India's foodgrains production is estimated at a record 235.88 million tonnes in the 2010-11 crop year, ending June, on the back of the highest-ever output of wheat and pulses, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar announced today. "The third advance estimate figures are available with me, which show an all-time record production of foodgrains at 235.88 million tonnes. Wheat at 84.27 million tonnes and pulses at 17.29 million tonnes are also the highest...

In Kerala, where paddy cultivation is going out of favour because of labour problems and high costs, the novel System of Rice Intensification’ (SRI) has shown the potential to rehabilitate this crop. This innovative technique ensures substantially higher productivity and lower input use. The SRI system has, in fact, proved its utility in many other regions as well, spanning Sikkim in the north-east to Tamil Nadu in the south. The environment-friendly SRI...

In a major relief to farmers and exporters, the Centre on Wednesday slashed the minimum export price (MEP) for onions by 25 per cent to $450 a tonne from $600. “Minimum Export Price of onions other than Bangalore Rose onions and Krishnapuram will be $450 per tonne freight on board,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Last month, the government had lifted a ban on onion exports after...

Food inflation dropped sharply to 13.07% for the week ended January 29 from 17.05% in the previous week. According to data released by the ministry of industry and commerce on Thursday food inflation declined to a seven-week low due to decline in the prices of pulses and potatoes. On an annual basis, prices of potatoes declined 8.87%, while pulses fell 8.63% and wheat by 3.58%, the government data said. Although the...

Buoyed by high foodgrains production, the country's farm sector is expected to grow at 5.4 per cent in the current financial year, as against 0.4 per cent a year ago. A likely growth in the "agriculture, forestry and fishing sector" is due to an estimated higher production of rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and some horticultural crops, according to Advance Estimate released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO). The foodgrains production...