-The Hindu     Farmer plans to set up a farm showcasing 250 varieties Mysore: Known to conserve indigenous varieties of Rice from different parts of the country, S.R. Srinivasmurthy, paddy cultivator from T. Narsipura in Mysore district, has augmented his rich collection in recent years and plans to set up a demonstration farm this season. The demonstration farm will feature about 250 Rice varieties, collected by him over the years. A "farmer by accident", who...

-Bloomberg   Actual rainfall may be five per cent more or less than the prediction The monsoon in India, which provides about 70 per cent of annual rainfall, will be normal this year amid forecasts for the emergence of an El Niño that previously caused droughts, government officials said. Rain could be 96 per cent of a 50-year average of 89 cm (35 inches) in the June-September period, said two officials with direct knowledge...

-The Independent Scientists are warning that wheat is facing a serious threat from a fungal disease that could wipe out the world's crop if not quickly contained. Wheat rust, a devastating disease known as the "polio of agriculture", has spread from Africa to South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, with calamitous losses for the world's second most important grain crop, after Rice. There is mounting concern at the...

-The Hindu   PRice rise is one of the key issues in this election, and the latest data on inflation spell bad news for the incumbent UPA government; the monster is rearing its head again after lying low over the last three months. Retail inflation, specifically food pRice inflation, has rebounded in March on the back of rising pRices of vegetables and fruits. Wholesale food pRices rose 9.9 per cent with Rice...

-Live Mint   FDI in retail and modernization of agriculture are two faces of the same coin In the season of elections animal spirits rule. India's equity markets have been ebullient for some time now. Spurred by a robust inflow of foreign investment capital, markets have reacted favourably. A lot now depends on the ability of the next government to enact meaningful structural reforms, especially in a sector such as agriculture that requires...