US may reduce its global crop estimate by 1.2% next month
Droughts withering wheat crops from the US to Russia to Australia will probably spur the biggest reduction in global supply estimates since 2003 and drive prices to the highest in almost a year. Kansas, the top US grower of winter wheat, is poised for its driest May on record, the state’s climatologist estimates. Ukraine and Russia, accounting for 11% of world output, have endured drought conditions for three months, University College London data show.

In a bid to provide some relief to the citizens burdened by rise in prices of food items, the city government plans to soon revive a scheme under which subsidised wheat flour will be sold at over 400 outlets at around `14 per kg.

The decision to revive the scheme came after Union minister of state for food and civil supplies K.V. Thomas at a meeting with chief minister Sheila Dikshit agreed to her request to provide additional quota of subsidised wheat to Delhi.

Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies (independent charge) Shri Paras Jain rewiewed the progress of procurement of wheat on support price and availability of gunny bags at mantralaya here today. Additional Chief Secretary Food Shri Antony Desa, State Cooperative Marketing Federation Managing Director Shri Ajay Tirkey and Civil Supplies Corporation Managing Director Shri Chandrahas Dube were also present on the occasion.

Britain's first ever field trial for genetically modified (GM) wheat was vandalised over the weekend in a move likened by the leader of the country's farming union to book burning by the Nazis in the 1930s.

An intruder broke into the trial at Rothamsted Research in eastern England on Sunday and was arrested and charged with criminal damage.

A statement issued by Rothamsted said the intruder had failed to disrupt the experiment.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said the climate models it monitors indicate a possible return of the El Nino weather pattern, often linked to heavy rainfall and droughts, in the second half of 2012.

The last severe El Nino in 1998 killed more than 2,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage to crops, infrastructure and mines in Australia and other parts of Asia.

To make judicious use of irrigation water, the Punjab government has launched a mega project costing Rs 36 billion titled “Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement” under which drip & sprinkler irrigation system would be installed on 120,000 acres along with improvement of 9000 water courses for which farmers will be provided huge subsidy.

Approximately 3000 Laser Land Levelling Units would also be provided on subsidized rates to farmers for land levelling under the project. This was disclosed by Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Muhammad Mushtaq Ahmad.

New Delhi: A panel headed by the PM’s chief economic advisor C Rangarajan has recommended exporting 2 million tonnes (mt) of wheat at a subsidy of Rs 1,500 crore through government channels and another 1 mt through private traders at a subsidy of Rs 150 crore. Warning that just exports would not be enough to manage the overflowing godowns and could cause political problems, the panel has also recommended distribution of 8 mt grain to below poverty line (BPL) and 2 mt to above poverty line (APL) families. The total subsidy bill for this would come to Rs 17,000 crore.