Agriculture
Low output may hamper rice bran oil usage
RICE bran oil may not become the most popular cooking medium in the country despite having good nutritious qualities as the prospects of increasing production capacity in future is bleak.
Puzzling disparity in pulses prices
ARE individual pulses substitutes with respect to each other? The general belief is that there are strong regional preferences when it comes to consumption of different dals. Chana (Bengal gram or chickpea) and moong (green gram), for instance, are consu
med more in the North, while in the South, the preferred dals for making sambar or vada are tur (arhar or pigeon pea) and urad (black gram).
Rubber
Rubber prices soar on supply crunch
RUBBER prices are soaring after a period of continuous decline and the market is now reported to be more vibrant. The prices have risen so suddenly from around Rs 25 per kg during the second fortnight of April to nearly Rs 34 during the first fortnight o
f May owing to supply crunch and not based on sudden demand thrust.
Shipping
Plea to open Tuticorin port for edible oil import
THE All-India Edible Oil Manufacturers, Traders and Consumers Association (AIEOMTCA) has urged the Central Government to designate Tuticorin port as an entry point for import of edible oils.
Technical Analysis
Drought may lift NY cotton
NYCE cotton futures finished the week lower, on predictions of good weather in the growing areas. Volumes were very meagre helping the downside potential more. Last week saw volatile movements in cotton futures and by the end of the week the move upwards
proved to be a correction and the longer term trend being intact towards the downside.
No clear trend yet in palm oil
Malaysia's palm oil futures closed the week on an uncertain note. A clear trend is yet to emerge in the palm oil market. The export figures for the month of May is expected next week and that might provide a near term direction. However, the uncertainty
surrounding the Indian Prime minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement to review duty hikes on palm oil remains the biggest challenge for the markets upside potential. The head of the state has promised to review duty cuts and there is optimism that
it might happen soon. However, the duties were raised to protect the domestic industries and, therefore, even if a duty cut were to happen it might be very negligible.
