-Livemint.com An uneven distribution of rainfall has left several key rice-producing states parched even as others had to battle excess water The patchy progress of the southwest monsoon this year has cast a long shadow on India’s kharif crop produce, particularly of rice, which is an important constituent of the government’s food distribution programmes. The threat comes right after Wheat production in the rabi season took a hit from heatwaves and at...

-The Hindu Business Line Experts say current manual methods are error-prone, moot scientific process The advance crop estimate made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare usually differs between the first and subsequent three ones before it comes out with the final estimate. However, the difference has seldom caused problems in the agricultural markets or led to complaints of not reflecting what the trade has felt is the ground reality. But some...

-Down to Earth The production of the allium has doubled in the last decade; Chinese, Iranian garlic with larger cloves in greater demand, say farmers There have been several calls to allow garlic export after several video clips on social media showed farmers from Madhya Pradesh throwing out or burning their crops, allegedly over low prices of the allium.  One clip making rounds showed the crop being dumped into a river, while another...

-Business Standard There is a possibility of a 10-15-million tonne drop in kharif rice production due to drought in several major growing states in eastern India Wheat prices in some markets have touched Rs 2,522 a quintal and cereal inflation is expected to remain sticky in the months ahead due to low wheat stocks in central granaries. Nomura India in a report said lower rice output will put pressure on domestic rice...

-Business Standard While the production of foodgrains and the financial position of the government are important points, electoral compulsion may become the deciding factor for the survival of this scheme A sharp drawdown in India’s wheat inventory exacerbated by a fear of a fall in rice production due to drought-like conditions in the main growing states has raised questions on the government’s ability to sustain the free foodgrains distribution scheme beyond its...