Rains, hailstorm damage Coriander crops in western Rajasthan.

Hailstorm hit crops in western Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur districts of the state. Weather in the district changed suddenly in the afternoon with clouds turning darker and a sand storm had hit the city which was immediately followed by hailstorm in many places in rural areas and rain, which continued intermittently. Hailstorm flattened the crops in many areas of the district like Phalodi, Osian, Mathania, etc. and the crops of Coriander gram, cumin, mustard, etc., suffered due to hailstorm and rain.

Coriander prices fall in Rajasthan as supply surges.

Prices of coriander fell down in major spot markets of Rajasthan due to a sharp rise in arrivals. Arrivals of coriander in Rajasthan were pegged at 48,000 bags (1bag=40kg) up 19,000 bags. Supply increased sharply because harvest of the new crop is underway in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

NCDEX coriander hits 2-week high on low output.

Futures contracts of coriander on the NCDEX extended gains and hit a two-week high and total output in 2016-17 (Oct-Sep) is seen declining. Good demand for the new coriander crop from the domestic and overseas buyers is also seen pushing prices of the spice higher. Most-active April contract of coriander traded on the NCDEX up 0.9%.

Barley prices up in Jaipur on demand from stockists.

Prices of barley extended gains in Jaipur due to increased demand from stockists and feed sector. Rise in demand from malt industries due to onset of summer season also lifted the prices of barley. Arrivals of the new crop were estimated at 18,000 bags (1bag=85kg) compared with 12,000 bags. Most-active April contract of barley on the NCDEX was up 0.5%.

Dairy body to buy 250 tonnes de-oiled rice bran.

National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India will buy 250 tonnes of de-oiled rice bran and 50 tonnes of maize through a reverse electronic auction. De-oiled rice bran and maize are used as feed for cattle. The purchases would be made on behalf of Indian Immunological. National federation has nearly 200 dairy cooperatives as its member which has developed an online trading platform to purchase feed stocks and sell dairy products.

Research leads to revival of rare rice variety in J&K.

Scientists in Kashmir Agricultural University has resulted in the revival of Mushkbudji, an aromatic variety of rice grown only in the Valley. The research of scientists led to the production of the pure line of Mushkbudji rice and the cooperation of over 400 farmers resulted in a relatively large scale production last year which is providing marketing support to the farmers cultivating Mushkbudji. State Agriculture department provided seeds and fertilisers to the farmers for free as part of the scheme to revive the Mushkbudji variety.

Delhi wheat prices fall as new crop arrivals start.

Prices of wheat fell in the key wholesale market of Delhi because of high supplies, as the new crop has started arriving from Madhya Pradesh. New crop has started coming to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh, though in small quantities. While traders are largely relying on the grain sold by the govt and arrivals from Madhya Pradesh are adding to the supply. Govt had last week sold 16,000 tonnes of wheat in Delhi through the open market sale tender.

West Australian wheat farmers warned of lower price.

An international grain forecasting expert has warned WA farmers they should not expect higher global wheat prices any time soon. Australian grain growers should watch the Australian dollar closely, as this would have the biggest bearing on their prices next season and beyond. Global wheat prices could decline to a seasonal low this year Record stocks of 546 million tonnes of major grains (wheat/corn/soybeans) meant the world was awash with grain and global plantings were at a record high. The global area harvested last year was 523 million hectares. A massive expansion in plantings in Ukraine, Russia, Brazil and Argentina, was contributing to the oversupply. Russia, the biggest importer of wheat was establishing itself as the world biggest exporter and had another 12 million hectares that could be cultivated.

UP wheat farmers face a grim harvest this season.

UP contributes almost a third to the country’s total wheat production, with an annual output of around 25-27 million tonnes. But the procurement target set by the Food Ministry for UP is just 3 million tonnes for this year. Arrivals about to start after a bumper wheat crop, farmers fear that wheat prices can fall unless procurement increases.