The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, March 04, 2003

SBM plans new appraisal for farm credit
STATE Bank of Mysore (SBM) is considering a new method of appraisal for lending to the agricultural sector, more on the lines of industrial credit given to trade and commerce, said SBM Managing Director, Mr M. Sitarama Murty. As agriculture ... More

AQUACULTURE

Biogenus signs MoU on marine research station
BIOGENUS India Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based Biogenus Inc, an aquatic biotechnology company, on Monday signed an MoU with the Karnataka Government, setting in motion a programme that can help shrimp farmers in the State. The company is setting ... More

BUDGET

`Budget has no measures for agri investment'
THERE are no specific measures in the Union Budget to arrest the trend of declining investment in the agricultural sector in view of its critical importance to achieving the projected 8 per cent growth rate in the Tenth Plan and Mr Jaswanth ... More

Fertiliser subsidies — Swaminathan wants funds to be used for improving soil health
AT a time when the Finance Minister is under pressure from within the National Democratic Alliance on his proposal to reduce fertiliser subsidies by increasing prices of urea and di-ammonium phosphate, Dr M.S. Swaminathan feels that Mr Singh ... More

RUBBER

Rubber flat on low-key activity
Sellers were not prepared to unload rubber at the current price and traders were inactive as major consumers did not give them the normal purchase schedule. Trading circles pointed out that major consumers might not come to the market this ... More

TAXATION

`Hard to quantify farm income for tax'
TAXING agricultural income, which falls under the purview of the States, is a difficult proposition as it is almost impossible to calculate agricultural income, said Dr Tarun Das, Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance. One of the arguments ... More

Karnataka to waive market cess for crops grown in AEZs
So far 45 AEZs have been sanctioned throughout the country of which nine have been set up in the southern States. More

`Taxing agri sector out of the question'
THE question of taxing the agricultural sector "should not arise in India as our farmers do not have the freedom to fix the price of their products." This was stated by Mr Jagdish Shettigar, Convenor of the Economic Affairs Committee of the ... More

TEA

Tea auctions in a tizzy after TMCO stay by HC
UNCERTAINTY looms large over the leading tea auction centres all over the country. Buyers, sellers and organisers of the auctions are not quite sure whether to follow the rules and regulations laid down by the controversial Tea Marketing Control ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING

Apeda sees 20% growth in processed foods this year
DESPITE the prevailing drought across the country, exports of agricultural and processed foods are expected to grow at 20 per cent for the current financial year from Rs 10,169 crore a year-ago, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export ... More

PRECIOUS METALS

Gold remains volatile
VOLATILITY in the gold market continued throughout last week with subtle changes in war concerns as also movements in crude oil prices, the dollar and equity markets impacting the yellow metal. Sale of 30 tonnes gold by Portugal as also report ... More

FOODGRAINS

Budget mixed, say grain merchants
THE Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association has called the Union Budget 2003-2004 as a mixed bag containing both good and bad features. Mr S.V.S.S. Velshankar, Joint Secretary of the association, in a statement here, has said the Budget has ... More

OILSEEDS & EDIBLE OIL

Govt must address weakness in excise regime
THE domestic processing industry is objecting to the levy of excise duty on ground of an imminent rise in retail prices of cooking oil. There is a certain irony in this objection because the same industry had opposed import of consumer-friendly ... More

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