-Business Standard - Capital Market Unseasonal rains accompanied by hailstorms are creating havoc for Indian farmers year after year even as the country faces shortfall in wheat production by around 13 million tonnes from the initial estimates of 93.8 million tonnes in the current crop year and the development may force the government to consider imports of the staple grain as well, according to an ASSOCHAM paper. "The shortfall in production...

Like 2015, this year too unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm have taken the farmers by surprise. Recent media reports suggest that extreme weather event has damaged rabi crops in a number of states from north India. The Weekly Weather Report prepared for the week spanning 10-16 March, 2016, which was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), shows that excessive rainfall was observed in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand,...

-Business Standard Supply issues due to unseasonal rainfall behind price rise Mumbai: Green vegetables have become costlier in the past week owing to supply disruptions following intermittent unseasonal rainfalls and thunderstorms across major growing regions. In the benchmark Azadpur mandi in Delhi, the prices of cauliflower has risen the most by 58 per cent to trade currently at Rs 673 a quintal against Rs 427 a quintal a week ago. Interestingly, arrivals of cauliflower...

-Hindustan Times Heavy rainfall accompanied by hail over the weekend damaged crops in key food-producing states across north and central India, triggering fears of higher food prices amid a deepening nationwide agrarian crisis. A good crop was a must this season for the sustenance of farmers who suffered because of unseasonal rainfall in March-April last year followed by a drought that reduced output of summer crops. A good yield was expected this...

-Livemint.com The Union government has cut the prices of genetically-modified cotton seeds and slashed royalty fees by 74% The Union government’s decision to cut the prices of genetically-modified (GM) cotton seeds, popularly known as Bt cotton, and slash royalty fees, will have a positive impact on cotton farming in Maharashtra, India’s top state in terms of area under cotton cultivation. The Maharashtra government’s agriculture officials, cotton growers and officials at the Nagpur-based...