1.   

India’s agricultural exports see 121% jump on guargum, rice diet

The country's agricultural and processed food exports saw a huge jump — of 121% — during first two quarters of the current fiscal to R63,000 crore in comparison to Rs 28,500 crore during same period last year. The jump is mainly attributed to the surge in shipment of Guargum (488%) and non-Basmati rice (993%) in the first half of 2012-13.

2.   

Wheat exports may exceed 5.5 mt

Wheat exports are likely to exceed 5.5 million tonnes (mt) this financial year. This would make India the seventh-largest exporter of the commodity. In 2011-12, it was the sixteenth-largest wheat exporter. In the first half of the current financial year, wheat exports stood at 2.43 mt, with average realisation of $270 a tonne, or about Rs 14 a kg, according to a senior official at Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

3.   

Want to see India join Afghan trade pact with Pak: Karzai

Afghanistan would like India included in its trade and transit agreement with Pakistan, in force since 2011, which would allow India to use Pakistan’s territory to trade with Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said. “We have been seeking it,” he said an interview to The Indian Express. “This was not possible because of the difficulties between India and Pakistan but now that there is an environment for overall improvement of relations between India and Pakistan, this is the best day for Afghanistan,” he said.

4.   

Better business ties between two Punjabs need of the hour: Sukhbir

Terming his visit to Pakistan as "fruitful", deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said the opening up of trade between the two Punjabs would be a turning point in bilateral trade. He was here to attend the 64th All India Sikh Educational Conference organised by the He said, "The response of the people in Pakistan was tremendous as was evident from their eagerness to the initiation of trade between the two Punjabs."