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Uma Gandhan, a farmer from Valathamangalam village in Thirunallar commune, was trying to dry his cotton using a fan in a portion of his house, like several hundreds of farmers here where cotton was affected by the recent off-season rain. Cotton is cultivated on over 2,500 acres in the district. “I had raised cotton on...

The arrival of mangoes to Salem Market has surged to 40 metric tonnes per day. Previously, due to poor rainfall, the market saw only 10 metric tonnes of mangoes per day. Typically, the arrival of mangoes begins on March 15 and ends on June 15 in Salem Market. These mangoes come from Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Namakkal,...

The Minimum Support rices (MSPs) for both kharif and rabi seasons 2023-24 ensured a minimum return of 50% over the cost of production for all crops, said the Reserve Bank’s Annual Report released on May 30. The overall public stock of foodgrains as on March 31, 2024 stood at 2.9 times the total quarterly buffer...

Kothur Babu, an experienced mango grower in Chittoor district, laments that the yield in his orchard has plummeted by over 80% and the prospects of earing profit with the remaining crop looks remote. The situation has only turned adverse as his competitors from Telangana and Tamil Nadu have already started their supplies to the pulp...

VST Tillers Tractors Limited (VST), a farm equipment manufacturer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Axis Bank, to offer financial solutions to the farmers for purchasing tractors and Farm Mechanisation products.  As per the agreement, Axis Bank will provide financial solutions to VST’s prospective customers through its network of 5370 branches. As per the MOU both the...

A collective of women cardamom farmers has established a cardamom auction company under the auspices of the Spices Board of India – the first such company to be fully controlled by women. The Idukki Mahila Cardamom Producer Company Limited (IMCPCL) boasts a board comprising 49 women cardamom farmers. The inaugural auction of this women-led venture...

India’s decision to allow duty-free imports of chickpeas is unlikely to help bring down local prices as even record imports would be unable to compensate for the big drop in local production, industry officials told Reuters. Instead, Indian buyers are turning to cheaper yellow peas, which the Government has also allowed to be imported duty...

The Centre has taken permission from the Election Commission of India to lift the onion export ban as the Model Code of Conduct is in effect due to the Lok Sabha elections, sources said. The government lifted the ban on onion exports, a decision that can help boost farmers’ incomes ahead of the Lok Sabha...

The Centre on Saturday lifted the prohibition on onion exports imposed nearly six months ago, but restrained the free flow of outbound shipments by stipulating a minimum export price of $550 per tonne as well as a 40% export duty. The change in stance on exports of the critical kitchen staple, which were banned in...