Three-year wheat holiday in 2 Bengal districts to check wheat blast.

Centre has declared a three-year wheat holiday in Nadia and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal that reported outbreak of wheat blast this year to reduce the spread of the disease. Farmers asked to state govt to prepare a list of crops that can be planted instead of wheat for atleast three years. Govt has burnt the affected crop over 580 ha in Murshidabad and over 505 ha in Nadia so far. To ensure that the air borne disease is contained, Central govt has asked the West Bengal govt to buy the entire wheat that is harvested in the affected districts and get it custom milled into flour.

NCDEX coriander hits 6 week high as arrivals decline.

Futures contracts of coriander on the NCDEX hits 6 week high because of low arrivals at the benchmark market in Rajasthan. The most active April contract on the NCDEX traded up 0.33%. Arrivals in Rajasthan were pegged at 32,000 bags (1bag=40kg) down 18,000 bags. Likely decline in coriander output in 2016-17 (Oct-Sep) is also seen contributing to the rise in prices.

No damage from rains so far for coriander; concerns remain.

Unseasonal rains in Rajasthan over the last three days have not caused much damage to the coriander crop so far but likely spells of heavy rainfall in the key growing areas pose a threat. 30-40% of the mature coriander crop still standing and forecast of rainfall this month has kept growers and traders on edge about likely damage to the harvest. Coriander crop in some areas of Jodhpur and Barmer districts in the state may see some quality erosion in the form of discoloured grains though the production volume may remain unchanged. Rainfall in Rajasthan is likely to bring colour variations in the standing crop of Badami and Eagle varieties of coriander.

Farmers advised against distress sale of paddy in Kothagudem (Telangana).

Paddy farmers of establishing purchase centres within their reach and advised them against making a distress sale of paddy to the middlemen and reviewing arrangements for lifting paddy with officials of Civil Supplies department, rice millers, market committee secretaries. Civil Supplies officials to equip the paddy purchase centres with instruments that measure moisture content in paddy, scales. Rice millers to mill the paddy and supply fine rice to the social welfare hostels and government schools and 45 paddy purchase centres were being established in the district.