwat said.

27

Govt probing sudden spurt in foodgrain prices

According to WPI, food inflation rose to 18.18% in August, while general inflation increased to 6.1%

Amid the soaring prices of cereals and vegetables driving food inflation close to 20 per

cent, Food Minister K V Thomas on Wednesday said the government was examining the

reasons behind the sudden and sharp increase in foodgrain prices, despite a bumper harvest.

He added henceforth, small flour millers would be able to purchase foodgrains from Food

Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses in any part of the country, not just Punjab and Haryana,

by paying just the freight charge and the reserve price. About one million tonnes (mt) of wheat

would be sold to small flour millers without any tender.

Earlier, it was reported massive stocking of grain by state agencies had raised the retail prices

of wheat and rice.

According to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), food inflation rose to 18.18 per cent in August,

while general inflation increased to 6.1 per cent. WPI inflation for rice was 20.13 per cent, while

it stood at 7.6 per cent for wheat. This is despite the fact that as on September 1, government

foodgrain stocks were estimated at about 59 mt, 85 per cent more than the required quantity.

“Despite good production and storage in the last few years, the prices of foodgrains have been

rising. We are analysing that; we will find out the reasons behind undue inflation in foodgrains,”

Thomas said, while addressing the 73rd annual general meeting of the Roller Flour Millers’

Federation of India.

“I hope the measures taken by the government would keep market prices under control and

help bulk consumers in maintaining operations, as they can source their wheat requirement

from FCI at reasonable prices,” he added.

28

For bulk traders, the government has allowed the sale of about 10 mt of wheat from FCI

godowns this financial year. Of this, the norms have been eased for 8.5 mt.

Thomas said a committee of secretaries would decide the base price and the applicable freight

for wheat to be sold in the open market from government warehouses. Thereafter, the Cabinet

would be apprised of this.

Last year, India’s foodgrain production stood at 255.36 mt, of which wheat accounted for 92.46

mt. It is expected this year, production would stand at a record level, owing to a better monsoon.

Oil sector to get new working-day norms

In a move to standardise working hours within the oil and gas sector, the government might

soon notify new norms allowing companies to post workers for 28 days on-site, followed by a

28-day off period.

An industry group had made the suggestion of standardising working hours to the government

after consulting trade unions. The suggestion has been accepted.

The new rules are currently under legal vetting by the law ministry. The oil industry in India is

governed by mining legislations. Working hours, conditions of service and employment in the

industry are regulated under the Mines Act administered by the ministry of labour and

employment.

A new clause under Section 83 of the Mines Act is likely to be notified that would standardise

the rule allowing companies to have 28 on and off days, said a person close to the

development. “Section 83-A would be notified after the approval of Minister for Labour Sis Ram

Ola,” he said.

Section 83 of the Mines Act allows the government to exempt any area or mine or group of

mines from certain provisions of the Act. This would bring Indian rules on par with international

norms.

29

Different companies follow varying practices with regard to notifying rest days. Within

companies, the norms vary, depending on the location. Government-controlled Oil and Natural

Gas Corporation (ONGC), for instance, has staff working for 14 days on-site followed by 14 rest

days. ONGC is the largest oil and gas explorer in the country.

Cairn India, the largest private sector crude oil producer, follows a 21-day norm. Its major

operations are in the remote Barmer district of Rajasthan.

A senior ONGC executive said the norm differs on onshore locations according to the posting.

For instance, the usual practice of six days eight hours work schedule is followed in Delhi

offices.

The change would be beneficial to the staff working in remote or offshore locations away from

their families. “It would help to motivate people to work in remote locations,” said a senior

executive of a private oil and gas company.

However, the same norm for onshore and offshore locations might not serve the purpose. “The

14-day practice in ONGC was a well thought of move. It was set after elaborate discussions and

deliberations,” said R P Pandey, national president, Association of Scientific and Technical

Officers, a 23,000 member officers' body of ONGC. Pandey said while the 28-day norm could

work in onshore locations, where in case of emergency a person can reach his family within

hours, it might not be feasible in offshore locations.

Feet in the clouds

The prime minister’s plane, derivatively called Air India One, is certainly luxurious — but, as with

Air India itself, it is impossible to forget that it is state-run. The cabins might feel more spacious

but the carpets look drearily familiar; the Republic of India struggles with many things, above all

with soft furnishings.

Manmohan Singh has now been prime minister for almost 10 years, and it is difficult not to

associate the trappings of the office with his personality. On board AI-1, the media sit behind a

false wall that has a brass plate affixed to it with the engraved words ‘prime minister’. Beyond

30

that wall is emptiness and silence. From the activities on the ground, from the black-clad men

and women all about, it is possible to deduce that the plane, like India, does in fact have a PM

on board. But he is a presence more imagined than sensed.

The PM’s officials are more in evidence, wandering around and talking to journalists with a

frankness not often observed in New Delhi. Perhaps the ribbon of round windows, more easily

visible to those milling about the aisles than in regular aircraft, help develop a sense of

perspective. Certainly, discussions about Afghanistan after the US' planned troop draw-down

take on a certain piquancy when conducted against the backdrop of the country itself, far below.

It is possible to look down on the hostile peaks, the scattered skeins of green and the grey-

brown furrows and ask: Just how does anyone think they could win a war in a place that looks

like that?

Perspective, perhaps, is what Manmohan Singh also craves. Certainly, one fact long known is

that this Indian PM feels most comfortable when outside India. Singh told Parliament as much

last month, when he pointed out that, unlike in the Lok Sabha, at the G-20 people listened when

he spoke. Thus, foreign trips tend to embolden him.The big news of the day was his

announcement that he would in fact meet the new Pakistani PM, Nawaz Sharif, in New York.

This seemed to have been a closely guarded secret to start off with; the schedules that were

printed had mysterious blanks, but no confirmation of a possible meeting was forthcoming.

Naturally, many voices in the electronic media, and some even within Singh's own Congress

party, would decry it as further appeasement of a Pakistan doing little to stop cross-border

terror.

It escaped nobody's notice that the news of the PMs’ planned meeting came the moment the

prime minister got on the plane. It seems the instant his feet are off Indian soil, Manmohan

Singh can take decisions.

Karnataka milk body plans seven new production units

The Karnataka Co-operative Milk Producers' Federation (KMF) plans to set up seven production

units with an estimated combined investment of Rs 430 crore, a key official said today.

31

Three powder plants were planned to be put up near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bangalore, in

Mysore and the third one at Tumkur or Kolar at a total cost of Rs 270 crore, A S Premanath, MD

and CEO of the the apex body in Karnataka representing dairy farmers' cooperatives, told PTI.

"An investment of Rs 90 crore is needed to set up each plant," he said. KMF officials said the

move was to avoid expenditure by way of conversion of milk outside the state and to handle 1

million litre per day of milk in these three new conversion plants.

Premanath said the KMF had sought financial support from the state government to set up

these plants to the extent possible, with the remaining funds proposed to be raised as loan from

the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

He said KMF also had to raise Rs 160 crore for setting up four 'flexi plants' for providing milk to

school-children. Under the 'Ksheera Bhagya' programme to provide safe and clean milk to

school children, 800,000 litre capacity flexi units would be set up in Channarayapatna, Tumkur,

Dakshina Kannada and Belgaum, officials said.

Premanath said a milk tetrapack unit would also be set up here with a capacity to handle

150,000 litres per day.

KMF markets milk and milk products under 'Nandini' brand. Milk prices were increased by Rs 2

from September 11 last, officials noted.

After wheat fiasco, FCI cuts rice target

32

The ministry of food and public distribution has pegged the estimates for summer

season rice procurement at 34.5 million tonnes (mt), marginally higher from a year ago. It has

taken lessons from wheat, for which the procurement target was fixed very high on higher

output but later the procurement fell 40 per cent short.

This is despite the 92.3-mt rice crop forecast by the government in the first advance estimates.

The first advance estimates, by earlier trends, are conservative.

The Rice Research Institute has projected a crop of 107 mt and the US Department of

Agriculture 108 mt in 2013-14. However, the government expects that private demand could be

higher, as in the case of wheat. Hence, the procurement target is near last year's level.

With the arrival of early-sowing varieties in some states, the procurement is set to start from

October.

The increase in the yield in Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand, under the green revolution

programme for the east, might raise the production but will not affect procurement.

A senior official in the Food Corporation of India confirmed the increase in output but added the

increase in productivity would come from the rice-consuming states, so there will be no major

variation in procurement.

The higher productivity in the east might trigger the active participation of rice millers, he added.

33

There is a strong correlation between minimum support price of the commodities and

procurement. A modest revision of Rs 60 a quintal in 2013-14 (to Rs 1,310) from a year ago

does not leave much room for higher procurement.

The private traders are also likely to be aggressive this year due to a strong dollar and bright

prospects for exports, said an official. But the situation might be clearer in a week to 10 days,

when arrivals pick up pace, he added.

Punjab banks on dryers to boost maize cultivation

Impressed by the success of two maize dryers, the Punjab government is considering to import

dryers from Taiwan to boostmaize cultivation. The move also aims at shifting chunk of area

under paddy as an alternate crop inturn giving the much-needed impetus to its agriculture

diversification programme.

The government had recently imported two dryers from Taiwan which were installed in

Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts. Grain with high percentage of moisture commands a very

low price in the market as compared with the dry grain. Sun drying at season is not possible due

to cloudy and rainy weather. To overcome this, the government had introduced maize dryers in

these two districts. Each dryer has four units, with a combined capacity of 64 metric tonnes per

batch. Till date the state has processed around 600 tonnes of maize by deploying these two

machines.

Source said the state government was satisfied by the results, as these machines help the

farmers in reducing the moisture content as desired by the buyers and also help in storage. It

has decided to replicate this model in the remaining 13 districts of the state. The current

34

cropping pattern in the state is dominated by wheat and rice. Area under maize cultivation

projected in 2013-14 was 1.50 lakh hectares and the estimated production was 5.40 lakh metric

tonnes. Last year it was 1.29 lakh hectares and the production was 4.75 lakh metric tonnes.

"This step will enable farmers to fetch remunerative price of the maize crop in the mandis

because dried maize fetches better returns as compared to maize with moisture content," he

said.

Since each dryer costs around ~5 crore, it is difficult for the farmers to afford it and hence they

may use the services of a farming cooperative or rent it to avail services of a dryer.

The state government has also approved the transfer of 100 hectares of land in Ladowal near

Ludhiana to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for setting up directorate of

maize research in the state. The step will give a major thrust to the much-needed agricultural

diversification programme in Punjab. This endeavour would also help in development of new

hybrid and high-yielding varieties of maize, thereby contributing in improving farmers' incomes.

Heavy rains spoil prospects of kharif crops in Gujarat

Prolonged heavy rains in parts of Gujarat has cast a shadow on the agricultural production in

the state. Even after witnessing a robustkharif sowing this year, continuous rains since

September 21 has hampered the prospects of several crops including pulses and dals like tur

and urad.

According to agriculture experts, flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the regions of south,

central Gujarat and Saurashtra has affected bajra, jowar, maize and guar crops in the state.

"There is heavy damage in farms due to constant rains and water logging. There are fears of

damage to guar, which was already harvested in some parts," said Praful Senjalia of Bhartiya

Kisan Sangh (BKS). Farmer sources informed that crops such as bajra and maize would also be

affected due to heavy rains in Saurashtra and central Gujarat region.

35

Continuous rainfall in the south Gujarat region has raised serious concerns over the crops of

pulses. The districts including Surat, Narmada, Bharuch, Vapi, Valsad, Vadodara, Dahod and

Panchmahals have witnessed heavy downpour since September 21.

All these districts hold around 90 per cent of the area under pulses cultivation in the state. Out

of the 2,35,000 hectares of area under tur cultivation (for kharif 2013-14) nearly 92 per cent falls

in these districts. The area under urad cultivation is 86,300 hectares this year. Heavy rainfall in

these regions led to overflowing of rivers Tapi, Narmada, Vishwamitri and Mahi, leading to

flooding of the fields.

"The fields are flooded with rainwater. Pulses especially tur and urad are such crops, which can

be damaged if water remains in the fields for a longer period. The recent continuous rains in

these regions have raised concerns about the crop. And if it continues for a day or two more,

there may be some damage," said B R Shah, director of Agriculture, Government of Gujarat.

Further, a farmer also noted that sesame crop may also get hampered as it requires clear sunny

weather at this time. Cloudy weather for prolonged period may affect production. Also,

sugarcane crushing is feared to get delayed by about a fortnight due to heavy rainfall. "There

may be a delay of 10-15 days for sugar factories in this region to start crushing. Normally we

begin it from first week of October. But this time it may be late as the overall monsoon has

extended more than anticipated," said Mansinh Patel, president of state sugarcane co-operative

body. State authorities informed that damage could be huge but estimates are yet to be made.

"It appears there could be much damage to cattle and crops. But presently our priority is

evacuation and rehabilitation," said Vinod Rao, collector, Vadodara.

Total kharif sowing stood at 8.79 million hectares till September 16. The sowing of Bajra, jowar,

maize and guarseed is reported at 3,43,600 ha, 35,400 ha, 3,42,700 ha and 4,72,600 ha

respectively in the state.

On the other hand agriculture experts believe the rains have turned advantageous for paddy.

Nearly 98 per cent of paddy cultivation is done in central and south Gujarat region.

36

This year, paddy sowing is recorded at 7,87,500 hectares, higher by around 8 per cent from last

year. Also for cotton and groundnut crops, the recent spell of rainfall is beneficial, experts noted.

Onion prices to soften with arrival of new crop: Sharma

The vegetable is being sold at Rs 60-70 per kg in most retail markets despite a falling trend in wholesale markets

Onion prices will ease with the arrival of new crops in markets, Commerce and Industry

Minister Anand Sharma said today.

Onion prices both in wholesale and retail markets have remained at an unaffordable level since

July due to seasonal shortages. The vegetable is being sold at Rs 60-70 per kg in most retail

markets despite a falling trend in wholesale markets.

"I think with the fresh arrivals,prices will come down," Sharma told reporters here.

The new crops will start arriving in markets next month. In fact, they have already started

arriving in small batches.

The Minister said there has been a marginal loss of crop this season.

"Onion, when you look at the production, it is only in the few states. 60% of country's onion

comes in the rabi crop," he said.

He said the commerce ministry had imposed a minimum export price of $900 on onion to

discourage shipments and enhance availability in the domestic market.

37

"Government is keeping a watchful eye. States have a role to play. There is a lot of hoarding,"

he said.

He said that there is a huge difference of prices.

"We have been appealing that the states must also be proactive. The central government

cannot go into the states and check hoarding," he added.

About 600 tonnes of onions are expected reach Mumbai port next week.

Rice production in West Bengal likely to be higher

Use of high-yielding seeds and a good rainfall are expected to boost rice productivity this year

This year, rice production in West Bengal is likely to be higher than last year, despite the crop

damage on account of floods in parts of the state.

In 2012-13, the state produced 15.3 million tonnes (MT) of rice, an increase of 5.5% over the

previous year

Experts say the use of high-yield seeds and a good monsoon are expected to boost

productivity. “Initial estimates show this year,paddy productivity is much more than usual. While

38

it is early to predict the actual output, rice production this year is likely to be higher than last

year,” said Pranab Chatterjee, professor at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya.

Ramaprasad Biswas, a farmer in Nadia, said, “This year, new seed varieties and better

pesticide and insecticide management contributed to good growth in the crop.”

In July-August, floods in nine of the 19 districts in the state, including the high rice-productivity

districts of Bardhaman, Hugli, Birbhum and Nadia, destroyed a part of standing crop.

The state government had set a target of increasing rice productivity by 500 kg/hectare through

new varieties of seeds introduced as part of the second green revolution in the East, Chatterjee

said. Average rice productivity in West Bengal stands at about 2,500 kg/hectare.

Rice production in West Bengal is spread across three seasons---aus, aman and boro. Of

these, the kharif rise aus and aman) account for about 70% of the state’s production. Last year,

despite a delayed monsoon, the price of paddy crashed due to excess, but low-quality

production. The fall was on account of higher production in the boro season, which discouraged

farmers to sow during the kharif season.

West Bengal accounts for 14-16% of India’s rice production. In 2011-12, the state government

had procured 3.04 MT of rice. Till May this year, it had procured 2.71 MT.

BARC, TN varsity developing dwarf rice varieties

A project to develop a shorter rice variety by influencing the genes of crop using nuclear

science has been undertaken by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) along with Tamil

Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) with the aim of achieving higher yield, an atomic scientist

said today.

"At present, we are developing a shorter rice variety out of White Ponni and ADT 47 varieties.

Our project aims to reduce the stem mass so that the crop does not fall when it bears fruit. We

39

are working on both the crops simultaneously," Suresh G Bhagwat, a former BARC official and

currently involved in the project, said.

While BARC was lending technical support in supplying mutants to these rice varieties, TNAU

was testing the effect of these mutants on these crops in its labs in Tamil Nadu.

"With nuclear science, we can develop mutants, which can be used to arrive at a desired variety

of preferred properties in the plant. In this project, we are going for dwarf crops which can avoid

'lodging,'" Bhagwat, former Head, BARC's Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division told

reporters here.

The project is being funded by the Board of Research in Nuclear Science under the Department

of Atomic Energy and the duration of research is expected to be for three years.

"The produce would be higher from 20 per cent to 30 per cent," he said on the sidelines of a

BARC function here.

Asked whether water consumption of these crops would go down, he said, "May be. But, our

primary target is to achieve shorter height of the crop and less stem mass."

BARC had so far helped in development of 41 varieties of such crops with genetic modification.

These include greengram (eight), blackgram (five), pigeon pea (four), groundnut (15), mustard

(three), soyabean (two), and one each varieties in rice and jute.

To a query on whether using mutants to get desired variety of plant species was equivalent to

that of genetically modified crops like Bt cotton and Bt brinjal, he said: "No. BT cotton are crops

genetically modified by bringing a gene from outside the species. In the case of mutation, genes

within the species are modified internally."

BARC was also undertaking a whole range of nuclear agricultural projects across the country to

develop different varieties of crops, including the famous basmati rice, aimed at increasing its

produce, Bhagwat said.

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Govt allows FCI to sell 1 mn tonnes wheat to small millers

Move to enable small millers get access to govt procured wheat which will bring down open market rates

The government has allowed Food Corporation of India (FCI) to sell around 1 million tonnes

of wheat from its warehouses directly to small flour mill owners located in all parts of the country

and not just in Punjab and Haryana.

The move officials said is meant to enable small millers to get access to government procured

wheat which would help in bringing down open market rates of wheat and wheat flour.

Announcing the decision in a function today, food minister K.V. Thomas said, "Government has

allocated 10 million tonnes of wheat and 5 lakh tonnes of rice under different schemes for sale

in the open market.

It was initially decided that out of the 10 million tonnes wheat allocation, 8.5 million tonnes will

be sold from godowns in Punjab and Haryana at the reserve price of Rs 1,500 per quintal.

However, protect the interest of small chakki owners, around 1 million tonnes of wheat have

been earmarked for sale through the FCI godowns in all States and union territories without any

tenders."

He hoped that the measure would help in controlling wheat prices in the open market.

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Designer seeds

Low-cost vehicle: Designer seeds on display at a meeting of Seedsmen Association in Hyderabad on

Wednesday. These are seeds designed to improve production and are an efficient low-cost delivery

vehicle a plant needs to maximise its genetic potential. These seeds are coated with insecticide,

fungicide, nutrients and biological rhizobia.

States failed to check onion hoarding, says Anand Sharma

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Hitting out at the States for failing to check spiralling onion prices across the country, Commerce

and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said that high onion prices in the country were due to

hoarding taking place locally and that States should play a more proactive role to check it.

“We have been appealing to the State Agriculture Ministers, Finance Ministers and even the

Prime Minister has said that the States must also be proactive. After all, it’s one country. The

Centre cannot go into the States and check hoarding,” Sharma told reporters on Wednesday.

Onions prices continue to rule high ranging between Rs 60-70 a kg in most retail markets

although prices have started falling marginally in the wholesale markets.

With fresh arrivals making their way into the market, prices would go down soon, Sharma said

reflecting Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s optimism.

The Commerce Minister said that the current shortage was due to hoarding taking place as

onions were available in the country and not much was being exported.

“Onion is available. It’s not that exports are happening. We had imposed a Minimum Export

Price first at $650/tonne which has now been raised to $900. So, the Government is keeping a

watchful eye,” he said.

Sharma said that onions were available in mandis but lots of hoarding was taking place. It is

evident from the huge cap between prices at mandis in the producing regions and mandis in the

consuming regions, he said, adding that the States have to look into it.

Commenting on the state of the Indian economy, the Minister said there were definite signs of

the “wheel turning around’’.

Not just India, but markets around the world, including Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and

Russia, had been hit by crashing markets and currency devaluation, he said. “But there has

been recovery also. And the strongest recovery has been of the Indian tupee, though we were

hit the hardest. And again the markets have rebounded,” Sharma said.

Assam planters want tea to be national drink

The North Eastern Tea Association Assam, has sought the support of South Indian Planting and

Traders’ Associations to pressurise the Centre to declare tea as a national drink. “Although ministers had shown interest, this issue is pending for over a year now. We have

submitted a detailed memorandum to the Union and Assam Governments. We are mobilising

the support of various planters’ and traders’ bodies,” the association Chairman Bidyananda

Barkakoty told Business Line.

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He was leading a delegation of Assam planters to the Golden Jubilee convention of Coonoor

Tea Trade Association.

“We visited tea estates and factories in the Nilgiris and tasted the teas coming up for this week’s

auction.

“We are highly impressed at the quality improvements made here. We will suggest some

measures followed by Coonoor for implementation at Guwahati auctions,” he said.

“We have represented to the Tea Board that when it is asking bought-leaf factories to have

price-sharing formula with growers, it should ask packeters to share their price with factory

owners,” he said.

Rubber prices drop despite lower arrivals

Rubber prices fell on the spot and futures markets on Wednesday. The domestic futures

dropped sharply on the absence of genuine buyers from major consuming sectors, dampening

local sentiments to a great extent. There was no panic selling in the market, as arrivals

continued to be low, but prices slipped amidst poor volumes.

Sheet rubber dived to Rs 175 (Rs 179) a kg, according to traders. The grade moved down to Rs

178 (Rs 180) at Kottayam and Kochi, as quoted by the Rubber Board.

October futures declined to Rs 172.50 (Rs 177.30), November to Rs 171.85 (Rs 176.43)

December to Rs 173.60 (Rs 178.34) and January to Rs 176.13 (Rs 180.26) while the February

futures remained inactive on the National Multi Commodity Exchange.

RSS 3 (spot) moved down to Rs 165.19 (Rs 166.24) at Bangkok. October futures closed at ¥

260.9 (Rs 165.41) on Tokyo Commodity Exchange.

Spot rubber rates (Rs/kg) were: RSS-4: 175 (179); RSS-5: 172 (174); Ungraded: 165 (168);

ISNR 20: 166 (168) and Latex 60%: 139 (140).

Spot pepper declines on selling pressure

Pepper futures increased on Wednesday but prices on the spot market dropped on selling

pressure. In the futures market, October and November contracts closed higher, while

December was unchanged.

Meanwhile, there was some selling pressure on the spot as processors were offering

aggressively, while sellers in the plains were also releasing their produce as weather conditions

improved, market sources said.

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Investors who are holding 110 tonnes of pepper released from the warehouses were also trying

their best to sell the material. On the spot, 23 tonnes of farm grade pepper, mainly from the

plains arrived and the offtake was 25 tonnes.

Pulpally and Bathery (Wayanad) pepper was claimed to be sold at Rs 410 a kg, while pepper

from the plains was traded at Rs 401-403 a kg.

Rajkumari (Idukki) high bulk density pepper was reportedly traded at Rs 415-417 a kg.

Upcountry demand was also slack. North Indian demand was continuously being met by

supplies from Karnataka.

On the NMCE, October and November contracts increased by Rs 419 and Rs 155 a quintal

respectively to Rs 43,399 and Rs 43,258 a quintal. December contract remained unchanged.

Total open interest decreased by 5 tonnes to 31 tonnes.

Total turnover dropped by 14 tonnes to 17 tonnes. Spot prices declined by Rs 100 a quintal on

slow demand to Rs 40,100 (ungarbled) and Rs 42,100 (garbled) a quintal.

Indian parity in the international market declined marginally to $7,175 a tonne (c&f) Europe and

$7,425 a tonne (c&f) for the US and remained competitive and there were chances of some

overseas demand coming.

But, there is no material available here. On the other hand, the volatility in the currency rates

was making it difficult to make any commitments, export sources claimed.

Don’t buy wheat diverted from PDS, Thomas tells millers

Union Food Minister K.V. Thomas on Wednesday asked flour millers to help plug leakages

under the public distribution system (PDS) and warned them against purchasing any PDS

consignment diverted for sale in the open market.

“One of problems that the Government is facing is PDS leakage which is 35-40 per cent. Of this,

a large quantity (wheat) is coming to you. I request you not to encourage…We will take serious

action,” he told the 73 {+r} {+d} annual general meeting of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of

India.

plugging loopholes

Efforts were being made to modernise the PDS by plugging loopholes and strengthen storage

capacity across the country through setting up intermediate godowns at the village and district

level for smooth implementation of the food security law, he said. The UPA Government’s

45

ambitious Food Security Scheme aims to provide a legal right over cheaper foodgrains to about

82 crore people in the country.

Thomas also said that the Government was examining reasons for the undue rise in prices of

foodgrains despite high production. “There is always some increase in prices of agri-

commodities with regular hike in the minimum support price of these commodities every year.

But the inflation in foodgrains should not be this sharp when there is sufficient supply,” he said.

Further, in a bid to keep prices of wheat under check, the Government has eased norms for sale

of about 8.5 mt to bulk buyers such as flour millers under the open market sale scheme who can

now source it from the local Food Corporation of India depots.

The roller flour millers, who also see a role for themselves in the rollout of the food security law,

have made a pitch for distribution of wheat flour or atta fortified with iron and vitamins, instead of

subsidised grain under the scheme.

The distribution of fortified atta would make the food security scheme more practical and

humane, apart from ensuring nutrition, said Adi Naryan Gupta, President, RFMFI. Besides,

keeping prices under check, it would also help plug the reported diversion of highly subsidised

grains to the open market and ensure that benefits of the scheme reach the right target.

Food Secretary Sudhir Kumar said that the Centre was in favour of supplying fortified atta

instead wheat under the Food Security Act. “We have left this decision to States. I request you

to get in touch with the States as there are logistics issue,” Kumar said while advising millers to

go in for modernisation by deploying improved technology.

The Rs 20,000-crore flour milling industry also urged the Government to incentivise the exports

of value- added wheat products either in terms of offering freight subsidy or duty draw back.

There are about 1,200 millers in the country, who process about 20 mt of wheat annually.

46

Tobacco worth Rs 1,710 cr exported in April-June

Tobacco exports from the country started on a hopeful note during the current financial year and

in the first quarter 82,540 tonnes of tobacco worth Rs 1,710.26 crore was exported, according to

Tobacco Board sources here.

Till the end of June, 73,363 tonnes of leaf tobacco valued at Rs 1,396.47 crore and tobacco

products of 9,177 tonnes valued at Rs 313.79 crore were exported from the country during the

current financial year. Tobacco is exported to 100 countries from India.

During 2012-13, tobacco exports from the country amounted to Rs 4,979.05 crore, with leaf

tobacco accounting for Rs 3,831.84 crore and tobacco products Rs 1,147.21 crore, with the

quantities being 2,28,023 tonnes and 35,552 tonnes respectively.

During the previous year (2011-12), tobacco exports fetched Rs 4,100.30 crore with leaf

tobacco accounting for Rs 3,090.21 crore and tobacco products Rs 1,010.09 crore, with the

quantities being 2,03,294 tonnes and 37,101 tonnes respectively.

Top export destinations for leaf tobacco during 2012-13 in value terms were Belgium, Russia,

Korea, the UAE, the USA, Indonesia, Egypt, the Netherlands, South Africa and France. Of the

leaf tobacco exports from the country, flue-cured virginia (FCV) tobacco accounts for 76 per

cent of volume and 83 per cent of value.

Tobacco Board Chairman K. Gopal has urged farmers in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the

two main producers of FCV tobacco, to limit the production to the size fixed by the board to

realise a better price on the auction floor.

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Castorseed futures gain on value buying

After four days of continuous fall, castorseed futures gained on Wednesday as investors

indulged in value buying.

Spot prices, however, decreased as recent rains have raised hopes of higher sowing of the crop

that is grown during the rabi season.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, October contracts increased by Rs 35

to Rs 3,474 a quintal with an open interest of 1,25,890 lots.

November contracts gained by Rs 41 at Rs 3,579, with an open interest of 44,910 lots.

On the Rajkot Commodity Exchange, December contracts increased by Rs 44 to Rs 3,714.

RCX spot castor declined by Rs 37.50 to Rs 3,410 a quintal.

Castor oil traded flat at Rs 720 for 10 kg.

About 15,000-16,000 bags of castor arrived in Gujarat. Prices ruled between Rs 685 and Rs

692 for a maund of 20 kg. About 2,800-2,900 bags arrived in Saurashtra and they were traded

at Rs 645-665 a maund.

Castor arrivals have decreased during the last couple of days due to heavy rains across

Gujarat.

Traders said that export demand in castor oil is limited. Moreover, domestic buying is also slow

in the spot market.

So, prices have been dropping over the last four days.

However, some demand has seen at the lower level pulling up the futures market.

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Rains likely to delay kharif oilseeds arrivals

Edible oils futures pared losses on Wednesday on fears rains could delay arrivals of kharif

oilseeds. However, prices in the spot market were mixed on bets that arrivals of the crop will be

higher.

Groundnut, soyabean and washed cottonseed oils rule unchanged. Sunflower and palmolein

declined by Rs 5 and Rs 3 respectively. Rapeseed oil prices increased by Rs 5.

The domestic futures market opened weak but firmed up later on fears of delay in arrivals of

oilseeds in main producing centres of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. During the

day, local refineries sold about 600-700 tonnes of palmolein at Rs 567-568 and 500-600 tonnes

of refined soyabean oil at Rs 637.

Towards the end of the day, Liberty quoted palmolein at Rs 568, super palmolein at Rs 605 and

super deluxe at Rs 625, soyabean refined oil at Rs 640 and sunflower refined oil at Rs 815.

Ruchi quoted palmolein at Rs 568-571, sunflower refined oil at Rs 640 and sunflower refined oil

at Rs 800. In Rajkot, groundnut oil rule unchanged for the third consecutive day at Rs 1285

for teliatin. Loose (10 kgs) ruled at Rs 825. Crude palm oil October contracts on Bursa Malaysia

Derivatives Exchane settled higher at MYR 2,324. November ended at MYR 2,299 (MYR 2,306)

and December at MYR 2,294 (MYR 2,301).

The Bombay Commodity Exchange spot rates (Rs/10 kg) were: Groundnut oil 840 (840), Soya

refined oil 635 (635), Sunflower exp. ref. 725 (740), Sunflower refined 795 (800), rapeseed

refined oil 710 (705), rapeseed expeller refined 680 (675) cottonseed refined oil 660 (660) and

palmolein 567 (570).

49

Vikram Global Commodities (P) Ltd quoted Rs 617 for 10 kg of Malaysia Super palmolein to be

delivered in October.

Poultry feed rules easy as inputs turn cheaper

Following continuous fall in the cost of production over the last few days, poultry feed product

prices have dipped by Rs 15-60 for a 50-kg bag.

Lower input costs have pulled poultry feed prices down, said Satpal Singh, Proprietor of

Sarvottam Poultry Feed Supply Centre Pvt Ltd.

Though prices of soyameal and a couple of other ingredients have recovered a little, it has not

made much impact on the cost of production, he said.

Feed prices are likely to rule around the current levels over the next days, said Satpal Singh.

In the physical market, soyameal improved by Rs 700 to Rs 32,700 a tonne.

Bajra increased further by Rs 40 to Rs 1,280-1,320 a quintal, while di-calcium phosphate sold at

Rs 34.70 a kg.

MBM sold at Rs 32.60 a kg and maize moved up by Rs 10 to Rs 1,475-1,510 a quintal.

DRB sold at Rs 11,000 a quintal. Rice bran oil quoted unchanged at Rs 59 a kg. Mustard de-

oiled cake sold at Rs 14,300 a tonne.

Prices of broiler concentrate feed dropped by Rs 60 to Rs 1,960 for a 50-kg bag, while broiler

starter mash eased by Rs 30 to Rs 1,500.

Pre-lay mash decreased by Rs 15 to Rs 1,025. “Layer concentrate 25 per cent” and “Layer

concentrate 35 per cent” eased by Rs 25 each to Rs 1,465 and at Rs 1,150, respectively.

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Meanwhile, a downtrend was witnessed in the poultry products market, on Wednesday. Broiler

dropped by Rs 9 to Rs 64-65, egg went down by 2 paisa to Rs 3.05, while chick dropped by Rs

2 to Rs 20-22.

Pulses rally may not last for long

A majority of pulses, which have been witnessing sluggish trend on weak demand, has gained

over the last two days on renewed buying support.

Tur (Maharashtra) rose to Rs 4,350 a quintal (up Rs 50), while tur (Madhya Pradesh) ruled at

Rs 3,900-4,100.

Compared with prices last week, tur is still Rs 100-150 lower.

Tur prices remained range-bound fluctuating between Rs 4,300-4,500, depending upon its

demand and supply until last week.

Given the better crop prospects and rise in sowing area in tur this year, a long rally is ruled out,

said a trader.

Tur dal, on the other hand, ruled stable amid subdued demand with tur dal (full) being quoted at

Rs 6,100-6,200, tur dal (sawa no.) at Rs 5,600-5,900, while tur marka ruled at Rs 6,500-6,900.

Strong demand and slack arrival also perked up moong by Rs 100 with moong (best quality) in

local mandis being quoted at Rs 5,100-5,300, while moong (medium) ruled at Rs 4,200-4,300.

Despite clear weather condition in the past two days, arrivals of new moong in local mandis are

lower, leading to rise in its prices.

Moong dal ruled stable with medium being quoted at Rs 5,900-6,100, bold at Rs 6,200-6,300,

while moong mongar ruled at Rs 6,800-7,000.

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Higher demand and weak arrival have also lifted urad in Indore mandis Rs 300-350 over the last

one week.

Urad (bold) was quoted at Rs 3,850-3,900, while urad (medium) ruled at Rs 3,200-3,500.

According to traders here, in the wake of fresh spell of rains which lashed the state recently,

arrival of urad (new) in Indore mandis has declined.

However, given better crop prospect, a rally in urad also appears unlikely in the coming days.

Sugar recovers on lower Brazilian cane output

Sugar futures fell to a contract low in early trading on Wednesday but later recovered on reports

that Brazil’s sugarcane production will be lower than expected this month.

Spot prices across the country ruled flat.

The Vashi wholesale market was closed on occasion of Anna Saheb Patil’s 80th Birth

Anniversary.

A spokesman of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association said that wholesale traders kept off

from the market as there was no movement in prices.

On the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, November contracts dropped to a

contract low of Rs 2,920 before ending higher at Rs 2,942 a quintal.

December contracts closed at Rs 2,949. An observer said that the current season year ending

this month will close with surplus stocks of around 90-95 lakh tonnes.

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Analysts said that Thailand and India could compete in the Asian market for share in the raw

sugar market.

India usually sells white sugar, but next season, it is expected to export raw sugar too.

On Tuesday evening, 16-17 mills offered tenders and sold 38,000 – 40,000 bags at Rs 2,840-

2,930 (Rs 2,840-Rs 2,930) for S-grade and Rs 2,950-Rs 3,020 (Rs 2,950- 3,020) for M-grade.

Nominal sugar prices in Mumbai were (Rs/quintal(: S-grade Rs 3,000– Rs 3,125 (Rs 3,002– Rs

3,125) and M-grade Rs 3,140 - 3,280 (Rs 3,141- 3,282).

Naka delivery rates were: S-grade Rs 2,930 -3,000 (Rs 2,930-3,000) and M-grade Rs 3,040 -

3,170 (Rs 3,040 -3,170).

Prices in Uttar Pradesh were: Lakhimpur Rs 3,400; Muzzafarnagar Rs 3,260.

60% of turmeric offering goes unsold at Erode

With orders from North India yet to flow in for Erode turmeric, 60 per cent of the produce offered

on Wednesday went unsold.

“No upcountry demand has bee received and consequently, the sale was poor.

“Usually, during this season prices will be moderate and also sales. But this year, prices and

sales are poor.

“Only 3,100 bags came up for sale but only 40 per cent was sold,” said R.K.V. Ravishankar,

President, Erode Turmeric Merchants Association.

He said that during the period a year ago, the finger variety fetched Rs 5,500 a quintal and the

hybrid variety Rs 6300. This year, prices are unchanged.

Over the last few days, prices have dropped to Rs 5,400 a quintal. Further, arrivals last year

were over 4,000 bags and 70 per cent sale was recorded.

53

Traders now hope that they will get upcountry orders by next week and sale could be moderate

until Diwali.

Purchases on Wednesday were by stockists to meet local demand.

At the Erode Turmeric Merchants Association sales yard, the finger variety ruled at Rs 3,999-

5,321 a quintal and the root variety at Rs 3,219-4,721.

Salem Hybrid Crop: The finger variety fetched Rs 4,509-6,069 a quintal and the root variety Rs

4,209-5,099. Of the 584 bags that arrived, 218 were sold. At the Regulated Market Committee,

the finger variety went for Rs 4,768-5,719 and the root variety for Rs 4,479-5,079. Of the 580 on

sale, 549 were traded. At the Erode Cooperative Marketing society, the finger variety traded at

Rs 4,469 -5,499 and the root variety at Rs 4,169-5,027. All the 835 bags put for sale were

picked up. At the Gobichettipalayam Agricultural Cooperative Marketing society, the finger

variety sold at Rs 4,869-5,400, and the root variety at Rs 4,169-5,942.

All 202 bags that arrived were traded.

Timely monsoon boosts AP seed production

Andhra Pradesh may register a record seed output this fiscal.

Timely monsoon, adequate water levels in major irrigation projects and increase in area of

cultivation are helping seed producers turn out a rich harvest in Andhra Pradesh, a major

producing State.

The State accounts for 25 per cent of the seed exports of the country.

AP Seedsmen Association, comprising about 400 seed producing firms, estimates that seed

production may increase 10 per cent from last year, which itself was a good production year.

54

“Trends so far point to this. There is an increase in especially rice and maize production,” M.

Harish Reddy, President of Seedsmen Association, told Business Line on the sidelines of its 18

{+t} {+h} annual general meeting here today.

Seed output fell from 45.19 lakh quintals in 2010-11 to 40.50 lakh quintals in the next year, but

increased to 56.32 lakh in 2012-13.

“During kharif 2013, we have already distributed 36.15 lakh quintals, including 14 lakh quintals

of paddy and 97,000 of maize,” he said.

Area under cultivation

Last fiscal, the area under cultivation in kharif was about 74 lakh hectares in the State, with the

full year seeing 110 lakh hectares under production.

In the current kharif, an additional two lakh hectares was brought under cultivation by farmers,

encouraged by timely monsoon.

On Bt cotton, Reddy said it had yielded good results for both seed producers and farmers in the

State. The association, however, has taken exceptions to the Government “arbitrarily” fixing

prices for Bt cotton seed this year at the rate of Rs 930 for BG2 and Rs 730 for BG1 varieties,

without considering the trait value paid to the technology provider by the sub-licences.

“We were looking for a price range of at least Rs 1,050 for BG2 and Rs 850 for BG 1 varieties.

Next year, prices should be more on account of higher input costs,” he said, adding that the

BG2 variety had substantially brought down costs and increased yields as compared with even

the BG1 variety.

India needed genetically modified crops to boost farm output, given a sound regulatory

framework, he added.

Training in rubber cultivation

The Rubber Board will hold a five-day training in rubber cultivation at Rubber Training Institute

here from October 21 to 25. The course content includes modern planting materials, planting

techniques, manuring, rain-guarding, pest and disease control, tapping and latex processing.

The fee is Rs 1,500 (plus 12.36% service tax). SC/ST candidates will get 50 per cent

concession in fee. RPS members will be given 25 per cent fee concession. Contact phone

0481- 2351313