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January 1 grain stocks sharperly higher than target

India's Jan. 1 wheat stocks at government warehouses were 25.7 million tonnes, more than three times the official target for the quarter ending Mar 31. government sources said on Monday. Rice inventory for the same period was 29.8 million tonnes against a target of 11.8 million tonnes. The wheat target was 8.2 million tonnes. The government has allowed two million tonnes each of non-basmati rice and wheat exports by .....

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Scientists release wasps to control citrus pest

Curry leaf may capture the imagination of gardeners who love Indian cuisine, but the tree is also of interest to Mark Hoddle, a biological control specialist at UC Riverside. Curry leaf can be a host for the Asian citrus psyllid, above, an aphid-sized insect that spreads disease, can kill citrus crops and has become a major concern of California growers. On Friday in Pico Rivera, Bell Gardens and Southgate, Hoddle's team released .....

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USA: Orange juice at 34-year high on fungicide fears

The price of orange juice futures contracts hit a 34-year high on Tuesday after the main US food safety regulator said it would block imports containing a fungicide commonly used in Brazil, the leading producer of the citrus fruit. The Food and Drug Administration’s announcement sent traders scrambling to prepare for the possibility of lower inventories in the middle of the US winter, when the New York futures market is most at risk of a .....

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TN announces 50% subsidy for booster to output of pulses

Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday announced a 50% subsidy to promote a crop booster called ‘Payaru Adhisayam’(pulse wonder) for increasing the output of pulses. The state has allocated R212 crore initially for this scheme. Chief minister J Jayalalithaa said in a statement that the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University-developed booster with nutrients and growth regulators would be used in phases in 1,695 villages. The decision to .....