The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Why not a safety net for the money-lender?
Extending credit guarantees to rural money-lenders may soften interest rates, reduce recovery pressure and bring down farmer suicides. More

Lessons from Brazil's farm success story
Brazilian companies can be tapped for technologies and investment in agribusiness in India More

HORTICULTURE/FRUITS & VEGETABLES

Maharashtra plans fruit festivals in major cities
BESIDES MANGO More

Cataloguing of wild bananas begins
Banana researchers are in the process of cataloguing the surviving wild species of Musa in the jungles. Speaking to Business Line, Dr M. M. Mustafah, Director (in-charge) of the Tiruchy-based National Research Centre on Banana said the ... More

Facility to promote direct marketing of fruits in offing
A modern permanent facility to serve as a platform for promotion of `farmer-to-consumer' direct marketing concept is to be established in the city. This was stated by Mr Harshvardhan Patil, State Minister for Marketing and Employment Guarantee ... More

RUBBER

Growers' coop slams demand to ban rubber exports
The attempt of the tyre manufacturers to ban rubber exports should be stopped forthwith and rubber marketing co-operative societies, rubber producers societies and other organisations such as Infam and farmers associations should join together to ... More

Steady trend in spot rubber
The week opened with a steady trend in spot rubber prices. The sentiments turned neutral as most the leading overseas indices were not very encouraging. Sheet rubber RSS 4 closed unchanged at Rs 92.00 and Rs 92.50 a kgr espectively at Kottayam ... More

TEA

Buyers call off boycott of Kolkata tea auctions
Traders' body assures to take up issue with Centre More

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

Karuturi Networks posts Rs 4.26-cr net profit in Q4
Karuturi Networks Ltd, which is into floriculture, has reported a net profit of Rs 13.45 crore for the year ended March 2006 against Rs 5.95 crore in the earlier year. The company said it has chalked out global expansion plans and is ... More

GOLD & SILVER

Precious metals suffer setback
Precious metals reacted at the higher level on the local bullion market on Monday on some offerings amid weak overseas market. Sandard gold prices were down Rs 35 to end at Rs 9,935 per 10 gm from the previous close of Rs 9,970. Pure gold ... More

OILSEEDS & EDIBLE OIL

Coconut oil futures decline
Coconut oil futures fluctuated last week due to disruptions in supply owing to the elections and holidays. All four contracts registered a moderate gain on the First Commodity Exchange of India in the beginning and then showed a declining ... More

Edible oils stable
All major edible oil prices remained steady on the local edible oil market on Monday on scattered buying. RBD palmolein was up Re 1 at Rs 393 per 10 kg. Groundnut oil raw was steady at Rs 465 per 10 kg. Imported refined soya oil was steady at Rs ... More

SPICES & CONDIMENTS

Pepper exports from India, Vietnam rise
Shipments from Brazil, Indonesia dip More

Pepper futures up on increased activity
Pepper futures on Monday showed some improvement on increased activity by speculators. Investors were showing interest to buy spot in un-garbled form delivered on NCDEX designated warehouses at price around Rs 3 below the spot prices i.e, at Rs ... More

Losing flavour
UNREMUNERATIVE SPICE: A worker collecting cardamom at a collection centre in Kattapana, Kerala. Cardamom growers in the country have cut farm inputs owing to unremunerative prices for the commodity. The prices have declined to around Rs 200 a kg ... More