1.   

Grain produce may break 60 years' record

“After a good monsoon across the nation barring some areas, the country is most likely to produce record volume of grains this year and there are already signs that we will break all records held for the past 60 years, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said on Sunday. Pawar was speaking at the annual gathering of the State Grape Producers’ Association in Pune. He added that not just the grain production, but even the exports had been good this year and they would be even better. “I was criticized a few years ago for importing wheat. But this year, India is the number one rice exporting nation,” Pawar said.

2.   

India could achieve 4% farm growth during 12th Plan: Abhijit Sen, Planning Commission

The country could achieve the targeted 4 per cent growth in the agriculture sector during 12th plan period, Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen said today. Sen also suggested that it is time to shift from the pricing policy of agriculture crops to income policy of farming community in order to improve the quality of life of farmers. "We were near the target of 4 per cent in the 11th plan and at least we will achieve that in the 12th plan," Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Bharat Krishak Samaj.

3.   

World Bank advises Pak to normalize trade ties with India

The World Bank has advised Pakistan to normalize trade relations with India. The WB also urged the Nawaz government's economic planners to adopt pro-consumer policies by moving away from protecting handpicked domestic industries. According to the Express Tribune, the bank in its policy note on 'Reinvigorating the Agenda for Opening Trade' urged Pakistan to normalize trade with India, which will boost Islamabad's exports to New Delhi by at least 40 percent.

4.   

Government clears two million tonnes of wheat export to cut bulging stocks

The government has allowed two million tonnes of wheat export, which will help reduce bulging stocks in government warehouses. Food minister K.V.Thomas told ET that the cabinet took the decision to export two million tonnes on Thursday. "We have kept the base price this year at $ 300 a tonnes compared to $280 a tonnes in the previous year. There is a good demand for Indian wheat globaly," he said.