The Hindu Business Line

The Government on Friday opened up the export of pulses such as tur dal (red gram), urad (black gram) and moong (green gram). The Director General of Foreign Trade issued a notification on Friday announcing policy change for pulses, which now have been made free for exports until further orders.

Samaj Premaya

The Odisha government admitted that a drought-like situation prevailed in certain pockets of the state due to deficient rainfall in the monsoon season. Replying to an adjournment motion on the drought situation in the state, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty rejected the reports of district collectors after a deliberation in the Assembly and admitted that certain pockets of the state experienced a drought-like situation following deficient rainfall.

Pragativadi Prajatantra

The opposition parties in Odisha assembly today pressed the government to admit drought-like situation has appeared in the state. Though Revenue Minister Maheswar Mohanty was not ready to accept the claim of legislators regarding drought situation in Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Nuapada, Bargarh and some other western Odisha districts, the opposition made him accept a drought-like situation in several districts.

Nyoooz

Presiding over a camp organised by at Kang Khurd Grain village market, Bal emphasised the need to stop this practice. Dr Balwinder Singh Chhina, chief agriculture officer, said the National Green Tribunal had given the instruction to levy environment cess from the farmers indulging in this practice.

Hindustan Times

The outlook came days after Japanese think tank Nomura Research made a similar prediction analysing a fall in sowing of pulses and oil seeds. It attributed the trend to a decrease in wholesale prices in July. But, the government said that foodgrain production will not be hit.

The Financial Express

The central government on Friday told the Supreme Court that no decision has been taken for the commercial release of genetically modified (GM) mustard. Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha told a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that government has not taken a decision on the commercial release of the GM mustard.

The Hindu Business Line

The acreage under coarse cereals was also marginally down to 184.50lakh ha against 188.40-lakh ha last year. Kharif crops that were found to be the favourite of farmers during the season was cotton – its area increased by 19 per cent to 121.51-lakh ha and sugarcane increased by 9.44 per cent to 49.95-lakh ha. A record increase in cotton production could be expected as most farmers opt for Bt cotton other than the traditional varieties.