MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday banned imports of rice, groundnuts and sesame seeds originating from India citing poor quality of its produce. Now a complete ban has come into force as Indian authorities have failed to take proper (quality) control measures," Interfax reported, quoting agriculture watchdog 'Rosselkhoznadzor' In March, pests were found in 125 tons of rice imported from India, while a month earlier a consignment of sesame seeds contaminated with fungus, alpha toxin B1 and metallic...

Scientists are now saying that rice-developing countries may have to radically alter the way they produce rice: Asia s major staple is largely believed to be an even bigger source of global warming, possibly far more destructive than ozone-depleting carbon dioxide emissions of industrial and power plants. Scientists are now saying that rice-developing countries may have to radically alter the way they produce rice: Asia s major staple is largely believed to be an even bigger source of...

BANGALORE: India's finance minister said yesterday that he was worried about near-stagnant farm output that has forced the country to import grains to feed its billion-plus people. Both manufacturing and services are expanding strongly, P Chidambaram said in the country's high-tech hub, contributing to a record 9.4 per cent rise in economic output during the financial year ended March. India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, exported no wheat last year after shortages forced it...

The second phase of the Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative, an agreement of co-operation on science and technology for 2006 and on-going negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement would lay a strong legal foundation and a momentum for further bilateral relations, said Minh. Vietnam is emerging as a reliable destination for Japanese investors and many Japanese businesses have been operating profitably in the market, said the senior trade expert. The second phase of the Japan-Vietnam...

The commodity markets, however, take no break during the summer. Markets that are often affected by wicked summer weather include orange juice, (my personal favorite) and almost all of the energy commodities, especially natural gas and many others. Natural gas and unleaded gasoline could be great benefactors from the storms but if the energy markets are a little to pricey for you there are other markets too. If your portfolio is loaded, for example, with numerous energy stocks that could...