Rice and wheat production has more than doubled with an increase in farmed areas, totaling about 6.4 million acres of rice and 8.4 million acres of wheat. During the past 30 years, the Indian Punjab has transformed its agriculture through new technology that provides for high-producing plants, increased fertilization, and irrigation. While the Indian Punjab's agricultural performance continues to be impressive, evidence suggests that it's coming at a price: their groundwater use is...

Malaysia's peak palm harvesting season usually begins in June but this year it has been delayed due to the late arrival of the Southwest monsoon, industry officials said. Also, there is talk that production has picked up because plantation companies have reported an increase in fresh fruit bunches in the last 10 days. Soyabean oil's big fall in the Chicago Board of Trade is pulling down the palm oil market, said a leading trader. Malaysian palm oil usually takes its cue from the US soyaoil...

A third factor supporting the recent strength in soybean prices is the need for South America to substantially expand soybean area for harvest in 2008. While soybean oil stocks have remained large, expanding consumption of soybean oil, palm oil and canola oil has resulted in higher prices of vegetable oils. Chief among those was the expectation and eventual confirmation of a sharp reduction in soybean acreage in the U. Biodiesel use of soybean oil accounted for 14 percent of domestic...

Other kharif crops have also reported satisfactory coverage, boosting hopes of an easing of inflationary pressures and hardening interest rates in the economy. The overall munificent rains have resulted in higher sowing rates of cotton and oilseeds, with rice, coarse cereals and pulses lagging behind somewhat. New Delhi, July 13 With the south-west monsoon s performance well above par so far, there has been a spurt in area sown under oilseeds and cotton. All indications are that the...

Silva, referring to concerns raised during his European visit last week, said it is unjustified to think that increased production of sugar cane for ethanol could prompt more jungle clearing. He said that Amazon weather conditions aren't favorable for the sugar cane used to produce ethanol and suggested critics are trying to prevent Brazil from advancing economically by taking advantage of rising demand for biofuels. While there are few sugarcane-ethanol plantations in the Amazon,...