1.   

India’s wine industry seems to be coming of age, thanks to the changing socio-economic scenario, growing disposable incomes and well-publicised health benefits of wine in the country. Competing against blue-chip world-famous wines, India’s wine exports are expected to cross the Rs 100 crore mark in the next couple of years, said the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority of India (APEDA).

2.   

Overseas and domestic demand pushed up prices of aromatic varieties rice further in the market on Monday. But prices of non-basmati varieties remained almost unchanged on account of steady demand-supply situation. Buying interest pushed aromatic varieties further up, said Mr Amit Chandna, proprietor of Hanuman Rice Trading Company. Demand for aromatic rice has improved in domestic and overseas market over the last few days, he said.

3.   

India, the world's second-largest grower of rice, wheat and sugar, will review its export rules and consider curbing the amount of food crops that traders can stockpile, as a drought in the US and the worst monsoon in three years raise the specter of an impending food crisis. I am concerned about the deficient rain,” Food Minister K.V. Thomas told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday, according to the Australian Age newspaper.

4.   

The Punjab Government has chalked out a special programme to increase milk production in the state. It plans to spend Rs 93 crore on it during 2012-13. This was announced by the Dairy Development Minister, Mr Gulzar Singh Ranike. He said modernisation of semen banks at Ropar and Nabha, expansion of area under cultivation of green fodder, implementation of subsidies on various schemes for welfare of dairy farmers and on milking machines.