Hindustan Times – Online

India’s thriving farm sector — the only bright spot in its slowing economy — has become a hostage to warnings of a heat wave, muddling the outlook for policy makers already grappling with sticky inflation. The nation’s economic growth unexpectedly slowed to a three-quarter low of 4.4% in three months to December, data showed Tuesday. The weather office’s prediction of a hotter summer compounded the concerns, throwing a fresh challenge before the central bank that’s already struggling to keep a lid on prices. “If these weather forecasts do play out then I would think the farm sector output will certainly get affected,” Radhika Rao, senior economist at DBS Bank Ltd, said in an interview to ...

Krishi Jagran – Online

Arecanut, also known as betel nut, is an important cash crop in Karnataka and provides livelihood to around 50 lakh people in the state. The disease outbreak has caused significant damage to the crops and has resulted in farmers taking extreme measures such as committing suicide due to financial losses. The situation highlights the urgent need for scientific research and effective measures to prevent and control plant diseases. The expert committee set up by the Union Ministry of Agriculture that visited the disease-hit areas in the state has suggested that in-depth research is required to control the yellow leaf disease. This indicates the complexity and severity of the issue and the need for long-term solutions ...

Business Standard – Online

Mustard seed prices are tumbling down under the weight of a bumper harvest and availability of cheap imported edible oils thus putting growers under stress just when the new crop is being harvested. To stem the free fall, the Central government recently abolished the zero tariff import of two million tons for sunflower oil which it had permitted during the Russia-Ukraine crisis, but trade sources feel that it isn’t enough. Earlier, a similar zero duty quota on import of refined soybean oil was also abolished. Data sourced from various agencies show that mustard seed prices in the benchmark Jaipur market in Rajasthan has dropped by almost 10 per cent in the last one month starting ...