-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Farmers are being advised to protect standing potato, wheat and masur crop from weather vagaries. A dip in temperature and rains have resulted in pest and fungal infestations at some places across the northern and western India. Reports of yellow rust on wheat fields have been reported across the north Indian states. "We have detected yellow rust in wheat fields of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu," said Indu...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the country's food grain production is likely to reach an all-time high level this year as bumper crops are expected in wheat, rice and pulses on the back of good monsoon rain last year. He said wheat production is likely to cross 100 million tonnes for the first time in 2013-14, surpassing the previous record of 94.88 million tonnes...

-The Hindustan Times Moga (Punjab): A Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) study has found that farmers in the state are wasting more than Rs. 175 crore on application of unnecessary fertiliser on crops a year. A large quantity of nitrogen also seeped underground resulting into the contamination of ground water. The study has found that incorrect and inappropriate application of fertilisers by farmers to gain bumper yield leads to the deterioration of soil,...

-The Financial Express India's grain output has risen substantially in recent years. India's grain output has risen substantially in recent years, taking the country to the league of the world's largest producers of rice, wheat and horticultural crops thanks to the use of diverse seed varieties, among other things. And productivity at Indian farms could increase further in coming years thanks to a centrally managed gene bank that would help multiply seed...

-FAO   2013 third highest year on record for FAO Food Price Index Rome: The FAO Food Price Index averaged 206.7 points in December, nearly unchanged from the previous month, with a sharp increase in dairy prices and high meat values balancing out a steep decline in sugar quotations and lower cereal and oil prices. For 2013 as a whole, the index averaged 209.9 points - down 1.6 percent from 2012, and well below...