16July,2013ProlongedwetspellworriescottonfarmersofAdilabadWorkinthefieldsishinderedwhichmayleadtoextrainvestmentbywayofweedingoperationsandapplicationoffertilizersAs themonsoonso far turnedout tobe thewettest inAdilabad in recentmemory, the first signs of worry are beginning to show among cottonfarmers.The prolonged wet spell, the current having started five days back, ishinderingworkinthefieldswhichwilleventuallyleadtoextrainvestmentbyway ofweeding operations and application of fertilizers. The crop is at astage which requires weeding to be carried out both manually and bysprayingofweedicides.Also,itistimeforapplyingfertilizers.While water logging in the black cotton soil prevents labourers fromenteringthefields, therainfallwashesawayanyfertilizer thathasalreadybeenapplied.Insomecasesthefertilizeractuallyaidsthegrowthofweedsinthefields.“Adryspellistheneedofthehourasnotmuchtimehasbeenspentinthefieldssincethestartofmonsoon.Therearealotofthingstobedone,”observesKyathamMalleshofJainadmandal.HEAVYSHOWERSMeanwhile, therewas rainfall across thedistrictwith intermittent spellsofheavy showersonMonday.Asalmost allmandals have receivedexcessrainfallsofarduringtheseason,thedistrictaveragesat41percentexcesshavingrecorded250cmofrainfallsinceJune1.Though the hill streams ran in spate during the day there was nomajordislocationoflifeinthedistrict.Onlyfarmersneededtosuspendtheirworkowingtoheavyshowers.Karnataka,TamilNaduclashatCauverypanelmeet

TNwants34tmcftinJuly,50tmcftforAugusttosaveSambacropKarnatakaandTamilNaduonMondayclashedduringthethirdmeetingofthe Cauvery Supervisory Committee here over latter’s share of the riverwaters.TamilNadusoughtadirectionfromthepaneltoKarnatakaformakingthestipulated release of Cauvery waters in July. But, Karnataka said it hadalready released about 34 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet of waterbetweenJuneandJuly13.Further release would be made if the rainfall was good, Karnataka isreportedtohavesaid.The panel, chaired by Water Resources Secretary Alok Rawat alsodemurredatgivinganyassuranceandnoted thatTamilNadu’s receiptofthe stipulated waters till July 31 at Biligundlu would depend on thebehaviourofthemonsooninthenextfortnight.Tamil Nadu pointed out that in view of the recent heavy rainfall in theCauvery catchment area of Karnataka and inflows into Karnatakareservoirs, the Delta farmers were anticipating release of water byKarnataka as per the final order of theCauveryWaterDisputes Tribunal(CWDT)awardforthecultivationoftheSambacrop.Unless the Committee ensures the release of 34 tmcft of water due toTamil Nadu in July and 50 tmcft for August, as stipulated in the CWDTorder,thesambacultivationwillbeputtoseverestress,theStatesaid.Thepanelnotedthat,sofaronaccountofgoodmonsoonrain,TamilNaduhadreceivedabout34tmcftwaterasagainst44tmcftduringJuneandJuly(till July 13) including its share of 10 tmc ft water in June. By July 31, itshould receiveanother10 tmcftas the forecastwas thatmonsoonwouldbegood.ThemeetingwasattendedamongothersbyTamilNaduChiefSecretarySheela Balakrishnan and her Karnataka counterpart S.V. Ranganath,Central Water Commission Chairman Rajesh Kumar and senior officialsfromKeralaandPuducherry.The nextmeetingwill be held in August to review the TamilNaduwaterreceiptstillJuly31.

AnimalFarmTheManorFarm isrunbyFarmerJoneswhomistreatshis farmanimals.Theanimalsuniteanddrivehimout.UnderthestewardshipofSnowball,apig, productivity in the farm increases. The animals rename the farm"AnimalFarm"andlookforwardtomanysuccessfulyearsahead.However,the situation in Animal Farm takes a gradual but irreversible turn for theworse afterSnowball is drivenout of the farmbyNapoleon, another pig.Published in1945, thebook isoneof themostpopularworksofpoliticalallegoryfromthe20thcentury.“Replacelandacquisit ionwithlease”LandrightsgroupcallsforadirectrelationshipbetweenthefarmerandthegovernmentIn keeping with the Gandhian principle of equality and BabasahebAmbedkar’s notions of social justice, the land rights organisation BhumiBachaoAndolanhasmootedtheideaof“KisanSarkarSajhedari’’(Farmer-governmentpartnership) forestablishingadirect relationshipbetween thefarmerandthegovernment,withoutmediators.Powerissue“Thefarmerswillnotsell,butleaseouttheirland.Thisincludesagriculturallandownedbyfarmersaswellascommongaonsabha(villagecommunity)land—ownedcollectivelybyall themembersof thevillage, includingthelandless. Industriescanbuild theirunitsandpay leaserent to the farmer;witheverysuccessiveriseinpriceoftheland,therentcanincrease,’’saidJanSangharshVahiniconvenorBhupendraSinghRawat,who isalsotheleaderoftheAndolan,whilefloatingtheidea.Bhumi Bachao Andolan has suggested these provisions to respectiveministries,parliamentarycommitteesandpoliticalparties. Itsaid theLandAcquisitionAct,1894, formulatedduring theBritishRaj, isbeing following68 years after Independence even though it has promoted forcible landacquisition across the country, helping the class-in-power to grab theagriculturallandwhiledispossessingthefarmers,makingthemjoblessanddenyingthemthefairmarketrate.

“In the aftermath of the land acquisition, the agricultural plots aredistributed.Thosewhohavegot this landareextractingmaximumbenefitfrom itbut thosedispossesseddespite livingoff it forgenerationsarenotevengivenashareofit.’’Mr.Rawat,whileaddressingapressconferencehere,said theprovisionsformulated tobenefit thecapitalists in theLandAcquisitionActcannotbedemocratic. So, the Act should be scrapped and in its place suchprovisions should be included in the law for using and sharing theagricultural land,which is needed for acquisition for somedevelopmentalwork,inademocraticwaywiththefarmersandthevillagers.AmajorvictoryHe said at an all-party meeting recently on the issue of provision ofacquiringlandofthefarmers,itwasdemandedthatthegovernmentcomeupwith a provision to take it on lease. Themeeting had also discussedprovisionspertainingtofarmers’righttoownershipofland.“The consensus on the provisions of the right to fair compensation,resettlement,rehabilitationandtransparencyintheLandAcquisitionBill isamajorvictory to farmers’struggle launchedbyBhumiBachaoAndolan,”Mr.Rawatsaid.Those who have got land are extractingmaximum benefit fromit, but those dispossessed despite l iving off i t for generationsare not even given a share of i tBhupendra Singh RawatJanSangharshVahiniconvenor Acidicindigestionontheriseincatt leA newhealth problem in cattle has been identified byAnimalHusbandryDepartmentofficialsofthedistrict.This may lead to even death of animals if not addressed in time or theillnesspersistsforalongperiod.Theofficials,whostood first in thecountryon theday-to-day reporting tothe Union government under National Animal Disease Reporting System(NARDS), found that acidic indigestionwas found in about 12,000 casesreported from the district till July 10. Officials attribute the disease tograzingofcattleinopenfieldsandconsumptionofpollutedwater.Usually,

in the rural areas especially, the cattle graze in open lands wheremorenaturallygrowngrass–heteropogoncontortus(Garikagaddi)-isavailable.As it is available free, the farmers prefer to graze them in these fieldsresultingintheillhealthofanimals.Theanimalsalsoeatweeds.Afterconsuming thegrass, theanimalsdevelopbloat in thestomachandconsiderable reduction inmilkproduction.Usually, theanimal recovers inthree days. However, at times, it requires the assistance of veterinaryexpert.“Thefarmersareexperts in identifyingtheproblemsofcattleatveryearlystageandaddressitintime.However,ifitthediseaseisnotidentifiedandaddressedintime,itcanleadtodeath,”K.LakhmaReddy,JointDirector,AnimalHusbandry,toldTheHindu.Officials attr ibute the disease to catt le grazing in open f ieldsandconsuming pollutedwater RecentspellofrainsspursagricultureactivityStandingcropswerewitheringawayduetomoisturestressThe recent spell of rainscameasaboon to the farmersbringing themagreatreliefandspurringagriculturalactivitiesinKurnooldistrict.The rains was of immense help to standing crops which were almostwithering away due to moisture stress. Groundnut in Yemmiganur area,maizeinAtmakurandNandikotkurareaweresowninthefirstspellofrainsinJuneend.The sowing activity for minor millets and other rain-fed crops alsoincreased. According toG. NarasimhaRao, former Associate Director ofAgricultureUniversity, cotton isgoing tobeadominant crop this season,which is likely to cross one lakh hectares. The stable returns and lessincidenceofpesthelpedfarmerstogoforthecrop.Maizeislikelytocross20,000hectaresthisseasonduetogoodmarketforthe commodity. The price ofmaize almost crossedRs. 1,500 per quintalwhile average yield under good crop conditions was around 30 to 40quintalsperacre.Theassociatedriskwasalsolessinmaizecultivation.

Meanwhile, Dr. Narasimha Rao suggested that the farmers under KCcanal, especially up to120kmpoint, shouldprefer irrigateddry crops sothattheycouldcultivatetwocropsinsteadofsinglepaddycrop.Cultivatingpaddy involvedseveral risk factorssuchashigh incidenceofpestdue tolatetransplantationandwatershortageduringcriticalgrainfillingstage.Accordingtohim,theareaunderminormilletswasgrowingyearafteryeardue to increase in consumption. Dry land farmers would have goodprospectsifthecropswerecultivatedwiththesupportofmachines.BanksabuzzwithactivityMeanwhile, banks were abuzz with the activity of farm loans and otheragricultureproducts.Crop insurance, recoveryof loans toextend interestconcessionandadverseweatherconditionssupportpackageweresomeoftheissueshandledbythebanks.Organicfarmingdidthetr ickForthisBharamasagaracouple

60-year-old B.S. Shantaveerappa and his wife B.S. Pushpa were small-timeentrepreneurs inBharamasagaraofChitradurgadistrictwhohad justtakentofarmingcasuallybyplantingarecasaplingsontheirancestrallandof 3.27 acres. But a visit to Mysore inspired them to become full-timefarmerswhentheyhappenedtotasteNanjangudrasabale.“Wewerefascinatedbythedistincttasteofthebananaandinquiredaboutthatexoticvarietywiththeshopkeeper.WewenttoNanjangudtogetsomesaplings.Butwewereshockedaswecouldnotgetevenasinglesapling

there.WeweredirectedtotheUAS-B’sPlantTissueCultureLab,”saysMr.Shantaveerappa.“Wetookabout1,000saplingsfromtheuniversityandplantedinbetweenthe two-year-old areca plants.We followed organicmethod of cultivationand opted for drip-irrigation,which gave us a good yield. Though peoplestarted flocking to our farms to buy the loose fruits, we sold the entirestandingcropatRs.6lakhtoamerchant,”henoted.AccordingtohimthetotalexpenditureincurredbythemoncultivatingthesefruitswasaboutRs.80,000includingthecostofsaplings.“WehaveearnedaprofitofaboutRs.5.2lakhfromthefruits.Theprofitsfurtherincreasedasthe farmers inourareaboughteven thebananasuckers forRs.35,000,”hesays,whilepointingoutthatalargenumberoffarmersnowwanttotakeupcultivationofNanjangudrasabale.Hiswife,aphysicallychallengedpersonwhoplayedacrucialroleintakingcareofthebananacultivation,isthrilledbythisandiskeentoexperimentfurtherwithagriculture.GovernmenturgedtosetupsugarcanecontrolboardObjectiveistoregulatesupplyandpurchase:associationThe Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association has urged thegovernment to constitute a sugarcane control board for regulating thepurchase and supply immediately as crushing season was expected tostartinanother10daysallovertheState.The Board, it said, was essential to protect the interests of sugarcanegrowers and help farmers get huge arrears due from sugar factories.Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Kuruburu ShanthaKumar,presidentof theassociation,andTejasviPatel,generalsecretary,said that the previous government, following a vehement demand fromgrowers all over the State, had agreed to constitute the board and theCongressgovernmentwasyettoformit.WarningIfitwasnotformedbythismonth-end,thesugarcanegrowerswouldresorttoagitationofaseriouskindinfrontoftheVidhanaSoudha,theywarned.

Theyurgedthegovernmenttoinstructallsugarfactoriestogiveaminimumprice of Rs. 3,500 a tonne of sugarcane. Farmers had sustained hugeexpenditure on growing sugarcane as cost of fertilizer had gone upconsiderablyandlabourhadbecomedearer,theysaid.Mr.Kumarsaidthatmanysugarmillshadnotyetsettledthebillsoffarmersforthesugarcanesuppliedlastyear.MorethanRs.1,400crorewasduetobepaidtogrowerssince2011-12,hesaid.Sugarcaneinover2.5lakhacresoflandintheStatehadwitheredowingtofailure of rain and irregular power supply and the government shouldcompensatethelossessufferedbyfarmersattherateofRs.2,500anacreforsugarcanewithered,hesaid.Farmers should be given a compensation of Rs. 30 lakh an to those onwhoselandshightensionelectricwireswerepassing.ThissystemwasinvogueintheneighbouringAndhraPradesh,hesaid.Whilewelcoming the interest-free loan scheme to farmers announced bythe Chief Minister, Mr. Kumar said that the government should asknationalisedbanks todistribute loans to farmersatzeropercent interest,whichwouldbenefitabout80lakhfarmerfamiliesintheState.M.V. Gadi, Nijaguna Kelageri, Siddanal, Mallikarjun , Basavannanavar,AthihalliDevaraj,Bhagyaraj,Anjenappa,Rudrappaandotherleaderswerepresent.FarmersgrievancesmeetThemonthlyfarmersgrievancesdaymeetingwillbeheldatthecollectoratehereat11a.m.onJuly19.TheDistrictCollectorM.Ravikumarwillpresideover the meeting. An official press release called upon the farmers andtheirrepresentativestoparticipateinthemeetingandgettheirgrievancessolved.—SpecialCorrespondentSCnoticetoTNonfarmers’pleaThe Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Tamil Nadugovernment on a writ petition filed by Kodivery Anai PasanatharargalSangam for a direction to release 15 tmcft of water to Thadapalli andArakankottaiayacutsacrossBhavaniRiveratKodiveryanaicut.

Athree-JudgeBenchofChiefJusticeAltamasKabirandJusticesIbrahimKalifulla and Vikramajit Sen issued notice on the petition, who are smallfarmers having marginal holdings at Thadapalli and Arakankottai. TheBenchissuednoticereturnableinfourweeks.TheSangamsaid:“TheGovernmentofTamilNadumadedrasticchangeswhich led to diversion of Bhavani River as a result of which farmers intheselocalitiesareaffectedandtheirlifeandlivelihoodisinquestion.Thegovernmentnowreleasesonly4.65TMCftofwaterforthewholeyearforthe Bhavani basin lands even though 70 TMC ft of water flows in riverBhavani.ContinuousdischargeofwatereveryyearfromApril15onwardsforaperiodof10months isnot followed. Instead, thegovernmentdivertsand dischargeswater to the Lower Bhavani Project (LBP) canal for newirrigation cutting down 15 TMC ft of water which the Arakankottai andThadapalliayacutsareentitled.Areaofcultivationhasbeencutdownfrom49,000acresto11,000acresforfirstcropandnosecondcropispossible.”Thepetitionersaid“farmersareforcedtocultivateonlythelong-termcropswhich requireonlyperiodicalwettingonce in10days.Ayacuts in the first28kmaloneareable to cultivatepaddy remainingare forced tocultivatelong-term crops like turmeric, banana and sugarcane. The agriculturallandsareconvertedintoplotsandbeingsold.”Hencethepresentwritpetitionforadirectiontothegovernmenttorelease15tmcftofwatertomeettheirirrigationrequirements.Betelpricesshootnorth,butgrowersstuckinredLackofrains,shortageoffarmhands,risinginputcostsdevastatefarms

trapped:It isestimated thatat least350hectareswasunderbetelvine tillsomeyearsbackbut ithasshrunk to less than75hectaresnow inKarurregion.—FilephotoDespite the produce costing the habitual consumer quite a fortune thesedays,betel-vinegrowersinKarurdistrictaresorethattheyarenotgettingthe right price. This at a time when the fields are devastated by thecontinuing drought like conditions, lack of rains, shortage of farm handsandrisinginputcosts.Betel vine is grown in gardensmostly along the banks ofRiverCauveryand also fields abutting Kattalai High Level Channel in the interiors ofKulithalaiandKrishnarayapurambelt.Areas such as Pugalur, Pungodai, Semangi, Muthanur, andThalavapalayam along the banks of Cauvery and villages off Sithalavai,Mahadanapuram,Lalapet,Kumaramangalamseea lot of farmers take tobetelvinecultivationtraditionally.Though individual consumption of betel vine has seen a steady declineovertheyears,marriagesandfestivalswerekeepingthemafloatallthesedays. The leaves plucked from the gardens in Karur district would bepacked off to destinations including Velayuthampalayam and Velurshandies besides Erode, Dindigul, Madurai, Tiruchi, Thanjavur, TiruvarurandNagapattinamdistricts.While betel vine cultivation flourished once, the adverse factors rangedagainstthegrowersforcedasharpdeclineintheareaunderbetelvineinthe past few years. It is estimated that at least 350 hectares was underbetelvine till someyearsbackbut ithasshrunk to less than75hectaresnow.Naturallythathasresultedinthepriceoftheproducegoupinthemarket.``Akowliof betel comprising100 leaves fetches the farmersRs.15at theshandiesandforsomeothervarietiesevenless.Buttheproducechangeshands continuously to be sold at the petty shops for 75 paise a leafdepending on the size. See how much we are loosing,’’ points out S.ChelladuraiofLalapet.Tillacoupleofyearsback,thegrowersweregettingagoodpriceexceptindaysofglutwhenthepricewouldnotmeetevenpluckingcosts.``Wehave

tocontendwithpestattacks,diseases,inclementweather,lackofwaterforirrigation,shortofmanpoweranddwindlingreturns.ManytimesIhavefeltlikedoingawaywiththecropbutcouldnotdosoasIhavelittleoptionleft,’’rues P. Kumarasamy Gounder of Velayuthampalayam who has beenraisingbetelvineformorethanthreedecades.Headmits thavereducedtheareaunderthecropfromthreeacresaboutsixyearsagotojusthalfanacrenow.Both farmersconcede that theycouldnot lookup to thegovernments forhelp as themarket fluctuatesmenacingly. Reflecting the opinion of otherbetel vine growers they feel that something like establishing a properregulated market for betel vine in Karur, Namakkal, and Tiruchi districtcouldhelpfarmersgetaremunerativeprice.‘Desistfromusingexcessurea’Farmersshoulddesistfromusingexcessureaforthekuruvaicropcurrentlybeing raised and instead, resort to crop protection techniques asrecommended by the agriculture department, saidM. Ravikumar, DistrictCollector. Inapressrelease issuedhereonMonday,hesaid thatexcessapplication of urea will result in pest attack and hence farmers shouldsimultaneouslyuseothernutrients.GrievancedaymeetingforfarmersonJuly26Farmers’ grievances daymeetingwill be held at theCollectorate here at10.30 a.m. on July 26. Petitions given by the farmers in the previousgrievancedaymeetingwillbediscussedat themeeting .Farmersshouldsubmit two copies of petitions for initiating action. Officials’ reply will bedisplayed on the notice board in the conference hall of the collectorate,CollectorN.Venkatachalamsaidinapressrelease.—StaffReporterTrainingprogrammeforfarmersTheDepartmentofAgriculturewillorganiseathree-dayresidentialtrainingprogramme for farmers at the training centre in Aurad from July 18.Resourcepersonswillspeakonunderstandingclimatepatterns,rainwaterharvesting,integratedfarming,anduseoffarmequipment.Farmerswillbe

paid a travel allowance. Interested persons can call 9972081730 or7259004651.—SpecialCorrespondentGulbarga distr ict gets Rs. 40.5 lakh for horticulturedevelopment

For grapes,Rs. 30,000 is provided as assistance per hectare in the firstyear,andRs.10,000inthesecondandthirdyears,if1,100seedlingsareplantedonahectareofland.—FilePhotoThe district was provided Rs. 40.5 lakh under the National HorticultureMissionfor2013–14toimprovethecoverageunderhorticulturalcrops,andencourage cultivation of nutritional plants and vegetables in kitchengardensbyindividualfamilies.DeputyDirectorofHorticultureManjunathtoldTheHinduhereonSaturdaythat thedepartment’sefforts topopularisecultivationofhorticulturalcropsamongfarmershadhelpedincreasecoverageinthedistrict.Horticultural crops were being cultivated on more than 20,236 hectares.This was owing to extension activities and concessions extended by thedepartmentundervariousprogrammes,includingthehorticulturemission.For thecultivationof fruit-bearing trees, thedepartmentextendsasumofRs.15,444ahainthefirstyearandRs.5,148ahainthesecondandthirdyears, if more than 156 seedlings are planted in a ha. If the orchard is

limitedto123seedlingsaha,theassistanceinthefirstyearwouldbeRs.12,890inthefirstyearandRs.4,064inthesecondandthirdyears.If less than 100 seedlings are planted in a ha, the assistance would belimitedtoRs.9,990inthefirstyearfollowedbyRs.3,300inthesecondandthirdyears.Similarlyforgrapes,Rs.30,000isprovidedasassistanceperhainthefirstyear, and Rs. 10,000 is provided in the second and third years if 1,100seedlingsareplanted inaha. If less than400seedlingsareplanted, theassistancewouldbeRs.21,600inthefirstyearandRs.7,200forthenexttwoyears.ForpomegranatesForpomegranates,Rs.18,000aha isprovidedfor the firstyear,andRs.6,000forthenexttwoyears.Thedepartmentalsoencouragesfloriculture;assistanceofRs.35,000ahaisextendedtosmallandmarginalfarmersforcultivatingroses,carnationsand other varieties. Assistance is also provided for the construction ofcommunitytanksandponds,headded.WaterreleasedfromKRPDamforf irstcrop

Existingwaterstoragelevelsatisfactory:Minister

MinisterforMunicipalAdministration,RuralDevelopment,Prisons,LawandJusticeK.P.Muunusamy (second right) releasingwater for firstcrop fromKRPDamonSunday.—Photo:SpecialArrangementWaterfromtheKrishnagiriReservoirProject(KRP)DamwasreleasedforthefirstcropfromtherightandleftmaincanalsonSundayontheordersofChiefMinisterJayalalithaa.SluicegatesMinisterforMunicipalAdministration,RuralDevelopment,Prisons,LawandJustice K.P. Munusamy opened the sluice gates of the canals in thepresence of MLAs K.E. Krishnamoorthy (Bargur), and ManoranjithamNagarajan(Uthangarai),DistrictPanchayatChairmanK.AshokKumarandCollectorT.P.Rajesh.TanksAfter opening the sluice gates of the dam,Mr. Munusamy told reportersthatatotalof9,012acresofagriculturelandin16villageswouldbenefitfor

thenext150daysfromJuly14through26irrigationtanksonthecourseofthecanals.“Waterisbeingreleasedastheexistingwaterstoragelevel issatisfactoryandexpectinggoodrainfallthisseasonandthatwouldimprovethestorageofwaterbodies,”hesaid.Atotalof4,287acresintheayacutofrightmaincanalandthesmalllakesonthewayand4,725acresintheayacutofleftmaincanalandthelakesonitswaywouldbeirrigated.Periyamuthur,Sundekuppam,Thimmapuram,Soutaalli,Thalialli,Kalvealli,Kundalapatti, Mittaalli, Erraalli, Penneswaramadam, Kaveripattinam,Balekuli, Marichettihalli, Nagojanaalli, Janapparuralli and Paiyur wouldbenefitfromthedamwater,theMinistersaid.TheMinisterappealed to the farmers tousewater judiciously so that thetail-endfarmerswouldalsogetwater.WaterlevelintheKRPDamstoodat43.50ft(841.16cft)asagainstitsfullheightof52ft(1666.29cft)onSunday.Waterreleasedthroughboththecanalswas155cftpersecond,headded.Representativesofayacutfarmers,C.Prakasam,DistrictRevenueOfficer,V. Jagannathan, Executive Engineer, and S. Kumar, Assistant ExecutiveEngineer ofWaterResourcesOrganisation attached to thePublicWorksDepartment,werealsopresentontheoccasion.Farmers told to use water judiciously so that those in the tai l -endareasalsogetwater Uti l iseweatherbasedcropinsurancescheme,farmerstoldThedistrictadministrationhassetatargetofcoveringminimum80percentof the total number of 1.32 lakh farmers under theWeather BasedCropInsurancescheme,DeputyCommissionerSameerShuklahassaid.Inaugurating the special publicity drive to sensitise farmers on theUniongovernment scheme here on Monday, Mr. Shukla said farmers have tocomeforwardtoavail themselvesof thescheme,whichprovidesfinancialsupportincaseofcroplossduetoadverseweatherconditions.Mr.Shuklasaid theUniongovernment had selected sevendistricts in the country tolaunchthespecialpublicitydriveandDharwadwasoneamongthem.

Thisschemecovers11maincropscultivatedin14hoblisofthedistrict.Itwasmandatoryforfarmersavailingcroploans,farmerswhohavenottakenloanscouldavail thebenefitsof thisscheme.July31wasthelastdatetopaythepremium.Mr.Shukla flaggedoff thepublicityvehicleat theDeputyCommissioner’sofficehereonMonday.Draftfarmpolicymootsenergy-smartapproachThedraftagriculturaldevelopmentpolicysubmitted to thegovernmentbythe drafting committee has mooted an energy-smart approach based onoptimum use of local renewable energy sources for farming to minimisedependenceonfossilfuelsandreducegreenhousegasemissions.Substituting bioenergy for fossil fuels offers important rural developmentopportunities as well as a means of climate changemitigation, says thedraftingcommitteeheadedbyK.Krishnankutty. “The foodsector requiresenergy, it can also produce energy. An energy-smart approach toagriculture can take advantage of this dual relationship between energyandfood,”saysthepolicydocument.Itrecommendschangestothecurrentfarmingandprocessingpracticesateachstageofthefoodsupplychaintobecomelessenergy-intensive.Therecommendedstepsincludetheuseofmore fuel-efficient engines, popularisation of compost and precisionfertilizers,irrigationmonitoringandtargetedwaterdelivery,adoptionofno-tillfarmingpracticesandtheuseoflessinput-dependentcropvarietiesandanimalbreeds.The document says where good solar, wind, hydro, or biomass energysourcesexist, theycanbeusedasasubstitute for fossil fuels in farming,animal husbandry, dairying and aquaculture aswell as food storage andprocessing.Energyconservationexpertsfeelthattherecommendationsaretimelyandrelevant in the light of the global efforts to save fuel and cut down onemissions.The policy moots the promotion of ‘conservation agriculture’, whichreplaces mechanical soil tillage with ‘biological tillage’ to reduce energyrequirement and make farming sustainable. Conservation agriculture

involves theuseofcrop residues toproducea layerofmulchon thesoilsurface,whichbecomesahabitatforanumberoforganismsthattakeoverthe task of tilling the soil. Thismethod imposes limitations on the use ofsynthetic pesticides andmineral fertilizers with the potential to harm soillife.Thedraftpolicymootstheuseofagriculturalwasteslikelivestockmanure,rice husk and kitchen waste as feedstock for biogas plants that couldprovide power for agricultural production and processing. It recommendsthe installation of solar and wind hybrid power generating equipment togenerateelectricityforfarmingactivities likewinnowingandpumping.Thecommitteehasmootedanincentiveschemetoencouragefarmerstotaketoenergy-efficientmethodsofagriculture.Eff icientengineGeneral secretary of the Society of Energy Engineers and Managers(SEEM)R.Harikumarsaidadaptationandrefittingofagriculturalmachinerylike tillersand tractorswithmoreefficientenginesandcomponentswouldcontribute substantially to improvement of productivity. He feels thatmodernisation of post-harvest equipment like paddy dryers and ricemillscould reap rich dividends and extend the concept of energy-smartagriculture. “Popularising rice with bran is another method that could beadopted in Kerala, both for energy-saving and health reasons.” K.M.DharesanUnnithan,Director,EnergyManagementCentre,pointsout thatharnessing renewable energymakes senseonly if agricultural equipmentlike pumps are energy- efficient. “The first priority is to replace the oldinefficientmachineswithstar-ratedonesthatuselessenergy”.Combiningrainwater harvesting with drip irrigation would also help improveproductivity.StakeholderstodiscussreportonneeraprospectstodayAmeetingbeingconvenedbytheMinisterforExciseK.BabuintheStatecapitalonTuesdaytodiscusstherecommendationsofacommittee,whichstudiedtheprospectsoftappingandmarketingneera,isexpectedtoforgea consensus among industry stakeholders on how to go about the

business, that has raised the prospect of generating at least Rs. 5,400croreofadditionalincomeannually.The meeting is being convened in the background of a high-levelcommittee,headedbytheStateexcisecommissioner,recommendingthatthere was no hurdle to opening up tapping and marketing of neera, theunfermented sap from coconut flowers, provided it was done under firmsupervision.The committee said in its report that neera tapping could be done byfederationsofcoconutproducersocieties,registeredandcontrolledbytheCoconut Development Board (CDB) or by cooperatives of toddyworkersbutthecommitteecalledforseparateprocessingunitsforneeraandtoddyanddelinkingthesaleofthetwoproductsfromcoconutpalms.TheCoconutDevelopmentBoard,whichisstronglylobbyingforopeninguptheneerabusiness,hassaidthat theover40 lakhcoconutfarmers intheStatehavenotbeengivenahearinginthedinofclaimsoverneeraplayingspoilsportwiththetoddybusiness.ThechairmanoftheboardT.K.Josesaysthattheonlyproblemthatneerabusinessfacestodayisthelackoftrainedtechniciansfortappingthesap.Tradeunionshaveraisedapprehensionsthattoddytapperswilllosejobsifneeraproduction ispermitted.On thecontrary,neera tappingopensupagreat opportunity for generating employment in the rural areas, he said.K.M. Sudhakaran, president of the Kerala Kallu Chethu Thozhilali-VyavasayiFederation,CITU,however,claimedonMondaythatneithertheKAU nor the CDB had demonstrated whether neera tapping and saleswouldbepractical.N.Azhakesan,presidentoftheDesiyaKalluChethuVyavasayaThozhilaliFederation(INTUC)isopentotheideaofopeninguptheneerabusiness.He warned against ditching traditional toddy tappers and workers in thename of the new business. These are the issues that will come up fordiscussionsatthemeeting.Demandforpassionfruit inIdukkiCultivating passion fruit is now more than a hobby in Idukki. Theprocurementcentres inmajor townshavestartedbuyingthefruitsdirectly

from farmers. The price at the procurement centres is aroundRs.25 perkilogram. Babychan, an exporting agent, said there were industries inErattupetta, Mundakkayam and Thiruvanathapuram that extract the juicefrom the fruitandsell it.However, farmershavenotstartedcommerciallycultivating it. “The vinegrows on its own and provides the fruit, which isbeing sold,” said Anoj Kunnumpurathu, a resident. He said that earlierfarmersused todestroy thevines.Butnowtheycollect the fruitsandsellthem.Seminaronf ishfarmerclubsTheFisheriesDepartmentwill organisea seminar on the ‘Significanceofempowering fish farmerclubs’ for fish farmers in thedistrictat thedistrictpanchayat auditorium here at 10 a.m. onWednesday.District panchayatpresidentK.V.Sasiwillinauguratetheseminar.Thoseselectedasthebestfish farmers in the district under the ‘Matsya Keralam’ project will behonouredontheoccasion.—StaffReporterWaterreleasedfromVaigaidamWater was released from the Vaigai dam onMonday to irrigate the firstcropinthedouble-croppingareasunderthePeriyarayacutinMaduraiandDindiguldistricts.Talking to reporters, Finance Minister O.Paneerselvam and Minister forCooperation K.Raju said 900 cusecs would be released continuously for120daystofacilitatetransplantationworkandhelpraisenurseries.Atotalof45,041acresof land–29,501acresinMadurainorthblockand13,747acresinVadipattiblockinthedistrict,and1,793acresinNilakottaiblock in Dindigul district –would benefit from the release of water, theypointedout.TheniCollectorK.S.Palanisamyadvisedfarmerstousecertifiedseedsfora bumper yield.Madurai Collector L.Subramanian assured farmers of anadequatestockoffertilizers,includingurea,DAPandcomplexfertilizers,atthe primary agriculture cooperative banks and the cooperative stores.Organic manure, azola, micro nutrients, pesticide and crop protectionmaterialswerealsostoredforsupplytofarmers,henoted.TheCollectors

recommendedtheraisingofshort-termcropsandsoughttheco-operationof farmers with Public Works Department engineers to ensure optimaldistributionofwater.PeriyarVaigaiDivision(PWD)SuperintendingEngineerC.Rajeshsaidthewater level stoodat49.8 feet in theVaigaidam.The inflow into thedamwas 771 cusecs and the discharge was 960 cusecs, which included 60cusecs released to meet the drinking water needs of Madurai city. Thestoragewas1,967mcft.Periyardamhad124.5feetofwater,withaninflowof1,132cusecsandadischargeof1,372cusecs.Thestoragewas3,519mcft.Thewaterlevelwas22feetintheManjalardam,27.88feetinSothuparaiand 26.25 feet in Shanmuga river. Both inflow and discharge weremaintainedateightcusecsinManjalardam.Theotherdamshadnoinflow.Thekkadirecordedarainfallof2mm.A total of 45,041acresof land –29,501acres inMadurainorthblock, 13,747 acres in Vadipatt i block, and 1,793 acres inNilakottaiblockwil l benefit MinistertoopenfodderplantatMuthalamadaThe new plantwillmanufacture fodder enrichedwith protein andmineralmixturesMinister forAgricultureandAnimalHusbandryK.P.Mohanwill inauguratethe new Densified Fodder Block plant at Muthalamada in the district onSaturday.ThisnewplantofKeralaFeedsLimited(KFL),acompanyundertheStategovernment,wouldmanufacture fodderenrichedwithproteinandmineralmixtures. It would improve the use of low quality fodder materials likepaddyandwheathusk,saidAniS.Das,ManagingDirectorofKFL.Hesaid70percentofcostofproductionofmilkwasforcattlefeedalone.KFL employed internationally acclaimed least cost formulation (LCF)software for feed manufacturing process. This reduced the cost of themanufacturedfeed,withoutcompromisingonthequality.Hesaidby theendof thisyear, theproductioncapacityofKFLwouldbe2,000tonneperday.Aspartofthe‘Idukkipackage’recommendedbythe

M.S. Swaminathan Commission, a high-tech feed plant with 300 MTcapacitywouldbestartedatacostofRs.60croreatThodupuzhainIdukkidistrict.Dr.DassaidtheKFLhadplanstoundertakeaprojectwiththesupportofUnionMinistryofWomenandChildWelfare todistributegoats to10,000women in theState for the uplift of women and children of economicallybackwardsegmentsinthesociety.HesaidthoughthecattlepopulationinKeralahaddrasticallycomedownto14.72 lakh in2011from17.4 lakh in2008,therewasaremarkableincreaseingoatandrabbitpopulation.Lackofgoodqualityandspecificfeedfortheseanimalswasaconstantsetbackfor the farmers rearing them. Itwas then that theKFLdecided to start agoatandrabbitpelletfeedmanufacturingunit.ItwasalsosettingupaUreaMolassesMultimineralBlock(UMMB)plantforutilisingpoorqualityroughages,aconstantproblemforfarmers.Rs.150croreallotted’To stock fertilizers and distribute them among farmers, Tamil NaduCooperativeMarketingFederationLimitedhasearmarkedasumofRs.150crore. It was essential to provide fertilizers during cultivation season.Adequatearrangementsweremadetostockfertilizerssuchasurea,MoP(MuriateofPotash),complexfertilizersandDAP(DiammoniumPhosphate)atPrimaryAgriculturalCooperativeCreditSocieties toensure their timelysupply to the farming community, Joint Director of Agriculture Tuticorin,D.RanjithsinghDhanrajsaidhereonMonday.Heappealedtothefarmerstogetreceiptsforthefertilizerspurchased.TheStatewaskeenonsupplying fertilizersat the lowest rateamongallotherstates.Hence, thefarmersshouldutilize thisopportunity,becautiousandavoid being cheated by the dealers, he said. “Urea provides nitrogen tocrops.Nitrogenpromotesgreengrowthandalsoinvitespestsandcausesdiseaseattacks.Hencefarmersareadvisedtogettheirsoilsamplestestedfor nutrients. Based on the results, technical officers would recommendapplicationoffertilizers,”hesaid.Farmersseekstrengtheningofembankments

OwingtobreachestoVamsadhararightcanalonSundaymidnight,farmersof Tekkali and other areas were worried over damage to paddy fields.Hundreds of acres were inundated. The farmers asked irrigation andrevenue officials to strengthen the embankments immediately to avoidinundation.Scheduletoreleasewater intoBhadrareservoirannouncedAmeetingofBhadraCommandAreaDevelopmentAuthority(CADA)heldrecentlyhasfinalisedthescheduletoreleasewater.According to the schedule, water will be released into the right and leftbank canals of theBhadra reservoir fromJuly 10 toAugust 31and fromSeptember10toOctober31forthemonsooncrop.AsonMonday,thewaterlevelinthereservoirwas161.60feetagainstthemaximum level of 186 feet. Speaking toThe Hindu, SuperintendentEngineer ofBhadraReservoirProject (BRP)B.N.Phaniraju said that thewater level in the reservoirwasexpected to reach thebrimby theendofJulythisyear.Atpresent,thereservoirhad43tmcofwater,hesaid.Itmaybementionedherethatowingtopoorrainfallinthecatchmentareasofthereservoirlastyear,water storagewasalso low.With theobjective toensureeconomicuseoftheavailablewater,DirectedBhadraCADAhaddirected the farmers in thecommandareaagainst thecultivationofpaddythatrequireshighquantitiesofwater.TheCADAhadaskedfarmerstotakeupthecultivationofragi,maize,andpulsesthatrequirelesswater.Mr. Phaniraju said as water storage in the reservoir was good this yearowingtoheavyrainin itscatchmentareas,norestrictionwasimposedonthe cropping pattern. The farmers in the command area could take upcultivationofpaddyaswell,hesaid.Kuruvaicropon26,000hectaresinTiruvarur

Farmersbeinggiveninputsfreeofcostunderspecialpackage

AID:FoodMinisterR.KamarajdistributingassistancetoabeneficiaryundertheKuruvaispecialpackageschemeatValangaimaninTiruvarurdistrict.A totalof12,134hectaresof landhadbeencoveredunderkuruvaiso farandanother14,000hectaresof landwillbebroughtunderthecrop inthecurrentseasoninTiruvarurdistrict,saidR.Kamaraj,MinisterforFood.Speaking after distributing agricultural implements under the specialkuruvaipackage for farmersatValangaimannearhere,Mr.Kamarajsaidboth conventional and System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods ofpaddycultivationwerebeingadopted.While4,820hectaresof landwerecovered under the conventional method, 7,314 hectares were coveredunderSRImethod.Thespecialpackagecompletewithfertilisers,bio-fertilisers,pesticides,andborewellpipeshasimbuedconfidenceinfarmers,hesaid.Under the package, farmers would get free implements worth Rs. 4.32crorebeforetheendofthemonth.The inputsundertheschemeincluded1,589tonnesofgypsumworthRs.55.60lakh,micronutrientsworthRs.29.12lakh.PesticidesworthRs.48.14lakhwouldbegivenaspartofthepackage.The Agriculture Department would focus on popularising SRI techniqueamong farmers and demonstration sessions would be held in selectvillages under the National Agriculture Development Programme andNational Food Security Mission to benefit 14,152 paddy cultivators. M.Ganesan,

AdditionalDirectorofSeeds,andP.Manimaran,DistrictRevenueOfficer,spoke. The Minister distributed free inputs worth Rs.2.70 lakh to 95farmers.Cottonexportsplunge36percentt i l l June

Cotton exports are estimated to have plummeted by 36 per cent to 9.14million bales in the first 11months ended June of the currentmarketingyear,alatestU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)reportsaid.Thecountryhadshipped13.91millionbalesofcotton in theAugust-Juneperiodofthe2011-12marketingyear.—PTIRecentspellofrainsspursagricultureactivityStandingcropswerewitheringawayduetomoisturestressThe recent spell of rainscameasaboon to the farmersbringing themagreatreliefandspurringagriculturalactivitiesinKurnooldistrict.The rains was of immense help to standing crops which were almostwithering away due to moisture stress. Groundnut in Yemmiganur area,maizeinAtmakurandNandikotkurareaweresowninthefirstspellofrainsinJuneend.The sowing activity for minor millets and other rain-fed crops alsoincreased. According toG. NarasimhaRao, former Associate Director ofAgricultureUniversity, cotton isgoing tobeadominant crop this season,which is likely to cross one lakh hectares. The stable returns and lessincidenceofpesthelpedfarmerstogoforthecrop.

Maizeislikelytocross20,000hectaresthisseasonduetogoodmarketforthe commodity. The price ofmaize almost crossedRs. 1,500 per quintalwhile average yield under good crop conditions was around 30 to 40quintalsperacre.Theassociatedriskwasalsolessinmaizecultivation.Meanwhile, Dr. Narasimha Rao suggested that the farmers under KCcanal, especially up to120kmpoint, shouldprefer irrigateddry crops sothattheycouldcultivatetwocropsinsteadofsinglepaddycrop.Cultivatingpaddy involvedseveral risk factorssuchashigh incidenceofpestdue tolatetransplantationandwatershortageduringcriticalgrainfillingstage.Accordingtohim,theareaunderminormilletswasgrowingyearafteryeardue to increase in consumption. Dry land farmers would have goodprospectsifthecropswerecultivatedwiththesupportofmachines.BanksabuzzwithactivityMeanwhile, banks were abuzz with the activity of farm loans and otheragricultureproducts.Crop insurance, recoveryof loans toextend interestconcessionandadverseweatherconditionssupportpackageweresomeoftheissueshandledbythebanks.Weather

INSATPICTUREAT14.00hrs.Observationsrecordedat8.30a.m.onJuly15th. MaxMinR TRNewDelhi(Plm) 37 27 2 233NewDelhi(Sfd) 37 27 4 221Chandigarh 35 28 0 376Hissar 39 28 0 183Bhuntar 33 23 tr 209Shimla 23 17 0 415Jammu 34 25 14 279Srinagar 33 20 2 87Amritsar 37 25 1 216Patiala 36 27 7 275Jaipur 33 27 2 205Udaipur 29 26 0 256Allahabad 36 27 0 450Lucknow 35 23 0 358Varanasi 35 28 0 310Dehradun 28 24 6 1366Agartala 32 26 2 414Ahmedabad 31 26 1 405

Bangalore 27 20 3 233Bhubaneshwar 31 24 1 343Bhopal 27 24 1 594Chennai 36 27 0 231Guwahati 35 25 34 428Hyderabad 30 23 3 304Kolkata 35 27 0 434Mumbai 31 27 3 1274Nagpur 25 22 145720Patna 35 28 0 154Pune 28 22 1 351Thiruvananthapuram31 23 15 628Imphal 32 23 37 389Shillong 26 18 37 453ThecolumnsshowmaximumandminimumtemperatureinCelsius,rainfallduringlast24hours(tr-trace)andtotalrainfallinmmsince1stJune.MONSOONACTIVETheaxisofMonsoontroughatMSLpassesthroughGanganagar,Narnaul,Gwaliorandthencesoutheast-wards.RAINFALL:Rain/thundershowers have occurred at many places overwest Uttar Pradesh, at a few places over Himachal Pradesh, eastRajasthan,eastUttarPradeshandUttarakhandandatisolatedplacesoverrestoftheregion.Thechiefamountsofrainfallincmare:(3cmandabove)HIMACHAL PRADESH: Dharamsala, Kangra and Bangana 5 each,BaijnathandNagroitaSurian4eachandJhandutta,MehreBarsarandArki3each,PUNJAB:RanjeetSagarDam5,EASTRAJASTHAN:(5cmandabove)Atru and bari 9 each,Bayana 8,Basi, Jaipur tehsil andManoharThana7each,BansurandLachmangarh6eachandSapotra,Bamanwas,Bonli and SwaiMadhopur 5 each, EASTUTTARPRADESH: (5 cm andabove) Sikandra Kanpur 11, Bindiki 8, Beberu and Keterniaghat 7 each,Fatehpur, Rasoolabad and Sardanagar 6 each and Kaiserganj, Gaighat,Sawayajpur, Kheri Lakhimpur, Karvi and Biswan 5 each, WEST UTTARPRADESH:Mauranipur7,Garotha6,Jalalabad4andRath,Mahroniand

Saharanpur 3 each and UTTARAKHAND: Kasipur 6, Chamoli, BambasaandMunsiyari3each,HEAVYRAINFALLWARNING :Heavy rainfal l mayoccuratoneor two places over Uttarakhand during next 24 hours. Heavyrainfal l may occur at one or two places over Uttar Pradesh on17thJuly.FORECAST VALID UNTIL THE MORNING OF 17th July2013:Rain/thundershowers may occur at many places overHimachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and east Rajasthan.Rain/thundershowers may occur at many places over andJammu and Kashmir during next 24 hours and decreasethereafter. Rain/thundershowers may occur at a few placesoverPunjab,UttarPradeshandHaryana (includingChandigarhand Delhi) during next 24 hours and increase thereafter.Rain/thundershowersmay occur at one or two places over restoftheregion.FORECASTFORDELHIANDNEIGHBOURHOODVALIDUNTILTHE MORNING OF 17th July 2013:Generally cloudy sky.Rain/thundershowersmayoccurinsomeareas

FearofglutslashingpriceofapplecropleavesgrowersworriedWhileHimachalPradeshgovernmentisgearinguptomeetthechallengesfortheappleseasonbymakingadequatearrangementoftrucksandotherfacilities,farmersontheirpartareworriedabouttheirproduceasfloodingofmarketinthecomingdayswoulddecreasethepriceoftheirproduce.Eachyearglutinthemarketforcesfarmerstoselltheirproduceatlowerpriceasthestatelacksadequatefacilitytostorethecropforlongerduration.Withgovernmentexpecting3.5croreappleboxes(of20kgeach)thisyear,fearofglutslashingthepriceofapplecrophasalreadyleftthegrowersworried.Lastyear,largescalesuppliesfromstateandimportedapplehadcreatedglutinthemarketsofDelhi,Ahmedabad,KolkataandChandigarhduetowhichapplepricehadfallen.Eventhefactthatappleproductionconstitutesabout48percentofthetotalareaunderfruitcropsandabout87percentofthetotalfruitproduction,stategovernmenthasnotbeenabletocreaterequiredinfrastructurelikeCompressedAtmospheric(CA)storesinHimachalPradeshtoensuretheirproperstorageforlongerduration.SincelongapplegrowersofHimachalPradesharedemandingtosetupcoldchaininfrastructuretopreservetheperishablecropforlongerduration.AnapplegrowerfromRatnarivillageofShimladistrictAshutoshChauhansaidthatlastyeartooapplepricehadfallendrasticallyafterapplefromJ&KandHimachalfloodedthemarket.Chauhansaidlastyearinthebeginning

oftheseason,farmershadsoldvarietieslikesuperchiefatRs3,500perboxintheDelhimarketwhileinthelocalDhalimarketofShimlaapplegrowershadgotoverRs3,000perbox.Foundermemberandexvice-chairmanofHPFruitGrowersAssociationandboardofdirectorsmemberofAPEDAPrakashThakur,whohimselfisaleadingapplegrowerfromThanedarareaofShimladistrict,saidthatonlysixCAstoresweresetupinHimachalPradeshwithcombinedstoragecapacityof21000metricton(MT).AdaniAgroFreshhassetupthreeCAstoreswithcombinedcapacityof18000MT,DevBhoomihassetuponeCAstrorewithcapacityof2000MTwhiletwoCAstoressetupbystategovernmentownedHPMChasthestoragecapacityof1000MT.Thakursaidthatthereisneedtohavestoragecapacityof2.4MTsothatduringadversemarketconditionsfarmerscanstoretheirproduceforlongerdurationandtosellitwhentheygoodprice.HesaidmoreCAstoresinprivatesectorareproposedinShimladistrict."HPMChassubmittedtheproposaltoconstructmoreCAstoresinRohru,Baagi,AnuandKharaptthar.AdecisiononthisproposalwouldbetakenupinAPEDA'smeetingtobeheldinSeptember,"headded.BusinessHeadofAdaniAgroFresh,SrinivasRamanujamsaidintheirthreeCAstorestheystore9lakhboxeseachseasonwhilethisyeartheyhavedecidedtostoreappleinCAstoreslocatedinLalru,NalagarhandDelhi."Wehavedecidedtoincreaseourpurchasingcapacitythisyear,"headded.FarmerslearnmethodstogrowexoticveggiesRemembertheoccasionswhenyoucarefullynotedeverylittlestepoftherecipeonacookingshowonTV,butabandonedthetaskmidwaywhenthechefthrewinsomeexoticEuropeanvegetablethatwaseithertoohardtofindortooexpensive?

Well,allthatisgoingtochangeaslocalfarmershavebeenimpartedtrainingtogrowEuropeanvegetableslikebroccoli,lettuce,brashly,chinesecabbage,celery,chard,brusselssproutsbeans,collards,cucumber,gourdsandmushroom.CultivationofthesevegetablesunderclimatecontroltechniqueissettobeginfromthemonthofAugust.OfficialsofthedistricthorticultureofficesaidthevegetableswouldbegrownundertheclimatecontroltechniquewiththefacilityofgreenhouseeffectatHolagarhblockofthedistrict.FarmersfromHolagarh,Chaka,MejaandMandaarebeingapprisedaboutthemethodsintroducedbythedistricthorticulturedepartment.DistricthorticultureofficerPKShuklasaid,"Withtheintroductionofclimatecontroltechniques,wehopetogrowalargevarietyofEuropeanvegetables."Farmersarebeingtoldhowthegreenhousetechniqueisthebestsourceofprotectivecultivationofhighlyimprovedvegetablesandflowers.ThehorticulturedepartmenthassetupthreegreenhousesatHolagarhandSaidabadofaround1,000squaremeterseachandeachgreenhousecostsoverRs9lakh.ShuklainformedthattrainingofthefarmersisunderwayandwouldbecompletedbytheendofJuly.Headdedthatfarmersfromscheduledcastehavebeenselectedforthetrainingandtheyarebeingofferedusefultipstogrowvegetablesonlessinvestmentandbettercultivationenvironment.Government’sdecisiontoal lowFDIinagriculturetoboostgrowthIndia'sbiggestseedcompanyAdvantaBSE2.96%wastradingover30%belowitspeakvaluationinearlyMarch2013.Yetthestockhasgeneratedover50%returnsforitsshareholdersinthepastoneyear.Thecompanywillcertainlybeafavouriteastheindustry'sprospectsappearbright,especiallywiththegovernmentsettoopenupthesectortoatttactforeigninvestment.

ForthequartertoJune'13,Advantareportedaspurtofover120%innetprofittoRs31.7croreattheconsolidatedlevel.Forthefirsthalf,profitswereup35%year-on-year.Thisstrongperformancecomesonthebackofaverygoodyearin2012,whenitpostedanearfive-foldspurtinnetprofit.India'sseedindustryisexpectedtogrowataCAGRof17%overthenextfouryears.Thegovernment'sdecisiontoallowFDIinthesectormakestheindustrymoreattractiveevenforprivateequityfunds."Inthelongrun,theprospectsofthe(seed)sectorwouldbegood.Infact,thissectorwouldbeoneofthebestsectorstoplayintheentirevaluechain,"saysSandeepRaina,AVP,RetailCapitalMarkets,EdelweissFinancialServices.Advantacouldwellbeabeneficiarythen.TNAUhopestor idetheboominagriculturejobsFarmingmaybealosingpropositionformanyinthecountry,butanagriculturedegreecouldfetchyouawell-payingjobinnotime.AccordingtoKRamasamy,vicechancellor,TamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity(TNAU),atleast10,000jobsthatcallforpostgraduatesandPhDsinagriculture-relatedstudiescomeupeveryyear.Hesaysonlyabout6,400ofthevacanciesgetfilledup.So,adegreeinagriculturestudiesoffersassuresajoband,hence,thereisamajordemandforagriculturerelatedcourses,addsRamasamy.Notsurprisingly,thereisamassiverushtogetadmissiontooneofthe1,330seatsTNAUoffersinnineundergraduatedisciplines.TNAUhassofarsoldnearly20,000applications.Withthreemoreweeksleftfortheapplicationprocesstoclose,officialsexpectthatatleast30,000applicationswillbesold.ThemaximumdemandisforBScagricultureasthisisabroad-basedcoursewhichoffersseveraloptionsforspecialisedhigherstudies.RamasamysaysanagriculturegraduatecaneasilyfindajobthatoffersastartingsalaryofaroundRs20,000."Forthosewillingtorelocateto

Maharashtraandotherstates,thereareevenbetteroptions,"hesaid.Thereareseveralexport-orientedfirmstherethatprovidebetterpayingjobs.TNAUalsooffersseveralBTechprogrammeslinkedtoagriculturestudies.Theyprovideseveralopportunitiesforself-employment,entrepreneurshipandspecialisation.Interestingly,alotofscholarshipsandgrantsareonofferforagriculturestudents.Fromthecomingyear,fellowshipsofRs8,000andRs12,000areavailableforundergraduateandpostgraduatestudentswhopasstheentrancetestheldbytheIndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR).Thosewhowishtodoresearchalsohaveaslewoffellowshipstochoosefrom.Alltheunder-graduatecoursesarefour-yearcourses."Anaspectwhichonlyfewknowisthataftercompletionofthedegree,thereareopportunitiesfordirectlyjoiningforPhDinEuropeanandAmericanuniversities,"hesaid.ThereareseveralwhocompletetheirdoctoraldegreesinashortspanoftimeandjoinuniversitiesorreputedagenciesliketheUnitedNations.Agriculturetechnologiestooofferenormousopportunities,accordingtoRamasamy.Thereareharvestersandweedersthatcanbeoperatedinairconditionedsettings,butnoonehascomeupwithatractorwithanairconditionedcabin.Theonewhodevelopsit,cancaptureahugemarket,hesays.Atpresentthereareseveralgraduateswhohaveformedagro-machineryhubstorentoutequipmenttofarmers.Thereareallthosewhosellagro-basedfoodproducts.Milletcookie,forexample,hasbecomeahugehit.Clearly,itisasectorthatoffersimmenseopportunities.Distr ictreceivesmorerainthismonsoonseasonwhencomparedtopreviousyearInwhatcouldbehearteningnewstothepublicandfarmers,theamountofrainfallinthedistrictoverthelastmonthismorethanrainfallinthepreviousyear.ThispastJune,Coimbatorereceived54.5millimetresofrainwhile

lastyearthedistricthadreceivedonly11.1millimetres.ThoughtheSouthWestmonsoonisonlymid-way,thismaybegoodnewsformanyfarmerswhohadfearedasimilardroughtlikesituationintheregionlikethepreviousyear."Comparedtothepreviousyear,thedistrictreceivedmorerainslastmonth,"saidNMaragathamtheheadofagro-climatedepartmentatTamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity(TNAU).Atthesametime,onlyaftertheSouthWestmonsoonisoverafinalconclusionispossible,shesaid.However,farmerssaythatrainswerenotdistributedevenly.Someworrythattheunevendistributionmayaffectagricultureinthelong-term.TRajendran,afarmerfromThudiyallursaid,"Therainshavebeenlimitedonlytosomeareas.Theunevendistributionmayaffectcropsinthelongrun".Expertssayitistimeforfarmerstotakeupmeasurestoreducewaterconsumptionandimproveproductivity.BJPandianthedirectorofwatertechnologycentresaidthatbytakingupaseriesofmeasuresfarmerscanmakeuseoftheavailableresourcesefficiently."Byresortingtoeffectivestrategies,watercanbeconserved,"hesaid.Inthecaseofrice,techniqueslikeSystemofRiceIntensification(SRI)canhelpincreaseproductivitywhilelimitingconsumptionofresources.Thisincludesadequatespacebetweenseedsandtechniquestocoverthewaterinthefieldstoconservethemoistureintheland.Greenmanure,ifcultivatedforlongtermuse,willimprovethephysicalpropertiesofthesoil.Plantslike'daincha'canbeplantedandtilledbeforethesowingseason.Expertssaythatcropsincludingmaize,pulsesandvegetablesaremostsuitablefortheregion.NAsokaraja,headofthedepartmentofagronomyatTNAUsaid,"Testingthesoilbeforethestartofcultivationwouldhelpdeterminethenutrientsinthesoil.Basedonthisfertilisersshouldbeused.Measureslikedripirrigationmustbeusedwhereverpossible."

Inflationrisesto4.86%inJune,onionpricesshootupby114%Inflationroseto4.86percentinJune,drivenmainlybyrisingpricesoffoodarticles,especiallyvegetablesincludingonion.InflationbasedontheWholesalePriceIndex(WPI)hadstoodat4.70percentinMay.InJune,2012,itwas7.58percent.Asperofficialdatareleasedtoday,WPIinflationinthefoodarticlescategoryroseto9.74percent,drivenmainlybypriceriseinonion,cerealsandrice.Therateofpriceriseinfoodarticles,whichhasa14.34percentshareintheWPIbasket,was8.25percentinMay.Inflationinonionshotupby114percentinJune,from97.40percentinthepreviousmonth.Vegetablespricestoowentupby16.47percentduringthemonth,from4.85percentinMay.Itwas(-)9.05percentinApril.Inflationinthemanufactureditemscategory,however,declinedto2.75percentinJunefrom3.11percentinMay.Thenon-foodarticlescategory,whichincludefibre,oilseedsandminerals,sawasharpriseininflationto7.57percent,from4.88percentinMay.InflationforAprilwasreviseddownwardsto4.77percentfrom4.89percentasperprovisionalestimates.TheinflationdatawouldbecloselywatchedbytheReserveBankwhileformulatingitsfirst-quarterpolicyscheduledforJuly30.

Therehavebeendemandsforloweringinterestrateinthebackdropofdeclininginflation.WhiletheReserveBankhasloweredinterestratesby1.30percentsinceJanuary2012,thebankshavecutlendingratesbyonly0.30percent.

Weather-ChennaiToday'sWeather

Cloudy

Tuesday,Jul16MaxMin35o | 25o

Tomorrow'sForecast

PartlyCloudy

Wednesday,Jul17

MaxMin36o | 26o

Cloudy MaxMin35o | 25o

Rain:0 Sunrise:05:50Humidity:79 Sunset:06:39Wind:normal Barometer:1005

PartlyCloudy

17MaxMin36o | 26o

ExtendedForecastforaweek ThursdayJul18

FridayJul19

SaturdayJul20

SundayJul21

MondayJul22

36o|26o 37o|26o 36o|26o 35o|26o 36o|26oPartlyCloudy

Overcast

Overcast

Overcast

OvercastAirportweatherRain:0 Sunrise:05:33Humidity:79 Sunset:07:20

Wind:normalBarometer:1002Foodpricesbite,paintoworsenasweakRs.stingsSkyrocketingonionandvegetablepricesandcostlierstaplessuchasriceandwheatpushedIndia'swholesalepriceindex(WPI)-basedinflationto4.86%inJune,addingtoanarrayofproblemsforthegovernmentbattlingtothesteerthecountryoutofawebofeconomicmessinanelectionyear.ThelatestspikeinWPIinflation,whichwasata40-monthlowof4.7%inMay,haslargelybeendrivenbyhighfoodpricesthatgrewat9.74%inJunecomparedto8.25%inMay.

Overallonacountry-wideaverage,vegetablepricesgrew16.47%inJune-upfrom4.85%inMay-asheavyrainsandfloodsinUttarakhandandotherregionsaffectedcropanddisruptedsupplies.LateonMonday,theReserveBankofIndiamovedintocheckspeculationinthecurrencymarketandfixedadailylimitonhowmuchbankscanborrowfromthecentralbank-1%ofbanks'depositbaseorRs.75,000crore,fortheentirebankingsystem.Ifabankrequiresmorefunds,itcanborrowemergencymoneyusingthemarginalstandingfacility(MSF)atsharplycostlier10.25%from8.25%earlier.Higherpriceshavehurtfamilybudgetshard,especiallyatatimewhenfirms,squeezedbycostlyinputandborrowingcosts,haveofferedmeagresalaryhikesandareholdingbackexpansionandhiring."Earlierweusedtobudgetforamonth.Nowwehavetorevisethebudgetalmosteveryday,"saidKRatna,ahousewifefromChennai.Thesharpslideintherupee,whichhasfallennearly13%sinceMay,islikelytoknockuppricesofalmosteverythingfromfarmtofork,effectivelynegatinggainsfromapotentiallybountifulsummerharvest.

Therupeeishoveringaround60toadollarandhasdashedhopesthatRBIwillmakeloanscheaper.RBIgovernorDSubbaraosaidthecentralbankwilltakeintoaccounttheinflationnumberswhiledecidingonaratecutinitsJuly30meeting."Ofcoursewewilltakeintoaccountinflationnumbers.BeyondthatIhavenocomment,"SubbaraotoldreportersafterameetingwithfinanceministerPChidambaram.ChidambarammetPrimeMinisterManmohanSinghandSubbaraotodiscussmeasurestoarresttherupee'sfallandreversetheeconomicslowdown.ThecentralbankwillalsosellgovernmentbondsworthRs.2,000croreinthesecondarymarkettosuckoutliquidity.InJune,onionpricesgrewby114%duringthemonth,whileegg,meatandfishpricesgrew12.23%--upfrom97.4%and11.21%respectivelyinMay.Riceandwheatpricesalsogrewjumped19.11%and13.83%inJunecomparedto18.48%and12.65%growthinMay.Retailpricedata,whichwasreleasedlastweek,broadlymirroredsimilartrendswithshop-endpricesofvegetablesandcerealssoaringsharplyinJune.India'sretailinflationstoodat9.87%inJune,upfrom9.31%inMay.

Promotingnewstrain

Importantcereal:ABhutanesefarmerdryinghisharvestedcornsathishouseinDeothangareaofBhutan’sSamdrupjongkharDistrict.MaizeisanimportantcerealcropinBhutan.Toincreaseproductivity,theBhutaneseMinistryofAgriculturehasreleasedanewvarietythatgivesbetterresultsthanthelocalvariety.ConcertedeffortsarebeingmadebytheMinistrytoinducefarmerstotakeupthenewvariety.Maizeaccountsfor49percentoftotaldomesticcerealcultivationwithriceaccountingfor43percent.—RituRajKonwar

Soyabean,oi l sl iponweakglobalcues

Bothsoyaoilandsoyabeantradedlowonweakglobalcuesandbuyingsupport.SoyarefinedonMondayruledatRs655-58aquintal(Rs655-60),whilesoyasolventdeclinedtoRs620-25aquintal(Rs624-28).Infutures,however,soyaoiltradedmarginallyhigherwithitsJulyandAugustcontractsontheNCDEXclosingatRs688.90(up40paise)andRs672.30(upRs3).Amidarrivalof55,000-60,000bagsinMadhyaPradesh,soyabeaninStatemandisruledatRs3,550-3,700(downRs50fromlastweek).However,improvedbuyingsupportinfuturessawsoyabean'sJulyandOctobercontractsontheNCDEXclosinghigheratRs3,799(upRs24.50)andRs3,155.50(upRs40)respectively.PlantdeliveriesruledstableatRs3,725-3,780.Accordingtotraders,bullishtrendinsoyabeaninnearfutureappearsunlikely,givenadequatecarryoverstockandenthusiasticsowingreportintheseasonsofar.InMadhyaPradesh,over90percentsowingoftheoilseedhasbeencompleted.GivenincreaseinsupportpricetosoyabeanbytheGovernment,sowingisexpectedtoincreaseby7-10percent,accordingtoSoyabeanProcessorsAssociationofIndia.RainsinvariouspartsofMadhyaPradeshinthepastfewdayshavealsoaffectedbuyingsentimentinsoyabean,leadingtosluggishtrendinitsprices.

SoyamealalsoruledsluggishonweakbuyingsupportatRs33,000-33,200,whileitwasRs33,400-500aquintalontheport.ToppriceforChamrajteaatCoonoorsaleForthefourthconsecutiveweek,ChamrajEstatehastoppedCoonoorTeaTradeAssociationauctions.AtSaleNo:28,itsOrangePekoeorthodoxleafgradefetchedRs261akg.“Chamrajteaisabletotopconsistentlybecauseoftheproducemeetingthespecificdemandsoftheconnoisseurs.Exportisitsmajorforte,”DHegde,memberofTeaBoard’sTeaCouncilofSouthIndiamonitoringexports,toldBusinessLine.Amongotherorthodoxteas,CorsleygotRs190,HavukalandKairbettaRs178each,KodanadRs173andHighfieldEstateRs172.Inall,29marksgotRs125andmoreperkg.HomedaleEstatetea,auctionedbyGlobalTeaBrokers,toppedCTCmarketwhenPoojaTradingCoboughtitforRs168.CrosshillEstatetoppedCTCleafmarketatRs163.VigneshwarEstateandHittakkalEstategotRs163eachandShanthiSupremeRs160.Inall,49marksgotRs125andmoreperkg.QuotationsheldbybrokersindicatedbidsrangingRs68-73akgforplainleafgradesandRs115-150forbrighterliquoringsorts.TheyrangedRs75-82forplaindustsandRs120-160forbrighterliquoringdusts.BuyerresistancesapsspotrubberDomesticrubberpricesturnedweakonMonday.Onthespot,themarketremainedunderpressureasthegapbetweenthelocalandglobalratesincreasedraisingimportfears.AdropinthefuturesontheNationalMultiCommodityExchangekeptthesentimentsunderpressureduringtheday.Themostactivecountersfellonbuyerresistancethoughtherewasnotmuchsellingpressureeitherfromdealersorgrowers.SheetrubberdeclinedtoRs192(Rs195)akgatKottayamandKochi,accordingtotradersandtheRubberBoard.Thetrendwasmixed.

JulyfuturesdroppedtoRs189(Rs193.04),AugusttoRs182.50(Rs184.42),SeptembertoRs173.20(Rs175.34),OctobertoRs165.35(Rs168.41),NovembertoRs162.70(Rs163.81)andDecembertoRs164.00(Rs164.75)ontheNMCE.RSS3(spot)droppedtoRs153.26(Rs154.72)atBangkok.TheTokyoCommodityExchangeremainedclosedonaccountofOceanDay.SpotrubberratesRs/kg:RSS-4:192(195);RSS-5:186(187);Ungraded:175(176);ISNR20:176(176)andLatex60%:143(143).Sunfloweroi l demandboostsvegoil importsby21%inJuneVegetableoilimportsincreasedby21percentinJuneto9,47,591tonnesagainst7,83,315tonnesduringthesameperiodayearago.Edibleoilimportswereupat911,091tonnesagainst892,066tonnesinMay,whilenon-edibleoilshipmentswere36,500tonnesagainst25,898tonnes.Thesharpriseinvegetableoilimportswerelargelyduetojumpindemandforsunfloweroil.Refinedpalmoilshipmentsmorethandoubledto2,96,230tonnesinJuneagainst1,27,619tonnesinthesameperiodayearago.Crudepalmoilimportsweredownsevenpercentat3,53,542tonnes(3,81,613tonnes).Sunfloweroilimportswereup15percentat1,01,480tonnes(87,859tonnes).Overallimportofvegetableoilsintheoilyear(betweenNovemberandJune)wasup12percentat71,45,060tonnesagainst63,95,199tonnes.Importofrefinedpalmoleinwasdownat2,96,230tonnesinJuneagainst3,73,837tonnesinMayduetoreductionindutydifferencebetweencrudeandrefinedpalmoleinintheexportingcountries.Importofrefinedpalmoleinoilinlasteightmonthswasat15,44,254tonnescomparedwith12,12,552tonnesinthesameperiodayearago.Whilepalmoilimportincreased23percentto57,53,688tonnes(46,77,609tonnes)inlasteightmonths,importofsoftoilsuchassoybean,sunflowerandrapeseedreduced24percentto11,88,232tonnes(15,78,829tonnes).

Thesharpdepreciationinrupeehasalmostnegatedtherecentfallinedibleoilpricesintheinternationalmarkets.Inlastoneyear,refinedpalmoleinpriceshavefallen16percentorby$159(Rs9,381)atonneandcrudepalmoleinandcrudesoybeanoilweredown15percenteachorbyRs8,319atonneandRs10,207atonne,respectively.However,thesuddenrupeedepreciationto60levelhasputpressureonvegetableoilimports.edibleoi l stocksAsonJuly1,edibleoilstocksatvariousportswereestimatedat6,90,000tonnesconsistingofcrudepalmoil3,00,000tonnes,refinedpalmolein2,30,000tonnes,degummedsoybeanoil80,000tonnes,crudesunfloweroil80,000tonnesandabout13,70,000tonnesinthepipeline.Totalstocks,atportsandinpipeline,wereat20,60,000tonnesagainst19,75,000tonnesinMay,accordingtotheSolventExtractors’Associationdata.Cardamomrulessteadyasdemandmatchessupply

Cardamomruledsteadyonmatchingdemandandsupplycoupledwithlimitedactivitiesatauctionslastweek.Arrivalswerecomparativelylower.Buyers,exportersandfromupcountry,werenotaggressiveincovering.Thefirstroundofpickingisunderwayandtwo-thirdofthearrivalswasfromthenewcrop.But7-8mmcapsulesweremuchless.

Thecurrentroundofpickingcouldlasttillthemonth-end,whilethesecondroundofpickingwillcommencefrommid-August.Superiorgradematerialisexpectedtoarriveinthesecondround,marketsourcestoldBusinessLine.However,themarketshowedasluggishtrendoverallasbuyingwaslimitedtomeetimmediaterequirementsonhopesthatpriceswillfallfurtherinthecomingdays.Exportersaresaidtohaveboughtanestimated20tonnesofcardamomlastweek.Theywerebuying6.5andabovesizegreenboldcapsulesatRs650akg,theysaid.IndividualauctionaveragepricewasvacillatedbetweenRs505andRs565akg.Arrivalofcarryforwardstocksdroppedtonegligiblelevels.Astheweatherconditionsarefavourable,thenewcropisexpectedtobebetterthanthatofthecurrentseasonendingthismonth,traderssaid.TotalarrivalsattheSundayauctionheldbyKCPMCdecreasedto51tonnesfrom71.7tonnesandalmosttheentirequantitywassoldout,P.C.Punnoose,GeneralManager,KCPMC,toldBusinessLine.ThemaximumpricewasRs921andtheminimumRs385.TheauctionaveragepricewasRs535againstRs536lastweek.Totalarrivalsandsalesduringthecurrentseasonhavebeenputat15,699tonnesand15,049tonnes,respectively.Totalarrivalsandsalesduringthecorrespondingperiodlastyearwere20,124tonnesand19,347tonnes,respectively.TheweightedaveragepriceasonJuly14stoodatRs694.09againstRs638.58thesametimelastyear.Pricesofgradedvarietieswere(inRs/kg):AGEB:800-810;AGB:600-610;AGS:590-600;andAGS-1:570-580.AbuDhabif irmtoinvestRs112cr inKohinoorFoods

•

• Theventurewillprocureaminimumof25,000tonnesofbasmatiricefromKohinoor,Thearomaticbasmatiriceistheattractingincreasinginvestorinterest,mainlyfromWestAsia.TheAbuDhabi-basedAlDahraInternationalInvestmentLLCissettoinvestaboutRs112croreinKohinoorFoodsLtd(KFL)throughequitysharesallottedonapreferentialbasis.ThiswillleadtoAlDahragettinga20percentstakeinKFL.ThisdealalsoprovidesfortheAbuDhabifirmtoacquireanother4.99percentinthenextsixmonths,aftercompletionofinvestmentsonafullydilutedbasis.Inareactiontothisdevelopment,KohinoorFoodsscripshittheuppercircuitontheBombayStockExchangeonMondaytotouchRs46.05ashare.TheboardofKohinoorFoodsonFridaydecidedtoissueabout70,48,306equitysharesonapreferentialbasistoAlDahraataconsiderationofRs160ashare.

TheAbuDabhifirmisasubsidiaryofAlDahraHoldingLLC,whichhasinvestedinfoodproductioninvariouscountriessuchastheUSandSpain.TheholdingcompanyisintoagriculturalproductionandisresponsibleforcompliancewiththeUnitedArabEmirates’foodsecurityprogramme.Itsinvestmentinvariouscountriesistoensure“continuousandsmoothflow”offoodtotheUAEandotherArabcountriesthroughtrans-nationalfoodprogrammes.AlDahraHoldingdealswithproductionanddistributionofproductssuchaswheat,rice,potatoes,corn,olives,datesandgrapes.TheAbuDhabifirm’sinvestmentinKohinoorFoodsisthesecondsuchinstanceofaWestAsianfirminvestinginanIndianricecompany.Recently,HassadFoods,partoftheQatarInvestmentAuthority,theSovereignWealthFundofQatar,announcedtheacquisitionofamajoritystakeintheDelhi-basedBushFoodsOverseasPvtLtd,abasmatiriceandready-to-eatproductsmaker,foranundisclosedsum.ThistrendassumessignificanceasWestAsiaisthebiggestmarketforbasmatiriceandIndiahasamajormarketshareintheregion,whereitcompeteswithneighbourPakistan.AnalystssaidtheoverseasinterestinIndiancompanieswillcontinuetorise,assuchdealsensureassuredsupplies.Recently,HerbaFoods,asubsidiaryofSpanish-firmEbroFoods,saiditwouldacquire100percentstakeinTaraoriRiceMills,ownedbyOlamAgroIndia.Aspartofthedeal,KohinoorFoodshasalsodecidedtoenterajointventurewithAlDahratodevelopandmanageafacilitythatwouldconvertbrownricetowhite.TheproposedricefacilityinAbuDhabiwouldhaveacapacityof60,000tonnesayearandscalableuptoonelakhtonneswithastoragefacilityof30,000tonnes.Kohinoorexpectstogeta20percentstakeintheproposedjointventureforprovidingsupervisionandguidancetothenewentity.OfficialssaidKohinoorwillnothavetoinvestanycashintheproposedventure.Also,theventurewouldprocureaminimumof25,000tonnesofbasmatiricefromKohinoor,whichwillbetheexclusivesupplierfromIndia.

OnformationofnewjointventurewithAlDahra,theKohinoorboardhasdecidedtodissociatefromitsexistingventureinDubai,theRichRiceRaisersFactoryLLCandsellitsholdingsinthesame.ForfiscalendingMarch2013,KohinoorreportedanetprofitofRs9.75croreonrevenueofRs1,087crore.AsonMarch21,2013,KohinoorhadadebtofRs802crore.CottonmaywiltbutnotbelowRs40,000/candy

Cottonpricesruledsteadyafteraslowdownindemandatthehigherlevel.Accordingtomarkettraders,millsbuyinghasdeclinedslightlysincethepastfewdays.GujaratSankar-6cottonwastradedatRs42,500-43,000foracandyof356kg.However,duringlastthreesessionscottonpricehasdroppedbyRs500-700.RawcottonorkapaspricewastradedunchangedatRs1,050-1,120amaundof20kgatRajkotandgindeliverykapaswastradedatRs1,120-1,140.About4,000-5,000bales(of170kg)arrivedinGujaratand8,000-10,000balesarrivedacrossthecountry.Abrokersaidthatcottonpricesmovedupinrecenttimesanddemandfrommillshascomedownsincepastfewdays.Pricescoulddeclinethisweek

buttheyareunlikelytodropbelowRs40,000acandyasthereisnotenoughstockofcotton.Monsoon,weakfuturescooledibleoi ls

EdibleoilsmarketwitnessedbearishtrendonMonday,trackingweakfuturesmarkets,goodprogressofmonsoonandexcellentkharifsowingdatainmainproducingStates.Trackingsharpdeclineinfutures,localrefineriesloweredtheirratesbyRs5-6for10kgamidslackdemand.Palmolein,soyabean,sunflower,rapeseedandcottonrefinedoildeclinedbyRs3-6.Groundnutoilruledsteady.Sentimentwasweakduetoslackdemand.Duringthedayisolatedtradetookplaceonneed-baseddemandinmiddlemonth.Vaibhavisoldabout200-250tonnesofpalmoleinatRs529forJuly25whileresellersoffloaded180-200tonnesofpalmoleinatRs528-530.

Towardstheday’sclose,LibertywasquotingpalmoleinatRs538-540,superpalmoleinRs575forJuly-AugustandsuperdeluxeRs595.RuchiquotedpalmoleinatRs540forJul-August-September,superpalmoleinRs560forJuly-August,soyabeanrefinedoilRs655forJuly-AugustandsunflowerrefinedoilRs815forJuly-August.AllanawasquotingpalmoleinatRs538-542andsuperpalmoleinRs575.Gokul’spalmolein’srateswereRs540.ResellerswerequotingpalmoleinatRs529-530.InRajkot,groundnutoilextendedgainbyRs10toRs1,610forteliatinandRs1,050(Rs1,050)forloose(10kg).Soyabeanarrivalswereaboutmorethan1.25lakhbagsanditspriceswereRs3,575-3,675exmandiandRs3,750-3,800forplantdelivery.Mustardseedsarrivalswere95,000bagsandthepriceswereRs3,120-3,600.MalaysianBMDcrudepalmoil ’sAugustcontractsclosedlowerby22toMYR2,287,Septemberby23toMYR2,278andOctoberby25toMYR2,268.TheBombayCommodityExchangespotrates(Rs/10kg)were:groundnutoil1,000(1,000),soyarefinedoil655(661),sunflowerexp.ref.755(755),sunflowerref.815(820),rapeseedref.oil690(692),rapeseedexpellerref.660(662)cottonseedref.oil652(655)andpalmolein530(536).VikramGlobalCommodities(P)LtdquotedRs570/10kgforMalaysiansuperpalmolein-Julydelivery.Lackofcuesholdssugarfuturessteady

SugarpricesondomesticfuturesmarketruledalmoststeadyonMondayinabsenceofanycuesfromthephysicalmarketwhichwillremainclosedfortwodaysinprotestofLocalBodyTax.Pricesatuppermilllevelwereunchangedoneaseddemandinmiddlemonth.AVashi-basedwholesalersaid:“SpotmarketisclosedfortwodaystillTuesdayinsupportofcallgivenbyFederationofAssociationsofMaharashtrainprotestofLBT.Infuturesmarketpricesremainedrange-boundwiththinvolatility.Duetobandhtherewerenoloading/unloadingorlocaldispatchesinandfromVashimarket.Localretailtransportershavealsosupportedtheagitation.AsVashimarketcarries120-125truckloadsofinventory,thereisnoneedtoworryaboutshortageofthecommodity.Retailshopkeepersareworkingasusual.”Duetobandh,arrivalsatVashimarketweremeagrebuttherewerenolocaldispatches.OnSaturday,about13-14millssoldabout38,000-40,000bagstothelocaltradersthroughtendersatsteadyratesofRs2,930-3,000(Rs2,930-3,000)forS-gradeandRs3,030-3,110(Rs3,030-3,110)forM-grade.InMumbainominalsugarpricesinspotwere:S-gradeRs3,062-3,145(Rs3,062-3,145)andM-gradeRs3,192-3,311(Rs3,192-3,311).Nominalnakarateswere:S-gradeRs3,020-3,070(Rs3,020-3,070)andM-gradeRs3,130-3,220(Rs3,135-3,220).

Pepperr isesonbuying, l imitedsupply

PepperpricesgainedonMondayonbuyinginterestamidlimitedsupply.Therewasnoactivitytodayontheterminalmarketastherewerenoarrivals.However,onthefuture,someactivitieswereseenintheclosinghoursandthataidedthepricestomoveup,marketsourcestoldBusinessLine.OntheNMCE,July,AugandSepcontractsincreasedbyRs462,Rs244andRs24respectivelytocloseatRs40,600,Rs40,870andRs40,300aquintal.turnoverr isesTotalturnoverwasat38tonnesupbythreetonnes.Totalopeninterestremainedunchangedat113tonnes.spotsl ipsSpotpricesdroppedbyRs200aquintaltocloseatRs38,300(ungarbled)andRs40,300(garbled)despitelimitedarrivalsandthinactivities,theysaid.globalprices

Indianparityintheinternationalmarketwasat$6,975(c&f)forEuropeand$7,125(c&f)forUSandremainedoutpriced.VietnamAstawasquotedat$6,650(c&f)whileBrazilwasquoting$6,450forBAsta.Indonesiawasnotoffering.However,SriLankawasofferingcompetitivelyat$5,900atonne(c&f)Kochi525GLmaterial.Turmerictradenowbetsonloweroutput

Despitepoorarrivals,turmericpricesfailedtoriseonaccountoflackoffreshupcountryorders.“Virtuallynotraderhasreceivedfreshupcountryorder.Tradersareawaitingthesame.OnlybythemiddleofAugust,theymayreceivefreshorders,tillthennoexporterisinterestedinbuyingthespice.OnMonday,only2,187bagsarrivedforsale,ofwhichonly50percentwassold.Thisisthelowestarrivalafteronemonth,”saidR.K.V.Ravishankar,President,ErodeTurmericMerchantsAssociation.HesaidthatthepriceisonaslidealloverthecountryandevenqualityturmericisavailableatRs6,200aquintalinAndhraPradeshandMaharashtra.“Farmersarehavingmorethan25lakhbagsofturmericwiththemandweexpectproductionhisyeartobe20lakhtonnes.Sinceannualdemandisestimatedat55lakhbags,lowerproductioncouldliftprices.PricesmaytouchbetweenRs9,000andRs10,000aquintalafterSeptember,”hesaid.

AttheErodeTurmericMerchantsAssociationsalesyard,thefingervarietywassoldatRs4,199-6,674aquintalandtherootvarietyRs3,888-5,727.SalemHybridCrop:ThefingervarietyfetchedRs6,317-7,529;therootvarietyRs5,511-6,017.Ofthe340bagsthatarrived,138weresold.AttheRegulatedMarketCommittee,thefingervarietywassoldatRs5,283-6,534;therootvarietyRs4,316-5,700.Ofthe104bagsonoffer,55foundtakers.AttheErodeCooperativeMarketingSociety,thefingervarietyquotedRs5,299-6,511;therootvarietyRs5,064-5,740.Ofthe277bagsputupforsale,268weretraded.Riceseenrange-boundonslackdemand

Thericemarketmaycontinuetowitnessarange-boundtrendinthecomingdays,saidmarketsources.Withthetradingbeinglukewarm,pricesofaromaticandnon-basmativarietieswerequotedwithmarginalfluctuationsonMonday.AmitChandna,proprietorofHanumanRiceTradingCompany,toldBusinessLinethatonlyneed-basedbuyingistakingplaceinthemarket.Domesticdemandhasfailedtopickupbuttheavailabilityofstockshasimprovedanditmaypickupfurtherinthecomingdays,hesaid.Hefurthersaidthatmarketsentimentsarelowandtherecouldbesomesoftnessinpriceslaterthismonth.

Inthephysicalmarket,Pusa-1121(steam)improvedbyRs50toRs7,550-7,650aquintal,whilePusa-1121(sela)quotedatRs7,000-7,050.Purebasmati(raw)quotedatRs8,800-8,820.Duplicatebasmati(steam)droppedbyRs100toRs6,600.ForthebrokensofPusa-1121,DubarquotedatRs3,900,TibarsoldatRs4,400whileMongrawasatRs3,050.Inthenon-basmatisection,Sharbati(Steam)wentupbyRs30andsoldatRs4,750-4,800whileSharbati(Sela)quotedatRs4,300,Rs100downfrompreviouslevels.Permal(raw)soldatRs2,300-2,350whilePermal(sela)wentforRs2,300.PR-11(sela)droppedbyRs100andsoldatRs2,900whilePR-11(Raw)quotedatRs2,750.PricesofPR14(steam)increasedbyRs100andsoldatRs3,400.PaddyarrivalsAround8,500bagsofdifferentpaddyvarietiesarrivedattheKarnalGrainMarketTerminalonMondayfromtheUttarPradesh.About1,000bagsofPusa-1121arrivedandquotedatRs3,050-3,075aquintal.Around7,000bagsofPRand500bagsSharbatiarrivedandboththevarietiesremainedunsold.

India'scoffeeconsumptionsettorecoverin2013-14

AccordingtoUSDA,consumptioninIndiahasbeenhoveringaround1.2mil l ionbagsfor last5years;sl ippedto1.1mnbagsin2012-13India’scoffeeconsumptionissetrecoverto1.2millionbags(72,000tonnes)in2013-14,amodestriseofninepercentcomparedwith1.1millionbags(66,000tonnes)in2012-13,accordingtotheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA).Beforefallingin2012-13,averageannualconsumptioninIndiastoodatabout1.2millionbagsthroughfiveconsecutiveyears,USDAsaidinitslatestreport‘Coffee:WorldMarketsandTrade’.Typically,USDA'sestimateislowerthantheestimateprovidedbytheCoffeeBoardofIndia,whichisyettopublishthelatestconsumptionfigures.“ConsumptionofcoffeeinIndiaisalwaysdebatable.TheCoffeeBoardofIndiaalwaysprojectsahighernumber,whileitislowinthecaseofUSDA,”saidRameshRajah,president,CoffeeExportersAssociationofIndia.CoffeeconsumptioninIndiaisgrowingatanaverageone-twopercentannually.Comparedto2012-13,consumptionhasshownsignsofgrowth.Itisestimatedconsumptionwouldrisedespitenear-flatproductionlevels.USDAhaspeggeddomesticcoffeebeanproductionat5.2millionbags(312,000tonnes)forthecropyearstartingOctober.Onanaverage,India'sannualbeanproductionstoodat5-5.2millionbagsinthepastthreeyears.For2013-14,USDAhasprojectedexportsfromIndiaat3.75millionbags,thesameasthatrecordedlastyear.Oftheestimatedproductionof5.2millionbagsthisyear,theshareofArabicaispeggedatarecordhighof1.7million,whilethatofRobustaispeggedat3.5millionbags.“Worldcoffeeproductionin2013-14isforecastat146millionbags,downby4.4millionbagsfromthepreviousyear,primarilyduetoBrazil’sArabicatreesenteringthe‘off-year’ofthebiennialproductioncycleand,toalesser

extent,CentralAmericaandMexicocontinuingtostrugglewithcoffeeleafrust,”USDAsaid.Globalbeanexportsarepeggedbelowlastyear'srecord,whileconsumptionisexpectedtorisemodestly.“InIndia,higherinputcosts,alongwiththe

eliminationofsubsidiesforfertilisersanddiesel,haveincreasedproductioncostsforgrowers.Labourexpenses,whichcouldaccountformorethan50percentofthecostofcultivation,continuetoescalate,whilegreateroff-farmemploymentopportunitieshavecreatedlabourshortages,”USDAsaid.Adoptionofmechanisationhasbeenslowandlimitedtoafewplantations,primarilyduetouneventerrainandsmallandfragmentedgrowingareas.ClimatechangeconundrumIsIndianagricultureabletowithstandextremevariationsincl imate?HowwillclimatechangeimpacttheIndianmonsoon?Thisisaquestionforwhichthereisyetnoclear-cutanswer.AgeneralperceptionamongtheclimatologistsisthatthetotalannualrainfallinIndiamayincreaseduetoglobalwarming-drivensurgeinmoistureloadoftheatmosphere.Thatmayseemtobeapositivefactor.But,atthesametime,incidenceofextremerainyboutsofthekindwitnessedinUttarakhandrecentlyarealsoprojectedtobecomemorefrequent,whichcanbeperilous.Theindicationsarethatthesechangeswillvaryindifferentregionsandwillbeaccompaniedbyariseintemperature.Theagriculturesectorisboundtobeaffectedbythesevariations.AfreshstudyofthepastperformanceofthemonsoonandtheprobableimpactoftheemergingrainfallpatternonIndianagriculturebyaweatherscientistMRajeevan,advisortotheministryofearthsciences,putsthisissueincogentperspective.Itdoesnotnoticeanywell-definedlong-termtrendsinthetimeseriesdataoftheaverageannualmonsoonrainfallinIndiabetween1901and2012.Butitdoesfindsignificantregionaldeviations.Whatstandsoutdistinctlyaretheepisodesofaboveorbelownormalrainfalllastingforseveraldecadesatastretch.Ofprimeconcernistherecentphaseofbelow-averagerainfallbeginningaroundthemid-1970sthathasfollowedanequallyprotractedwetperiod,goingbacktothe1930s.Thisphenomenonassumessignificance,whenconsideredalongwiththeuptrendinsurfaceairtemperature.Thetimeseriesdataonannualaverage

temperaturebetween1901and2011showsatrendriseof0.56degreeCelsiusper100years.Thisisclosetotheglobalwarmingtrend."Thereissubstantialincreaseinsurfacetemperaturesincethemid1970s,"saysRajeevaninhispaperpublishedinabookentitled"Climatechangeandsustainablefoodsecurity".IthasbeenbroughtoutjointlybytheBangalore-basedNationalInstituteofAdvancedStudiesandtheIndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR).Thepaperaddsthatthesurfacewarming(temperaturerise)isnoticeableovermostpartsofthecountry,barringsomepocketsinthenorthwest.Thenighttemperatureshaveincreasedsharplyinrecentyears,highlightingtheroleofgreenhousegases.Suchchangesintheclimatemayinfluencecropfarminginfourways.First,thealterationsintemperatureandrainfallmayalterthepresentdemarcationofthecountry'sagro-ecologicalzones.Enhancedevapo-transpirationislikelytointensifydroughtstress,especiallyinthesemi-tropicsandsubtropics.Second,thechangedcarbondioxidecontentoftheatmospheremaybenefitcropsduetoahigherrateofphotosynthesisandmoreefficientwateruse.Third,wateravailability(orrun-off)andlengthofgrowingseasonmayaffecttheagriculturenegativelyorpositivelyindifferentareas.Andfourth,overallcroplossesmaybeexacerbatedduetovariableclimateandincreasedfrequencyofextremeevents,includingdroughtsandfloods,andchangesinprecipitationandtemperature.However,theIndianfarmscientists,asalsothevastnationalagriculturalresearchnetwork,oneofthelargestintheworld,seemconfidenttotaketheemergingchallengesheadon.ICARdirector-generalSAyyapanhasassertedthatstrategiesarealreadyinplacetoreorientandstrengthenbasicresearchandacceleratetheflowoftechnology.Specialfocusisondevelopingsituation-specificintegratedfarmingsystems,involvinganimalhusbandryandfisheriesforaridareas,coastalandhillyregions,andirrigatedandrainfedfarming.Developmentofmodelsforclimate-resilientagricultureandevolutionofdroughtandheattolerantmechanismsformanagingcropsandfarmanimalsareamongthe12thPlan'sprioritiesforfarmresearch.Thesuccessoftheseeffortswould,however,relycruciallyonraisingthe

fundingforagriculturalresearchfromthecurrentmeagre0.6percentofthefarmsector'sgrossdomesticproduct(agriculturalGDP)to1.0percentintheshortrunand2.0percentlateron.ThefactthatalsoneedstobeborneinmindisthattheIndianagriculturehasmanagedtoadjustandadaptitselftochangingcircumstancesoverthecenturies,whentherewashardlyanysupportfromorganisedresearch.Nowthatwell-directedresearch&developmentbackingisavailable,thereisnoreasonitwouldnotbeabletofacethestressandstrainsduetoclimatechange.Turmericsurge3.7%ont ightsupplyTurmericfordeliveryinAugustshotupby3.69%Turmericpricessurgedby3.78%toRs5,934perquintalinfuturestradingtodayasspeculatorscreatedfreshpositions,drivenbyariseindomesticaswellasexportdemandinthespotmarketagainsttightsuppliesfromproducingbelts.AttheNationalCommodityandDerivativesExchange,turmericfordeliveryinJulysurgedbyRs216,or3,78%toRs5,934perquintalwithanopeninterestof1,555lots.Similarly,turmericfordeliveryinAugustshotupbyRs214,or3.69%toRs6,062perquintalin21,095lots.Marketanalystssaidfreshpositionscreatedbyspeculatorsonthebackofariseindomesticandexportdemandinthespotmarketamidtightsuppliesfromproducingregionsmainlypushedupturmericpricesatfuturestrade.Jeerarises0.5%onexportdemandJeerafordeliveryinAugustedgedupby0.18%JeerapricesrosebyRs80toRs13,600perquintalinfuturesmarkettodayasspeculatorsenlargedtheirpositions,drivenbyexportsdemand.However,highersuppliesinthespotmarketandrainsintheleadingcultivatingstatesrestrictedtheupside.

AttheNationalCommodityandDerivativesExchange,jeerafordeliveryinJulyrosebyRs80,or0.59%toRs13,600perquintalwithanopeninterestof366lots.Similarly,jeerafordeliveryinAugustedgedupbyRs25,or0.18%toRs13,775perquintalin16,656lots.Marketanalystssaidtheriseinjeerapricesatfuturestradewasattributedtoexportsdemandbuthighersuppliesinthespotmarketandreportsofrainsintheleadingcultivatingstates,limitedtheupside.Castorseedcl imbs1.80%onincreasedbuyingMarketmensaidstrongindustrialdemandagainstrestrictedsupplyinphysicalmarkets,mainlykeptthepricesingreenzoneCastorseedpricesspurtedbyRs62toRs3,510perquintalinfuturestradingtodayfollowingincreasedbuyingbytraders,drivenbyfirmspotaswellasoverseasmarketssentiment.Marketmensaidstrongindustrialdemandagainstrestrictedsupplyinphysicalmarkets,mainlykeptthepricesingreenzone.Pickupinexportdemandalsohelpedtoboostthetradingsentiments,theysaid.AttheNationalCommodityandDerivativesExchange,castorseedpricesforcurrentJulycontractshotupbyRs62,or1.80%toRs3,510perquintal,withanopeninterestof1,990lots.MostactiveAugustcontractrosebyRs42,or1.18%toRs3,597perquintal,havinganopeninterestof2,09,990lots.