Tight global supplies to continue driving India’s maize exports till May
USDA, FAO project tight supplies, lower end stocks
Maize (corn) exports from India are expected to go on till May with global supplies projected to be tight this year and demand continuing from Malaysia and Vietnam.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a UN arm, and the US Department of Agriculture have both projected that the ending stocks this marketing season (July 2020-June 2021) would be lower compared with last year. Both agencies have, however, raised the ending stocks in their reports this month on higher production estimates.
Poultry sector eyes recovery on rising demand, birds shortage
Live birds, egg prices rebound from lows
After facing the double whammy of Covid pandemic and bird flu over the past one year, the poultry sector is eyeing a recovery on rising prices fuelled by pick-up in demand and shortage of birds in the market. Industry players such as Godrej Agrovet and Suguna expect prices to rule firm for next few months on shortage of both live birds and broiler chicks.
“Demand has definitely picked up, but it is still around 75-80 per cent of the pre-Covid levels. The segments which consume in large quantities such as marriages, parties, hotels and restaurants are yet to come back to normal levels. My sense is that the demand will come back only when adequate vaccination takes place,” said Balram Singh Yadav, Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd.
Bangladesh holds Bt cotton field trials
India’s JK Seeds provides the technology
Hyderabad-based JK Agri Genetics Ltd, an arm of the JK Organisation, is collaborating with the Bangladesh government to hold field trials of genetically-modified cotton in the neighbouring country.
“The Bangladesh government is conducting the field trials, which have been completed for the first season. The results are good. Field trials will be held for the second season this year sometime between April and November,” said Gyanendra Shukla, President and Director of JK Agri Genetics, better popularly known as JK Seeds.
