-PTI NEW DELHI: India is likely to achieve the second highest foodgrain production at 129.32 million tonnes this kharif season (summer crops) on better monsoon, but rice output is seen declining marginally. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said a record foodgrain production is expected in full 2013-14 crop year on account of good rain and "there will be a rebound in agriculture growth" from 1.9 per cent in the last financial year. An improvement...

-The Telegraph New Delhi/Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today landed in the national capital with a demand of a relief package of Rs 12,000 crore from the Centre. A day after declaring 33 of Bihar's 38 districts as drought-hit, Nitish, who met finance minister P. Chidambaram and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, said the state's agrarian economy was totally paralysed because of the acute rainfall deficiency during the kharif season. Nitish requested Chidambaram to...

-The Telegraph Patna: Bihar's honeymoon with double digit growth appears to be headed for a rocky phase with the government today declaring 33 of the state's 38 districts as drought-hit. The agriculture and allied sectors, which contribute around one-fifth (18.91 per cent) of Bihar's gross state domestic product (GSDP), are staring at a lower growth rate for the second consecutive year. The overall growth rate of the state was a little...

-PTI PATNA: Taking into account deficient rainfall this year, Bihar government on Wednesday declared 33 out of the 38 districts of state as drought-hit. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by chief minister Nitish Kumar. Principal secretary (Cabinet Coordination and Secretariat) Brajesh Mehrotra and the principal secretary ( Disaster Management Department) Vyasji said the decision was taken because of deficient rainfall in these districts at 20 per cent below...

-The Times of India PUNE: The surplus rainfall recorded by the country so far this season has come down to 11% above normal, as on Friday, from the 17% above normal recorded by end-July. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has attributed the reduced rainfall activity to factors like a continuing absence of an offshore trough along the west coast and a weak monsoon current. "There has been rainfall in most parts of...