Coffee Board seeks aid to sustain production
The Coffee Board has initiated steps to formulate a comprehensive project for the industry, for which it is planning to seek financial aid from external agencies including the World Bank (WB) and Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), especially in areas like sustainable coffee production.

Sugar production likely to touch 155 lakh tonnes, prices may dip
The estimated sugar production for the current year is likely to touch an impressive 155 lakh tonnes as against the previous year's actuals of 127 lakh tonnes.

GMO debate -- Malthus and the gene machine
Barring the debate on the "terminator" gene in cotton seeds some months back, the country seems to have isolated itself from the larger debate raging worldwide on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) relating to foodgrains.


  Commodity Briefing
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  Non-basmati rice export may touch new lows
  Bombay Oilseeds exchange plans to use ISE online trading system
  Steady arrivals of imported sugar from China, Brazil at Calcutta port
  Indonesia grain buyer sidesteps Australian wheat
  Vietnam issues measures to boost Q4 rice exports
  Israel's innovative agriculture focuses on bypassing resources scarcity
  Spice exports in Apr-Jul decline by 7 per cent
  Expert urges shift in traditional style to improve cost effectiveness of rubber
  Taxes take toll on cotton yarn exporters
  Sub-committee on ISO tea to meet in Calcutta next month
  Pith exports soar 337%, earn Rs 3 cr in forex
  Apr-Aug export earnings in cashew kernels top Rs 813 cr
  Truck rates may remain steady
  Loan norms for tea growers to be modified
  Cardamom prices dip sharply at Kerala, Tamil Nadu auctions
  Monsoons termed satisfactory this year, says IMD
  Australia Grain-Mice plague threatens crops
  Yellow metal gets a gift with no conditions attached
  Steel merchants want 8% excise duty slashed
  Copper prices seen firm on Phelps-Amax merger
  Argyle gears up to take on rival De Beers, launches coloured diamonds
  LME copper uptrends force local copper manufacturers hike prices
  `Gemmologists must devise ways to verify stones'
  Spurt in imports likely to soften edible oil prices
  S Africa gold mine lays off 2,500 workers
  Platinum price surges as lease rates tightens
  Global shortage in aluminium to continue
  Plastic units squeezed between government and polymer makers
  Sanctions hamper developing Iraqi oil reserves, says Russian minister
  Philippine oil firms alter pump prices again
  NWE oil products, futures firm up on tight supplies
  Oil sector capex tight despite high prices -- Poll
  IPE Brent firm
  Cotton contamination on the rise -- Survey
  Mills to discuss cotton import norms
  Research body for mechanisation to counter high cotton labour costs
  `Whitefly, a threat to Punjab cotton'
  Overall textiles exports up by 2.6 per cent
  Dumping hurts Pakistan fertiliser industry -- Expert