-The Times of India COIMBATORE: Pulse and millet production in the district may increase next year, if the North-East monsoon also fails like the South-West monsoon. The district has received only 36% of the rainfall expected during the SW monsoon, forcing farmers to start considering short-term rainfed crops if the NE monsoon also fails. However, the situation might be advantageous, considering the skyrocketing pulse prices. The district has received only 58mm of...

-PTI The rise in wholesale prices may provide partial relief to manufacturers and producers, although it brings bad news for household budgets of consumers. Experts and industry said kharif sowing trends indicate cooling of food inflation in the coming months, even as chances of a rate cut in the near-term are low, given the rise in WPI and retail inflation. Wholesale inflation soared to a 23-month high of 3.55 per cent in July...

-The Hindu The acceleration will leave the RBI less space to cut rates Wholesale price inflation accelerated to a 23-month high of 3.6 per cent in July, driven mainly by higher food prices, according to official data.The pace of price gains as measured by the wholesale price index more than doubled in July from 1.62 per cent in June, leaving the Reserve Bank of India even less elbow room to cut benchmark...

Rising prices of dal: How to deal with it? The 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. In India, however, ordinary citizens are under enormous duress due to the skyrocketing prices of dal/ lentils since the last one year. The website of Price Monitoring Cell of the Department of Consumer Affairs shows that dal prices varied across places. For example, the...

-Down to Earth A parliamentary standing committee blamed Agriculture Ministry’s skewed policy for the inequality in fertiliser usage The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture has recommended formation of a “Pesticide Development Authority” to ensure balanced use of chemical fertilisers in the wake of declining agricultural productivity. The 29th report, called “Impact of chemical fertilizers and Pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country”, was tabled in Parliament by the committee. The...