The Hindu Business Line : Friday, December 19, 2008

AGRI-BIZ & COMMODITIES

COMMODITIES: Inflation dips sharply on fuel price cuts
New Delhi, Dec. 18 With the cut in fuel prices earlier this month coming into play, inflation slipped to its lowest in over nine months, even as the Finance Ministry said this could help further ease interest rates in the ...

EXPORTS & IMPORTS: Basmati exports ring the wrong bell this time
Auction prices in major mandis down by Rs 500/quintal. New Delhi, Dec. 18 In any agri-commodity, the normal tendency is for prices to start falling at the start of the harvesting season and then to rise as mandi arrivals dwindle with farmers ...

COTTON: Cotton output seen lower than estimates
Yield hit by erratic rain, delayed sowing. Mumbai, Dec. 18 Cotton production is expected to drop 11 per cent to 285.50 lakh bales (of 170 kg) in the crop season 2008-09 against the Cotton Advisory Board’s initial estimate of 322 lakh bales ...

FARM CREDIT: House panel moots inclusion of more crops in distressed list
The Subordinate Legislation Committee of the Kerala Assembly has recommended that crops such as pepper, coconut and arecanut should also be included in the list of distressed crops for purpose of extending agricultural debt relief to ...

CLIMATE & WEATHER: Rains seen returning to south coastal TN
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 18 The Chennai Met Centre has said rain or thundershowers are likely to return to many places over south coastal Tamil Nadu during the next two days even as only isolated rain events were recorded in the State during ...

AQUACULTURE: Business slump
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CASHEW: Russian ban adds to cashew export woes
Kochi, Dec. 18 Not a single tonne of cashew kernels has been exported to Russia so far during the current year because of the ban on select agricultural products ...

RUBBER: Spot rubber gains on global cues
Kottayam, Dec.18 Spot rubber made yet another positive closing on Thursday. RSS 4 improved to Rs 64.00 from Rs 63.50 a kg led by the gains in international indices. Major consuming industries were buyers on the grade up to Rs 63.00 a kg while ...