Cotton crop at 356 lakh bales for 2020-21, as per CAI’s first estimate
India’s cotton crop for the current year 2020-21 is expected to be lower by about 4 lakh bales (each of 170 kg) at 356 lakh bales as against 360 lakh bales last year.
The Cotton Association of India (CAI) on Monday released its first estimate of cotton crop for the new season starting from October 1, 2020 and ending on September 30, 2021.
India’s spices exports post 15% growth during April-August
Boosted by large shipments of chilli, cumin and turmeric, India’s spices exports registered a 15 per cent growth in quantitative terms during April to August this year. The value of exports rose to ₹10,001.61 crore, up from ₹8,858.06 crore in the corresponding period last year.
In terms of quantity, the figure rose to 5.7 lakh tonnes compared to 4,94,120 tonnes in the same period 2019.
Chilli continued to be the most exported spice with a shipment of 2,10,500 tonnes, fetching ₹2,876 crore. Cumin followed with a shipment of 1,33,000 tonnes valued at ₹1,873.70 crore, registering 30 per cent and 19 per cent increase in quantitative and value terms respectively.
NDDB develops indigenous sex sorting technology
India now has an indigenous technology for sex sorting bovine sperms which would ensure birth of only female calves.
NDDB Dairy Services (NDS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), on Sunday announced that it has been able to successfully conduct field trials using the sex sorting technology, developed with help of the Bengaluru-based Jiva Sciences. The first female calf from sex-sorted semen dose was produced at a semen station at Alamadhi, near Chennai, last month, an NDS statement said.
