Agriculture
Paddy MSP hike most inadvisable
THE policy makers' ambivalence in dealing with the seemingly intractable issue of providing an acceptable minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural crops has always been a cause for concern. Not only economists and fiscal disciplinarians, but also con
sumers and progressive farmers in many parts of the country have from time-to-time expressed reservations about the efficacy of routine MSP hikes and timing of announcement, without any corresponding effort to strengthen agriculture.
Aquaculture
BoBP future hinges on overseas funding -- Plan to set up body for small-scale fishermen
THE Bay of Bengal Programme (BoBP) may get a fresh lease of life as an inter-governmental organisation (IGO) if the Governments of Maldives and Bangladesh accept to provide funding by the year-end.
Commodities
Coir products export drops
EXPORTS of coir and coir products during the first five months of the current fiscal have declined by Rs 12.28 crore from that of the same period a year ago.
Aug edible oil imports at record high
EDIBLE oil imports into the country in August reached an all time high of 6.54 lakh tonnes (lt), according to arrival data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India. This takes the aggregate arrivals in the first 10 months of the current o
il year (November 2000-October 2001) to 41.5 lakh tonnes, sharply up from 34.7 lt witnessed during the same period last year.
Information Technology
Indian portal to acquire sugaronline.com for $1m
THE world's most sought-after sugar portal, the UK-based sugaronline.com, is up for liquidation and India's most visible sugar site, sugartrade.com, may buy its ``global brand and goodwill'' for anything around $1 million.
Plantations
New UPASI chief calls for attitudinal change
COIMBATORE: ``An attitudinal change is needed in respect of all concerned with the plantation industry,'' the new President of the United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI), Mr I.J.J. Rebello said on Wednesday.
Drought hits cardamom arrivals at auctions
CARDAMOM growers in Kerala's Idukki district are concerned about the prevailing drought conditions and if this situation continues, there could be a sharp fall in the crop.
Rubber
Centre okays rubber export incentive plan
THE Centre has cleared the Rubber Board's proposal to offer incentives to agencies exporting rubber but the scale of the aid has been lowered.
Tea
Rain or shine!
Workers in a tea plantation pluck green leaves, unmindful of the rain, in a North Bengal estate near Jaipaiguri on Friday.
