AP prawn exports to go up
Production of exportable prawn in coastal Andhra Pradesh during the first crop season this year was expected to be worth Rs 1,000 crore, according to the Marine Production Export Development Authority (MPEDA). The deputy director at MPEDA's regional centre in Vijayawada, B Vishnubhat on Monday told PTI that though the prawn cultivators had faced some setbacks due to spread of I virus-white spot disease between January and early March, the condition had improved from the second week of March. Non-availability of quality seed and unfavourable environmental conditions were the main reasons for the disease, Vishnubhat said. The production till now was 16,000-17,000 tonnes, worth about Rs 700 crore, he said and added that these would go up as the season would end only in June. During 1998, the production in the first season from the coastal belt of Andhra was about 30,000 tonnes, worth Rs 1,125 crore, he said.

Seminar on rice bran oil
A national seminar on edible rice bran oil will be held in New Delhi on May 8 to promote its use as a cooking medium and to understand its nutritional properties. Over 250 experts will participate in the one-day seminar, organised by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India. Many ministries, including food and consumer affairs, agriculture, food processing and health apart from institutions like Ciftri, IICT, CSIR have extended support, a press release said on Monday. India, the second largest rice producer, has the potential to produce over nine lakh tonnes of rice bran oil per annum. Currently, the industry is processing about 32 lakh tonnes of rice bran producing over 4.8 lakh tonnes of rice bran oil per annum. Of the three lakh edible grade, only 50,000 tonnes is being refined, packed and sold to consumer for direct cooking medium. Despite being nutritious, demand for rice bran oil is not picking up due to lack of awareness, the release added.

Steel prices strengthen
Prices generally strengthened on the local steel market today largely on increased demand from builders amidst restricted arrivals. Traders said drop in production in view of load shedding in the industrial areas also attributed rise in steel prices. The following were today's quotations per tonne: Prices of tor steel 8mm, 10mm and 12 to 25 mm quoted higher at Rs 17000, 16500, and Rs 16000-16500 per quintal respectively. In the ingot and scrap section, mill heavy and turning boring quoted sharply higher at Rs 7000-7100 and Rs 6200-6400 per tonne respectively against last level of Rs 6700-6800 and Rs 5800-5900 respectively. Tin ingot also traded sharply higher at Rs 12000-12100 from Rs 11,100-11,300.

Leather trading unchanged
Trading pattern remained unchanged on the local leather market here today as prices of both raw and treated leather continued to hovering narrowly around previous levels owing to absence of any support. Following were today's raw leather prices per skin in inches in Rs: goat salted 30"x40" Rs 45-50, goat unsalted 30"x40" Rs 75-80, sheep salted 32"x40" Rs 100.