-The Economic Times PUNE | NEW DELHI | KOLKATA: Despite the forecast of a deficient monsoon, coupled with its poor start, farmers are trying to maximise their returns. Choosing the crops that have high market prices is their strategy, shows the meager sowing taken place so far in the regions that have received monsoon and pre-monsoon showers. Crops like pulses, groundnut, chillies, onions, whose market rates have been ruling high, are...

-The Indian Express With the spotlight on packaged foods’ failure to clear safety tests, The Indian Express samples 11 states and finds out how ill-equipped and understaffed their labs are. For a processed food market estimated at Rs 7.34 lakh crore by the Annual Survey of Industries, 72 state labs and 68 private ones with National Accrediation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation are conducting tests in India’s 640...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: A clutch of Indian public and private sector companies yesterday set up a nuclear insurance pool of Rs 1,500 crore needed for any compensation payments in the event of a nuclear accident, senior atomic energy officials said today. The nuclear insurance pool, with a contribution from a UK-based nuclear insurer, is expected to address concerns among international and domestic suppliers that India's civil nuclear liability law gives nuclear...

-Hindustan Times Rohtak: The meteorological (Met) department's prediction of below-average rainfall this year between June and September has raised the concern among paddy growers in the state, who are already reeling under crop losses due to the unseasonal rainfall, which has damaged the rabi crops. The prediction of poor rainfall will not only affect the farmers, but also rice production in the state, as according to the figures given by the state...

-The Indian Express India’s largest nutrient maker tells The Indian Express how 11 crore farmers can directly receive subsidy now going to the industry. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of fertiliser subsidy to farmers is an eminently feasible proposition and the Narendra Modi government should lose no time in going ahead with its implementation, says US Awasthi of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (Iffco). “People interested in stalling DBT are giving all sorts of...