-Livemint.com Pulses have been sown in an area of 9 million hectares, substantially higher than the 6.5 million hectares planted by this time last year New Delhi: Bountiful rains across the country have boosted sowing of pulses and the area under different varieties is nearly 40% more than last year, shows data released by the agriculture ministry on Friday. So far pulses have been sown in an area of 9 million hectares,...

-The Indian Express Insufficient rain in many districts has put an extra burden on underground water of Punjab, which is growing 29-30 lakh hectares of paddy rice this year Jalandhar: Despite forecast of a good monsoon, around 50 per cent districts of Punjab, which account for the highest contribution of rice crop, around 30-35 per cent (one-third of the country) to the central pool, and neighbouring Haryana are still dry in the...

-The Times of India Pune: Torrential rain over some areas in the last few days has helped soothe the parched state, but experts advise that this will not end the spate of droughts. Those in the know point out that lack of rainfall does not necessarily lead to a crippling shortage of water, but it results from a lack of policies, missing drought-proofing infrastructure and lackadaisical institutional mechanisms. "It will be a normal...

-The Hindu Business Line Acreage under cotton, oilseed cultivation still low but likely to improve New Delhi: With surplus rain recorded between June 30 and July 6, sowing of rice and pulses picked up pace with the total acreage under the two crops, since the beginning of June, exceeding last year’s levels for the same period. The sharp decline in acreage under cotton and oilseeds, however, resulted in lower acreage under all kharif...

-The Hindu While the economy’s revival is still a work in progress, higher food prices, especially of pulses, are affecting nutritional intake across India. The government is counting on a good monsoon season to spur growth and cool down the prices of essential food items. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said on Thursday that the government’s move to raise the minimum support price for pulses is expected to help push up...