Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the country.

Wheat Rises as Dollar Drop Boosts Outlook for U.S. Export Sales

Wheat Rises as Dollar Drop Boosts Outlook for U.S. Export Sales:

Wheat rose to a one-week high on speculation that prospects for U.S. exports gained because the dollar declined this month and as demand increased from investors seeking a hedge against inflation.

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Wheat prices also got a boost from concern that some U.S. growers were unable to plant winter crops because unusually heavy rainfall delayed the soybean harvest and hindered access to the fields.

U.S. shipments have lagged behind the year-earlier pace because of rising world stockpiles and because competing suppliers offered grain at lower prices.

Wheat also gained as speculative investors including index- and hedge-fund managers bought commodity futures that they deem to be undervalued, including wheat.

In Other major Commodity Update, there is information about Soybean Prices rising on surging Chinese demand for U.S. Supplies.

Soybean Prices Rise on Surging Chinese Demand for U.S. Supplies:

Soybean prices rose to a five-month high on surging demand for animal feed and cooking oil made from oilseeds shipped by the U.S., the world’s biggest producer and exporter.

From Sept. 1 to Nov. 19, U.S. export sales of soybeans rose 58 percent to 27.1 million metric tons (995.4 million bushels) from a year earlier, and China accounted for 62 percent of the total, government data show.

A drought this year in Brazil and Argentina, the largest shippers of feed made from the oilseed, boosted consumption of U.S. supplies.

U.S. sales of soybean meal from Oct. 1 to Nov. 19 surged 72 percent to 4.7 million tons from a year earlier, Department of Agriculture figures show.

Shipments of soybean oil have tripled.

Note : For More Latest Industry, Stock Market and Economy News and Updates, please Click Here

No traffic, no cacophonous tourists, no abominable billboards, no nothing – a departing bus, two bewildered travelers, couple of shops yet to open, a tiny black-white sign board confirming our destination, chill air and a small asphalt road leading into the swirling morning mist – that was how we arrived. And we liked it, immensely. A short walk down the road, over a culvert across a clear stream, hemmed in by tall bushes, here and there a few houses and we reached the Bison Jungle Resort.

We were the only guests. This was off season. Our accommodation was a thatched roof hut with a veranda, a drawing room and a bedroom. We were in the lap of rustic luxury. After washing up we took breakfast – Poha, if I remember correctly, and chatted with the caretaker and cook. A piebald dog, we nicknamed him Dajipur Sultan – the emperor of Dajipur, befriended us. A compulsive tail wagger, he accompanied us on our trudge into the jungle. Jeep safaris were not available during monsoon. The Indian Wild Bison, the majestic Gaur hid itself deep inside forest and did not venture out. Other distinguished wildlife of Dajipur also failed to make an appearance. But we did not mind. Together, me, my wife and Sultan, we went out on long jungle treks along a mud track.

The incessant hum of cicadas broke the pervasive silence. The forest, arching gloomily over the path held us in a tunnel of murky twilight. Strange jungle sounds sent an electric shiver down the spine and we paused with our hearts pounding at the slightest rustle. At times Sultan would run ahead and stop with its ears cocked which instantly halted us in suspense till he ran back.

A million shades of scintillating emerald green burst out where the sun filtered through the leaves. Ribbons of frothy white cascades gushed down slopes and traversed across the track. When we returned to the warmth of the resort, benevolent serenity settled on us. It rained during the night and we sat on the veranda and watched rain drops gather over the eaves and plop into tiny gravel pools.

One day we visited Amboli, a remote, provincial hill station on the Sahyadris. The bus from Sawantwadi wound up a steep narrow road for two hours before depositing us at the nondescript bus stop. The owner of the restaurant where we stopped for lunch guided us on places to visit and arranged an auto rickshaw to take us around the multitude of splendid waterfalls and the Hiranyakeshi Shiva temple.

The temple and surroundings radiated an eerie splendor amplified by the rain, dripping leaves and shifting sun light. The river Krishna which emerged out of a pellucid crystal pool beside a cave inside the temple complex mesmerized me. It as one of those rare occasions when I felt a spiritual transcendence wash over.

We also visited Radhanagari Dam and Malwan. The dam had manicured gardens and turned out to be a favourite picnic spot of the locals.

We arrived at Malwan hoping to visit the Sindhudurg Fort, erected on a rocky island in the Arabian Sea by Shivaji. The pier was deserted and due to rough seas fishing boats were not available to take us to the fort. We wandered about the narrow streets of the town for a while and turned back. It was dark by the time we reached Phonda. No bus for Radhanagari was available. Finally we managed to get an auto rickshaw to Dajipur. Phonda Ghats are notorious for armed robbers. The rickshaw headlights cast a faint elliptical firefly glow on the road as we climbed the dark, looming Ghats. The sight of flickering kerosene lamps at the road side shops as we reached Dajipur brought us great relief.

Bison Jungle Resort
Tel: 02321-274024-25
www.bisonjungleresort.com

Reservations
Bison Jungle Resort, 103, KB Lal Industrial Estate,
Linking Rd Extension, Santacruz(W),
Mumbai-400054
022-26174932, 26174933

Photo courtesy: Subha Varma

Hello friends,

I know I have been neglectful in keeping up with this blog. In many ways it has served as my own version of writer’s block- since my work does not permit me to have regular writer’s block it has translated to this blog. Truthfully, I write and read all day long at work, write emails and facebook posts at home, and read novels and internet for leisure. The idea of spending more time devoted to writing has not seemed so pleasant this past month, although there has been so much that has been left un-chronicled and I will certainly regret it in the future. My energies have also been sapped: whether it has been the weather (over two weeks of downpour, mold and monsoon), the demands of work, the demands of the children at Roy’s, various sicknesses, or just some inevitable negativity and sour grapes, I have not been posting at all.

Now that I am home sick from work, I thought I would remedy my negligence by posting a little about work. Last Friday, while feeling sick and tired from the previous evening’s Thanksgiving festivities, I attended an Auroville Village Action Group (AVAG) Exchange program. It is a great and novel program that AVAG conducts in as part of the gender equity and caste integration processes. If you would like to be updated on AVAG, and are on facebook, please become a fan of our organization here.

Without further ado my activity report (blog version):

Where: Annai Nagar Dalit settlement in the village of Alam Kuppum

When: 27 November 2009

Participants: About 60 Tamil women from three different settlements.

Observers: Anbu, four AVAG field workers, Audrie and Dianna from Village Outreach Society and Aurobindo (an Aurovillian from Orissa who is their guide and translator), Mirjam and Galen (AVAG volunteers), and Hannah who is a journalist from Ireland(?)

Report Author: Galen

We arrived just after 10 am in the Dalit settlement of Annai Nagar adjoining the village of Alam Kuppum, about a ten-minute ride from AVAG. Anbu, Audrie, Dianna, Aurobindo, and Hannah in the jeep and Mirjam and myself following AVAG secretary Mika on our mopeds. By the time we arrived the field staff and women were already congregated inside the single room of a children’s night school. As we entered our foreheads were painted with turmeric powder, a Talika I believe it is called.

The room where the Exchange program took place was long, concrete and in somewhere between

Just before the Exchange program starts...

decent and slightly shabby condition. Chalkboards flanked either end and there was no furniture present aside from a few plastic chairs and benches that we, as observers, sat upon. The women were against the wall in a large “U” shape sitting on straw mats and segregated by village. Many toddlers slept on straw mats, at times waking to play or cry for attention from the women.

All the women seemed a little stiff in their body posture and apprehensive about what was to come next when we entered. The hosting Annai Nagar women were dressed in beautiful purple saree uniforms, except for three women who wore pink uniforms and were representatives of AVAG’s very first WSHG. Women from the Vanniar caste village (I regret to admit I did not find out what village they are from) were dressed in matching yellow saree uniforms. Anbu later explained that in their village a group had segregated themselves as possessing a higher status than the rest of the caste and named themselves Padayatchi. The Padayatchi were represented at the Exchange by the third set of women who were not wearing matching sarees. Apparently, some eight years ago in their village, a Vanniar and Padayatchi attempted to marry and the tragic outcome resulted in three murders. Given these circumstances, Anbu was nervous about what would happen at this program; although she acknowledged improvement and the villagers’ own desire to hold an Exchange.

Anbu started the program with a moment of silence that lasted about two minutes and was observed

Women pledging support for the Udhayam Women's Centre

by all except the mooing cows outside and a little noise from the eight present children. After the moment of silence, one of the leaders of the Dalit group recited a pledge to the Udhayam Women’s Centre, which was echoed by all the women.

Anbu starts by having the women introduce themselves individually. From the beginning it is obvious that all the women, even those that are older than her, view Anbu as a motherly figure. When some of the women stumble introducing themselves, are shy or timid, Anbu playfully teases and mocks them with the result that everyone laughs. Far from being mean, this mocking seems to be teaching the women to speak strongly and present themselves with confidence. Anbu starts a game to test some

Project Coordinator (and my boss) Anbu, in golden saree, about to lead the Exchange program

women on how many name s they remember, and even though it is in Tamil, I can tell the women are doing a remarkable job and are paying close attention. None of this happens without more teasing from Anbu and as the decibel level increases with the laughter, it is evident the women’s body language has changed. The women now seem animated and are talking excitedly to one another.

During the introductions it turns out that many of the names, as is customary in India, are the same or similar. Anbu and the field staff use this as an excuse to rearrange the women, pairing common names in either twos or threes. Women from different villages, groups, and different colored sarees are now sitting mixed together. Some look a little tense at first but others seem excited. Once all the women are in their new seats, the visiting groups offer a basket of fruit to their hosts, a custom that shows their thanks and respect.

Anbu now tells the women that they must go off in their pairs and meet the family of one Dalit host.

Women of Dalit (formerly 'Untouchables' and caste groups eat together

During this time the women are eating snacks together, which is a momentous occasion since these groups would never eat together in traditional Indian society.

When the women return from visiting the families, the atmosphere has entirely changed. All signs of discomfort have vanished and it is clear that everyone is much more open and genuinely enjoying each other’s company, even among the older and Padayatchi women. AVAG staff asks each pairing to stand up and tell the group about their visit to the Annai Nagar homes. Dalit, Vanniar, and Padayatchi women all stand together, many placing hands on one another’s backs and laughing together. There is a palpable sense of shared intimacy now between the women. As Aurobindo translates what the women are saying, the most common phrase issued is, “she is my friend.” Mirjam is sitting on the floor with the women and seems to be

"She is my friend"

adopted by one of the groups. Her group states that Mirjam is their friend because, despite her different appearance and culture, she has a nose ring just like them.

Anbu then gives the women a brief lecture about speaking with confidence since all have, regardless of caste, experienced trouble addressing the group. This pep talk is important for the women’s empowerment aspect of the day.

The entire program now engages in a Tamil version of “Simon-Says”, led by Anbu. I did not think it possible for the women to laugh any harder, but the excitement level continues to climb. I pause to reflect what this must mean for a group of women who are so often coerced and subjected to control by men? How does it feel to just let loose and feel comfortable together, building such a sense of solidarity and

Playing games helps to build friendship and community

togetherness across traditional social lines that serve to divide them?

After the game the women divide back into their Self-Help Groups (SHG) to discuss how they will present their group accomplishments to the other SHG’s. The hosting in SHG in purple tells about how their husbands appreciate the low-interest rates on loans they get from Udhayam and AVAG.

The women in pink sarees are from the first SHG that AVAG formed about 16 years ago. As the pioneering group they have taken special interest in advocating for women’s issues. They have completed many micro projects in the village including repairing roads and water tanks. The Government of Pondicherry has rewarded them with the Best Club Award and the cash prize they received was used to start an enterprise renting out utensils for functions. They are a model group for other WSHG’s.

The Vanniar SHG, which is dressed in yellow sarees, is the second SHG in their village. They enjoy cleaning the village and throwing community celebrations. One woman states they, “feel like a big family.” Their village is remote and there was a low respect for the women until the women went to AVAG and asked to form SHG’s. The men were not happy at first but when there was an Exchange program that brought exposure and recognition for the village, the men’s tune changed. The SHG ended up claiming an acre in their village that is now used for organic farming.

The Padayatchi women speak last and talk about how their SHG has earned them respect from the men. They tell a story about a man from their village who was killed on the job and whose family was refused just compensation from his company. The women went to the company as a group and protested, winning three lakh rupees in compensation, which made them feel empowered.

One Padayatchi women gets up and speaks personally. She has changed a lot and learned not to speak poorly of others. She now treats people of different castes and socially outcast groups such as widows with kindness and respect since joining her AVAG SHG.

The women then break for what is the biggest test of the day- eating lunch served by their Dalit hosts. Since the room is too small for everyone to eat at once, the visitors (including ourselves) are served by the hosts. We all sit on the concrete floor and food is ladled onto banana leaves, as is customary. The food, of course, is delicious. When our meal is done the visitors serve the hosts and the entire meal goes off without even a hint of protest. It is a success!

The end result is caste integration and women in different sarees sitting amongst one another

After lunch I am sitting outside digesting and an elderly women walks up to me. She is entirely crouched over, her back permanently brought parallel to the ground from years of sweeping and cooking over a fire. She chews and spits tobacco as she sits next to me and offers me food. Maki translates and let her know I have just eaten but am grateful for her offer. She tells me a sad tale of her husband and oldest son passing. I listen and then thank her for her offer, before returning back to the program.

Later the program concludes with one more game and a demonstration of eco-friendly products, such as water filters, that will improve the health of the villages. The whole day has been immeasurably moving for me, the other observers, and, most of all, the participants. Audrie and Dianna, who represent Village Outreach Society (based in Canada and the UK) are so moved they decide to sponsor 24 Exchange programs this next year through their charity.

A hugely important report has been released by Allianz, a leading global financial service provider, and WWF, a leading global environmental NGO. Both do work (commercial and conservation respectively) in India. The report is titled: ‘Major Tipping Points in the Earth’s Climate System and Consequences for the Insurance Sector‘.

What is a ‘tipping point’ and how does it apply to India and our agriculture? The phrase ‘tipping point’ means that a small change can make a big difference for some systems – which for our project is the agro-ecological systems inhabited by our farming households. In addition, the term ‘tipping element’ has been introduced to describe those large-scale components of the Earth system that could be forced past a ‘tipping point’ and would then undergo a transition to a quite different state. That’s the context in which the drought of 2009 can be examined.

You can find the report and more information here. I’m quoting the short summary of the report’s chapter on the Indian monsoon:

Indian Summer Monsoon – shifts in hydrological systems in Asia as a result of hydrological disturbance of monsoon hydrological regimes (particularly Indian Summer Monsoon) combined with disturbance of fluvial systems fed from the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya-Tibetan glaciers (HKHT)

Overview – The impacts on hydrological systems in India under a ‘tipping’ scenario are expected to approximately double the drought frequency (2) and effects from the melting of the Himalayan glaciers and reduced river flow will aggravate impacts.

Drought costs – Extrapolating from the 2002 drought using a simple calculation would suggest that the future costs (in today’s prices) might be expected to double from around $US 21 billion to $US 42 billion per decade in the first half of the century. However, a range of other factors are likely to act to increase these costs and consequences in the same period. The most significant of these are likely to be the combined effects of:

• decreasing probability of consecutive ‘non-drought’ years from which to accumulate surpluses (the probability of two consecutive ‘non-drought’ years is halved from 64% to 36% and for three consecutive years reduced from 51% to 22%);
• the pressures of increasing population on food and food surpluses (identified as equal to an increase in production by >40% by 2020 and continuing thereafter); and
• impacts of climate change on irrigation (with up to a 60% reduction in dry season river flows).

The effect of all of the variables is to increase the likelihood, severity and exposure of populations and the economy to potentially devastating conditions within the first half of this century with implications for water resources, health, and food security, and major economic implications not only for India but for economies regionally and worldwide.

Insurance aspects – The potential scale of drought losses could abort the initiatives to extend insurance more widely into the rural sector. The wider repercussions of drought through an economic slow-down and deterioration in public finances would impact insurers strongly, through the liquidation of private savings and the impairment of investments in public sector securities.

Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the globe.

Uncertainty over stocks leads to price volatility in turmeric futures:

In an unusual situation this week, far-term turmeric contracts were trading much below near-term ones, offering a big arbitrage opportunity for hedgers and speculators, on the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX).

The price difference was 39 per cent.

Last year’s carryover stock is estimated to have declined steeply, at around 150,000 bags (a bag is 70 kg) as of today, as compared to around 700,000 bags around the same time last year.

Arrivals at the Erode market were 2,000 bags and sold at Rs 10,900-11,000 a quintal.

In Duggirala, prices were placed at Rs 9,800-10,500 a quintal and in Warangal at Rs 9,900-10,500 a quintal.

Turmeric exports climbed seven per cent to 4,000 tonnes in October 2009 from the same period last year.

Weak turmeric futures put downward pressure on spot markets, to send the product down by Rs 800 a quintal.

In Other major Commodities Updates also read Soybeans and Wheat Drop as Dubai Default Risk Dents Confidence of the Investors.

Soybeans, Corns and Wheat Drop as Dubai Default Risk Dents Confidence:

Soybeans, corn and wheat slumped after Dubai’s bid to reschedule debt sent equities tumbling and eroded investor confidence in commodities.

Soybeans for January delivery dropped as much as 2.7 percent to $10.2625 a bushel, the lowest level since Nov. 19, in electronic trading on the Chicago Board of Trade and were at $10.385 at of 10:50 a.m. Tokyo time.

The contract has lost 0.7 percent this week, the first such drop in three weeks.

Wheat for March delivery in Chicago lost as much as 2.4 percent to $5.5775 a bushel before trading at $5.595.

The grain dropped 3.7 percent this week, falling for the first time in four weeks.

Production may be around 21 million metric tons, down 2 percent from last harvest and lower than the 23 million tons forecast in October,2009.

Note : For More Latest Industry, Stock Market and Economy News and Updates, please Click Here

For our first full weekend in Thailand, we decided to get away. Most of our new acquaintances were heading northwest, to popular rural tourist town, Pai. We felt that joining them would be a blunder. Since we see them on a regular basis, we thought we should disembark, detox, and detour to some other remote Thai location. We wanted a place where we could experience the natural and fierce beauty of the north, a place we could be the only farang, a place away from the sound of traffic, we wanted Chiang Dao.

Now, I don’t want to give off the impression that this was a well thought out trip, an insightful choice. It was a) luck and b) just the product of being bad-asses (random success comes with the territory). We woke up Saturday morning to a knock on the door. It was Tom, our new amigo and fellow bad ass. “Get up, we are getting motorcycles” was all that was said, but it lit the fire. We packed a backpack, took a shower, and headed out. After securing motorcycles we headed to the nearest book store for inspiration and perhaps a map. Someone had a vague recollection of a particularly beautiful stretch of road that led to some picturesque villages that would be a perfect mission for our new biker gang. We hoped seeing some names on a map would help, it didn’t. So, Cengiz bought a map of the golden triangle, since it seemed to cover the immediate area north of Chiang Mai and we went to lunch, determined to figure out the itinerary while we fueled up for the day.

During lunch, we threw out the name of just about every city on the map and futilely debated over which to choose (since no one had any idea about any of them, I can’t believe this lasted as long as it did). Meanwhile, I shuffled through Gina’s Thailand guide (we were a foursome) and found mention of a “Pai without the party” (Pai is the popular “rural” get away, not too far from Chiang Mai, that now offers nightlife and any number of organized “adventures”) called Chiang Dao, directly north of Chiang Mai and situated under an impressive mountain. This sounded just as good as any other place we brainstormed and even had a recommendation to back it up, so the choice was easy, the bill was paid and we were off.

WAIT. Not quite. Cengiz just dumped the motorbike. OK, no blood or permanent damage? Now we’re off. It was tough getting out of the city. Thailand doesn’t do traffic lights very often, so there are lots of one way streets and turnarounds that make navigation difficult for a non-native. When you also add the adaptation of driving on the other side of the road and the lack of traffic laws in general, there is enough fear, adrenaline, and information thrown at a driver to freak out any first timer. So, being the overachiever that he is, Cengiz dumped it, AGAIN. This time there was blood, broken glass, and snapped metal, so we had to stop. After buying some really hilariously frivolous band aids, we were back on the road again (somehow the dangling break from the left handlebar was not a successful deterrent). To make sure the blood had as long as possible to ruin his socks and shorts, we were proceeding with extreme caution (and lack of speed), for the rest of the 3 hr. trip. To be honest, we were all a little rattled with the events (Cengiz was, after all, the only one of us to have been on a motorcycle) so the 45 km/hr cruising speed was widely accepted and actually turned out to be a great pace for cruising to the iPod speakers blaring UGK out of my cup holder.

The trip was going very well before our caravan was overcome by a true South East Asian rainstorm. As we were in the middle of nowhere when it hit, we have very few options and elected to brave the elements and press on. After about 20 minutes, the rain subsided, and we found ourselves cruising through a rain forest, rapidly drying in the wind. This is what we came for. The scenery was so beautiful that it was dangerous. It was difficult to keep your eyes on the road, which was also wet, and winding through a precipitous mountainside. Looking out over the trees, we saw mile upon mile of the lushest vegetation on the planet. At one point I found myself counting shades of greens as I scanned the canopy for monkeys. We slowed our pace to a crawl, the curves were intimidating and there was no reason to rush this stretch of road, especially once we found ourselves following a crooked river on our left.

Almost as soon as the picturesque stretch ended, we saw the signs we were looking for, so we followed with a right hand turn and enjoyed the 2 km to Chiang Dao. The city isn’t much. Which, I guess is the point. I ran into a Dutch Pirate (no joke) and he couldn’t recommend anywhere to stay or eat so we grabbed a beer at a local shop to rest our soar necks and hash out a plan for accommodations. I saw a sign for a home stay who’s name seemed familiar, so we scoured the Lonely Planet to confirm. They agreed, “Malee’s” was the place to go, 4 km back up the road we had come, situated right under the mountain.

The home stay was perfect. When we pulled in, we weren’t sure we had the right place, it seemed abandoned. Then, we were greeted by the hounds and a “receptionist.” After being showed some bungalow’s right out of a movie, we quickly payed the man for the night and got started on his refreshingly cold Chang beer collection. It was already pitch black, I could barely see Tom across the table, and after 3+ hrs en route, we were exhausted. Dinner was a distant thought, but one we thought should be heeded none the less. We hesitatingly asked if there would be dinner served that night, it was so dark we were sure it was going to be a difficult request. It was 6:00. Of course there would be dinner, if we could just wait for them to prepare the grill, it would be served within the hour.

The fresh local coals sparked like a pile of flint; the deep reds flying through the air against the pitch black were mesmorizing, like projectile magma from a personal volcano. Exhausted, the four of us faded into the dark silence, entranced by the visuals. We were broken from this moment of rest by a small creature scurrying round behind us in the dark. It jumped up and bit tom. It was a “Peter.” Now “Peters” are the rarest creature I have encountered. They resemble your standard 8 year old Germanic Thai, but they also speak French and English and are fluent in snake hissing, barking, and tiger growling. They climb with the agility of a chimp, can identify any vegetable in the garden, but particularly prefer bananas, and (as any cold blooded creature) enjoy curling up to warm bodies, specifically homestay guests. Peter was our entertainment for much of the night, biting bottles, bodies, and bananas and showing off his mastery of Muay Thai and genital crushing to anyone in his path, no matter the size. Peter’s mom, the unbelievable Malee, is unbelievably amazing. She not only speaks several languages, has a nack for decorating, runs the most efficient guest house I have ever been to, knows first aid, knows everything about the area, and makes friends with other people FOR you, she also has jokes. As she was brutally cleaning Cengiz’s wounds, she would remind him that there would be “no loving tonight, you have to stay off your knees” or that he should go to the hospital, not for medical care, but for “a sexy young nurse.”

After the wounds were cleaned up, we were served with heaping portions of pork cuts, chicken wings, fresh shrimp, squid, salad, pineapple, and a variety of magnificent, home made condiments. It was absolutely delicious. We spent the rest of the evening eating, drinking, meeting some fellow visitors, and figuring out that we should hit the sack so that we could be up and chipper for the 5:45 sunrise from Thailand’s most sacred place, the Wat atop the overshadowing mountain next to (and above) us.

Cengiz and I made it up the 500 stairs to the mountain, in pitch black, which was not easy. Most of the climbing was just keeping a rhythm. We couldn’t see the steps but knew the pace and length of each stride so as not to miss the next. Once up the steps we came to a wat, dug into the side of the rocks, with a look out tower lined with and guarded by Thai basilisks. We patiently waited for the sun to show, but were let down. The overcast skies left us with a gradual glow rather than any kind of “breaking of dawn.” However, we were alerted to the exact moment of the sunrise as we were lucky enough to hear th monk alarm clock. At exactly 5:45, when the sun started its rise, a loud high pitch sound crashed out of the jungle. Unwaveringly, it held its note as a symphony of other jungle sounds -chirps, croaks, howls, clicks- joined the note, like an orchestra tuning to the oboe. The morning went from a deafening silence, to an even more astounding roar of sound.

After taking some video and pictures, we headed back down to base camp. Tom was still struggling with the local stomach bug he picked up the evening before and Gina was playing with Peter. We mounted the bikes, loaded up some emergency TP, and took off for home. Cengiz regained his confidence so we ripped through the country side at nearly twice our previous speed. The rush was incredible and the weather couldn’t be more perfect. Along the way we randomly came upon an elephant, grazing near the side of the road. The beast’s hunger and resounding sense of power was intimidating and though it was docile and obliging to our attention, my heart was pounding and my spider senses activated to a state of hyper-alertness. After taking off again at breakneck speed, we found ourselves making ridiculously good time, good enough to warrant a detour at Shri Lanna National Park. We didn’t get to boat out into the lake to the floating house or uncover the park’s waterfalls, but it was a beautiful backdrop for some lunch and a break for our bike sore backs.

When we finally were getting into the city area, we reduces speed with the increased danger of the traffic and things stayed well… for a while. Rain once again started pounding the troupe as we were just entering the city’s center. It was uncomfortable, but we had ridden in it before so we pressed on. The city’s moat, which is now the center of the city’s main avenue, is easily the most difficult traffic for a first time rider. We cautiously entered the avenue and I made the turn to enter our final stretch before dropping the biks off. When I looked in my mirror, no one was following. I pulled over and waited for 5 minutes, hoping my comrades would be following shortly. Nothing. I assumed they took a different route, we had said “if all else fails, meet at the shop.” So, I headed there to drop my bike off and meet them. I was waiting long enough to get a table next door and order a beer. My stomach was beset with a pit the size of a watermelon- Cengiz dumped it on the wet turn and was in the hospital, I knew it. I waited for a solid 20 minutes until they finally rolled up. As Tom and Cengiz went to go settle up, Gina explained to me that Tom T-Boned a Tuk Tuk and flipped it. He was ok, and the tuk tuk driver survived with minor scrapes. A quick 1,000 baht bribe was sufficient to keep the police out of things. The damages to the two bikes cost a total of 600 baht, so financially it was no big deal. And, with everyone safe, we walked back to the hotel, laughing at the absurdity of our 50% casualty rate and enjoying the sheer sensation of relief that we made it back. Nostalgic musings about the paradise we enjoyed at “Malee’s” didn’t hinder the cloud 9 high either.

Hello Friends here we come up with an extension of our previous blog, “Seasonal Index……“Time is Money” Part 1

In previous Blog, we had touched upon the aspect like what is seasonal pattern and reasons for studying seasonal variation.

Seasonal Index……“Time is Money”

Now we would see the analysis part of seasonal patterns in predicting the future prices of the commodity.

The Analysis

Crop prices tend to follow a general seasonal pattern of their own, identifying the major turning points in prices, setting their seasonal low at harvest followed by a post-harvest rally, where the supply of the crop is fixed and consumption gradually takes that supply, causing prices to rise.

However, major market shocks or powerful influencing factors like monsoon, production figures, stock levels & demand may significantly alter seasonal patterns & the prices may experience the special condition.

This is what happened with the Guar prices.

The ‘Guar’ legume plant is rain-fed monsoon crop.

Monsoon has been the decisive factor for the trend in guar futures.

The sowing period is July and August right after the first shower of the monsoon and the harvesting period is September and November.

Fresh arrivals of the crop from Haryana and Punjab begin immediately after the first week of September and continue till the month of December.

One example would be redeploying capital in Guar futures in two phases by taking selling positions from April as monsoon sets in – boosting the production levels, and buying in the month of June when the rally begins.

If we follow the price index & compare it with the actual, then it is seen that the prices have followed the path of the seasonal trend many times in this year & have given their best highs from month of June to August.

The seasonality shown in the below graphs depicts that the positive wave has given a satisfying return on investment in both of these commodities, & the strategy adopted of “Sell in April” makes this clear.

Guar Seed Seasonal Index vs Actual

Guar Seed Seasonal Index vs Actual

Again, the investors taking fresh buying positions from the end of June & holding till the end of the year have had always hard-earned profits.

Stay Tuned for more on this.

In next blog we would read about that how an annual average method can be used to generate a seasonal pattern in predicting the future prices of the commodity and seasonal pattern in the year 2009.

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Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the globe.

Bull run in commodities may continue

Bull run in commodities may continue:

Spurt in prices to be driven by dollar weakness, rise in demand and low supplies.

The global bull run in commodities is likely to continue through next year due to dollar weakness, supply restraint and, eventually, a pickup in demand.

Crude oil prices are also up 74 per cent, but the energy complex as a whole is down, as natural gas prices are weighed down by massive oversupply.

Precious metals have also risen 37 per cent.

The base metals complex has performed well this year, driven by the rebound in growth in China, although some of the increased demand has gone into inventory.

Sugar and soybeans have been the exception in 2009, rising sharply while the rest of the agricultural complex underperformed.

This was largely on supply issues; improved crops in 2009-10 are expected to flood the market, dampening prices.

In Other major Commodities Updates we can read about Govt estimation about the Edible oil output which says that Edible oil output may dip 7.4% in 2009-10.

Edible oil output may dip 7.4% in 2009-10:

The government today said edible oil output is likely to decline 7.4 per cent to 7.96 million tonnes in the 2009-10.

Edible oil production, last year, stood at 8.6 million tonnes.

Oil season runs from November to October.

Production/net availability of edible oil from all domestic sources is estimated to be 7.96 million tonnes in the 2009-10,” Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas said.

The demand of edible oil in the country is estimated to have increased to 17.79 million tones this year, he said.

The domestic edible oil production is likely to decline following a dip in oilseeds production, which is estimated to be 15.23 million tonnes in the kharif season against 17.88 million tonnes in the last season, the official data showed.

Thomas said, “There is a wide gap in the production and demand of edible oil in the country and imports are resorted to bridge the gap.”

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KUALA TERENGGANU – Bagaimana mungkin perlaksanaan projek-projek kerajaan negeri Terengganu boleh menepati slogan ‘Merakyatkan Pembangunan’ sedangkan pelbagai pendedahan menunjukkan penyelewengan, salahguna kuasa dan rasuah ?

(Gambar – kerajaan Terengganu menafikan Monsoon Cup membazir setelah Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai Integriti, Datuk Dr Wan Hashim Wan Teh (gambar kecil ) berkata, aduan diterima menyatakan keuntungan penganjuran sukan Monsoon Cupitu hanya diraih oleh individu tertentu sedangkan pada keseluruhannya ia dikatakan tidak memberi pulangan seperti yang diharapkan)

Timbalan Pesuruhjaya PAS Terengganu Haji Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut berkata penganjuran sukan perahu layar piala monsun (Monsoon Cup) bukan sahaja membazir dan tidak membawa manfaat yang banyak kepada rakyat, ia juga tidak pernah diaudit.

Beliau yang juga ahli Parlimen Kuala Terengganu berkata, perkara tersebut mendapat teguran dari Ketua Audit Negara.

”Di negeri Terengganu ini, dia buat projek bukannya ikut peraturan dan prosedur, banyak projek yang dilakukan (dilaksanakan) tidak diaudit,

”termasuk Monsoon Cup, dilaporkan dalam laporan (ketua) audit Negara, perbelanjaan untuk Monsoon Cup tidak diaudit, tidak dikemukakan untuk diaudit,”katanya ketika beucap dalam majlis ceramah bersama Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat, di Jalan Kelantan, disini kelmarin.

Menurutnya, berapa banyakkah perbelanjaan yang digunakan untuk menganjurkan piala Monsun tersebut dan ke atas apakah perbelanjaan tersebut dibuat, tidak dilaporkan.

Sehubungan itu, Haji Wahid turut mendedahkan kecenderungan kerajaan negeri Terengganu menyambung perjanjian penganjuran Monsoon Cup yang dijangka tamat pada 2012.

”Ahmad Said (Menteri Besar) berkata demikian dalam satu kenyataan yang dilaporkan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris,”katanya yang juga wakil rakyat bagi DUN Wakaf Mempelam.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui selepas mesyuarat ‘Pre-Council’ wakil-wakil PAS untuk sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Terengganu di pejabat Perhubungan PAS, Kuala Terengganu, semalam, 21 November.
Katanya, majoriti rakyat Terengganu menolak penganjuran perlumbaan perahu layar itu kerana ia dianggap membazir.

”Berjuta-juta ringgit hasil royalti minyak dibelanjakan sedang manfaatnya kepada rakyat tempatan tidak dikecapi,

”ia mesti dihentikan selepas tamat perjnajian pada 2012,”tegas Haji Wahid.

Akhbar tersebut memetik Ahmad Said berkata, sekiranya piala monsun memberi keuntungan kepada rakyat dan negeri, beliau pasti mempertimbangkan untuk meneruskannya.

Perjanjian antara kerajaan negara dengan pemilik siri perlumbaan terbabit ‘World Match Racing Tour’ (WMRT) ditandatangani kali pertama pada tahun 2005.

Oleh itu, nasib Piala Monsoon selepas tahun 2012 adalah tidak pasti dengan spekulasi bahawa acara akan dihentikan selepas perjanjian berakhir.

”Namun, dengan pertemuan Ahmad dengan penasihat Piala Monsoon, Datuk Peter Gilmour pada hari Sabtu, (14 November) ada tanda-tanda bahawa acara ini akan kekal di Terengganu,”lapor akhbar itu lagi.

On 27 July 2005 at 8:30 am, the observatory at Santa Cruz in north Mumbai recorded a rainfall of 94.4 cm during the previous 24 hours, while the Colaba observatory in Mumbai’s southern tip recorded barely 7.3 cm in the same period. Rainfall over Vihar lake was 105 cm, even higher than Santa Cruz. The previous record of heaviest 24-hour rainfall over Mumbai was 58 cm for Santa Cruz and 37 cm for Colaba on 5 July 1974. Comparatively speaking, only Santa Cruz broke the previous record, but for Colaba the rainfall was in no way unusual. However, the Mumbai rain event of 26 July 2005, as it is now referred to by meteorologists, was unusual in that it affected life in the metropolis in a never-before manner. Hundreds of people lost their lives, drowned by the deluge, fatally trapped in cars, electrocuted, or caught in the debris of collapsing buildings. The rains literally brought the city which never sleeps, to a standstill.

Meteorologists know that such phenomena do occur once in a way and they are called extreme events. But this was perhaps the most extreme of extreme events and it generated an extreme reaction among meteorologists, primarily because it had not been predicted. They held seminars, workshops and brainstorming sessions to analyse every aspect of the situation and to see if the event could somehow have been predicted or if a similar future occurrence could possibly be predicted. Climate change enthusiasts seized it as another opportunity to reinforce their claim that the climate has changed. Environmentalists blamed it all on the neglect of the environment.

It is now the turn of the moviemakers to take a look at the Mumbai rains from their own viewpoint. The Hindi film, Tum Mile, was to have been released on the fourth anniversary of the Mumbai rain event, but the release got postponed to 13 November 2009 when Mumbai had just been recovering from its brush with cyclone Phyan, which thankfully did not cause much damage or loss of life and had dissipated quickly.

Tum Mile begins with a shot of the campus of the University of Cape Town where Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan), is campaigning enthusiastically about the environment and climate change. Just when she is beginning to attract an audience, there is a sudden sharp shower that disperses the listeners and drowns her hopes as well. But in the background is Akshay (Emraan Hashmi), an aspiring painter, who falls in love with her at first sight. The film is full of flashbacks, but if the story is to be straightened out, it is just that their love grows, they decide to live together, and are generally happy, but when it comes to marriage, things begin to break apart and Sanjana and Akshay go their own ways. Six years later, they meet each other by coincidence on a flight to Mumbai, and by coincidence again the day they land in Mumbai happens to be 26 July 2005, the day of the deluge. At Mumbai airport they part ways to do what they have come to Mumbai to do. But they are both stuck in the rains and they do not reach their destinations. Instead they meet on the streets of Mumbai, wade through waist-deep water, rescue other people, and save themselves out of impossible situations. By the time morning breaks, they have rediscovered their lives and their love and stand wondering why they had ever separated at all.

The film begins with the usual disclaimer that the characters in the film are fictitious and that any resemblances are coincidental, etc. But there were two things that struck me hard while watching Tum Mile. One was that throughout the film, which had quite a lot of actual and make-believe footage, it appeared that people in Mumbai on that dreadful day, were fighting their battle with nature almost on their own. There were hardly any shots of the police, fire brigade, or ambulances in action or even in the background.

But apart from that, what struck me more was the perception of the story writer and the director of the film about the meteorological office. In fact, the opening shot of Tum Mile is that of what it called the “Weather Department (Mumbai)”. It shows the staff on duty busy playing carom. The place is dimly lit, but there are computer screens flashing data and images in bright colours. What could be a satellite picture shows an ominous cloud formation. One of the duty staff notices it when he happens to pass by the computer screen, but the others tell him not to worry but concentrate on their game of carom. There is a suggestion of informing the airport, but the idea is dropped. The day would be just another rainy day for Mumbai and nothing unusual was going to happen, is what they all feel. There is a second shot of the “Weather Department (Mumbai)” later in the film, in which the staff is taking a fresh look at the images and data. They are now shown to be amazed by what they see and there is a talk about giving a warning, But by that time, it is too late.

Yes, the legal disclaimer in the film says that any resemblances are purely coincidental, but it would be worthwhile for meteorologists to ponder about what people think of them and their forecasts in today’s world with its advanced technology, apart from the jokes and cartoons that have always been there about them.

– R R Kelkar

22 November 2009

Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the country.

Govt Decides Against Rice Imports

Govt decides against rice imports:

In a calculated move to signal categorically to the world market that India was not in a desperate situation with respect to rice, the government said on Friday that it will not import rice for now.

The immediate implication of this move is that retail prices of rice, up 15 per cent over last year, will remain firm at least until early next year.

Rice output is estimated to have dropped 15 million tonnes due to poor monsoons this kharif.

The government has, over the last two days, put in place strictures that will force traders to report purchases of more than 10,000 tonnes of rice in a bid to check prices.

Punjab has also imposed stock holding limits on traders and millers for both rice and pulses.

In Other major Commodities Updates we can see how Government has bowed down to demands of Farmers after their mass protest in capital this week.

Government to amend new sugarcane price rule:

The government on Friday said it would amend a new sugarcane pricing rule, bowing to protests held in the capital by farmers demanding higher prices for their produce.

The government would delete the contentious part of the new cane pricing rule, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters after a meeting of senior ministers.

Cane farmers believe the new cane price rule, which puts the onus on state governments if they decide to raise the cane floor rates fixed by the federal government, will curtail their bargaining power.

Earlier, Farmers from Uttar Pradesh (UP) state in northern India, which produces almost half of the country’s cane, have been on warpath for about three weeks to press for higher prices, forcing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider changes in fixing cane prices.

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The term Kanheri has been derived from a Sanskrit term ‘Krishnagiri’, which means ‘black in color’. And these caves have been chiseled out of a gigantic basaltic rock.

Used for residence from the 1st to the 9th century by Buddist monk, Kanheri caves in Borivali in SGNP are favorite picnic spot for Mumbaikars.

It is our quickest gateway and very close to my home. We went there last monsoon when water rushes from the mountains. The caves serve as the only protection from rain in the area.

As usual Mathew posed! I clicked.

• Place: Kanheri Caves, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, Mumbai, India
• Date: 27 July 2008
• Camera: Nikon D50
• Lens: Nikkor 18-200 mm
• Focal Length: 44.0 mm
• Aperture: f/8.0
• Exposure Time: 1/60
• ISO: 400

Hot date? Quick! Now before the end of November take advantage of Dine Around Seattle. 25-some fancy restaurants have a deliciously tempting deal that goes on for a couple more weeks. 3 courses for $30. Considering these restaurants generally charge almost $30 for a single entree, this is a pretty amazing deal.

monsoon

615 19th Ave E.

Seattle, WA 98112

My date and I went to monsoon, a modern-northwesty take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The space is simple, hip, but small– seating only 42 people, so reservations are recommended. On a Wednesday night every seat was full. We were lucky and got the server’s “favorite table in the restaurant” maybe five minutes after we got there, while the couple behind us had to wait at least thirty minutes.

We got two 3 for $30 meals, an ample amount of food here. We exchanged one dessert for an appetizer, which was a nice option to have.

First, we chose the crispy imperial rolls with kurobuta pork, shrimp, glass noodles and nuoc chamasian. The rolls were hot and crispy, the sauce fresh and tangy. Next was the bo la lot– la lot leaves wrapped around Carlton farm flank steak and grilled. Very interesting. On the outside was the pungent la lot, wrapped around the tender flank steak, which was in turn wrapped around a stick of jicama, providing a crunchy textural contrast. They were accompanied by a smoky, spicy dipping sauce and more jicama and carrot. Third appetizer was not our favorite. We got the Asian pear salad with butter lettuce, pistachios and soy dressing. It sounded right down my alley, but the butter lettuce was more a plate garnish than part of the salad, which was entirely made of hay-stacked Asian pear. It was texturally flat, and the dressing was a bit bitter. Skip it, try the grilled Monterrey squid stuffed with duck, basil and jicama instead, and tell me how that goes. They sounded/looked so intriguing.

On to the entrees!

The first wasn’t my favorite. We chose the Braised Painted Hills Short Ribs with Lemongrass and Cannellini Beans. The flavors were interesting. I often find lemongrass to be overwhelming, but it was subtle and blended well with the meaty flavors. The texture of the short ribs was a little tough, but it did fall apart nicely. The beans were the major down fall of this dish. Alone, they were just ok. With the dish, they were totally disparate and didn’t add anything.

There were two real stars of the night. The first was the caramelized Idaho catfish claypot with fresh coconut juice and green onion. The catfish was flaky, buttery, amazing. It swam in a sweet sauce of caramelized onions, hot chilies, and fresh crunchy green onion. I lost myself in the flavors and textures and found myself spooning at the sauce long after the fish was gone.

Now the second gold star. A dessert. I know, surprised? Imagine the most delicious piece banana bread you have ever had. Now imagine it moister, cakier, and the bottom layer made completely of caramelized banana. Served hot with a warm cream of coconut milk a sea salt. I know you’re thinking “banana and sea salt??” but this savory-sweet combo was to die for. This was the banana cake with savory coconut sauce, and it was probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in a restaurant. End of Story.

So check out monsoon. I dug it.

(delicious pictures from monsoon website)

Woken up this morning feeling generally under the weather and with a rotten headache, so once I’ve finished this post, I’m going to do the hoovering, have a tidy round, and then curl up on the sofa, methinks.  William’s been struggling with a horrible cold all week, so perhaps I’ve got that coming – just in time for the weekend – lovely!

Anyway, without further ado, here’s some more of my recently shopping highlights:

First up, these fab winter boots I picked up for William in Asda this week for only £12.  He’s been mooching round in Crocs or school trainers since the summer (apart from his school shoes) so I thought it was about time I bought him something more suited to our current weather!  He even likes them – result!

I popped into Richley’s last week (not one of my usual shopping stops, but my car was parked right next door, as I was picking up my new bedroom lights from the shop next door, and as they had a huge sign proclaiming a big closing down sale, I just had to go and have a quick nosy.  Very worthwhile as it turned out, as I picked up two of these pretty summer dresses (Monsoon) and three of these Per Una skirts, all to sell on Ebay, for the absolute rock bottom price of £1 each!  Was jolly glad I went in after all!

And last but not least, but lovely new bedroom lights.  I am so pleased with my bedroom, just the finishing few touches to complete now, and it will be done.  Please excuse the appalling bottom photo, I wanted to show you how the bedside lights look on and off, but it hasn’t come out brilliantly.  They look much better in real life, I promise.

Hong Kong shivers in coldest November in over 120 years

Irish Sun
Thursday 19th November, 2009
(IANS)

Hong Kong recorded its coldest Nov 18 in 120 years as a winter monsoon continued to send temperatures falling, authorities said Thursday.

Temperatures fell to 9.7 degrees Celsius in the sub-tropical city Wednesday morning – the lowest Nov 18 reading since records began in 1883.

In rural areas close to the border with China, it was even colder, falling as low as 6.6 degrees.

The previous coldest Nov 18 was in 1976 when the temperature was 11.9 degrees.

The Observatory warned the cold spell, which has brought snow to some parts of southern China, would continue until the weekend as the northeast monsoon brought wintery weather to southern China.

However, it is expected to get warmer over the weekend, bringing temperatures to around 20 degrees next week.

Hong Kong is in a sub-tropical belt at the southern tip of China and never has snow. Occasionally, traces of frost are seen on high ground on the coldest days of the winter.

Source

Semasa tag bersama beliau di Taman Tas Kuantan.

It’s monsoon season in Singapore, all right. It’s raining, ALL the time! Today, it poured from 1:30pm to about 4pm and drizzled from 4pm to late in the evening. As a result, in the afternoon, the streets flooded so much cars got stuck in streets and traffic came to a halt, and my brother and I wished we had a kayak so we could row around in the street. And man, I knew the water was dirty and gross but I honestly had to fight the urge to slosh my feet around in it (like neighbour dog Dave, who bounded into the water for a swim). I know, I am ewwing myself, but I took a bath right after! But it was kinda exciting with all the rain and all the neighbours out on the streets. And one more good thing about the rain? It’s nice weather to snuggle, with a book and a fluffy dog on a large chair on the patio.

The rain’s annoying me a little right now.

It could be all sunny and humid and the next thing you know that you have to scramble under some shelter as a blanket or rather waterfall-like of water will pour down mercilessly on you.

It doesn’t help when you’re trying to study in the library and it’s pouring outside. The combination of the whistling sounds of the rain and the cozy atmosphere of the library would be a perfect lullaby for people like me who think that sleeping excessively is a great habit that no one should kick cos we love sleep more than anything else. Just like how a fat kid loves his cakes.

Anyway, not just that, having to walk to the cafeteria from the library could be a chore when you end up with soaking or wet feet (if you’re wearing slippers) and get a pair of cold feet (literally!). It is not funny anymore if a guy just walked besides you and the next thing you know he fell right besides you and nearly spilled his lunch all over the floor.

After witnessing it, I so wanted to get myself a pair of wellies and not worry about cold feet and falling down. And imagine yourself wading in a pair of knee length rubber boots and just walking normally (not cautiously) while others are trying to minimize the splashing of the dirty rain water on their pants, skirts or calves.

And finally, while I was looking through UO website and I saw this pair of babies:

simple and comfy!

I mean this pair of wellies could shield you from all the dirty rain water on the floor and keep your feet warm! And you can pair this with a pair of jeans and a simple tank top or a cute summer dress with a cardigan and throw on a scarf of vibrant colors to keep yourself warm. It’s black, so it’s kind of easy to mix and match.

cute.

Pic credits: UrbanOutfitters.com

Isn’t it cute?? (:

Anyway, I think by the time this pair of boots shipped over to Singapore, the monsoon season will be over. And plus, I am not sure about wearing a pair of rain boots when it rains but what if the weather becomes all humid and warm again? It is going to be so weird to walk around in it.

Oh well. Sometimes I wish I live in Shanghai, you can wear anything and not feel out of place.

Then again, EXAMS!!

Who's counting? There are 459,698,885 people hit by drought in India.

The Government of India doesn’t like troublesome numbers. And it especially doesn’t like very big troublesome numbers.

That’s why, all through September, October and November 2009 you haven’t heard India’s central ministers talk about just how many people have been affected by the Drought of 2009. Twelve states have 299 drought-affected districts.

How many people affected? This post on the agriculture-ICT website Agropedia has the details in two tables. I’ll put up the detailed spreadsheets in a couple of days.

Make efforts to prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases, Collector tells officials

TIRUNELVELI: Following his recent meeting with top officials of various government departments on gearing up the official machinery to meet any emergency during this monsoon, Collector M. Jayaraman held wide-ranging discussions with heads of local bodies and block development officers on Wednesday to tackle any situation like flash flood or sudden breach in a water body triggered by torrential rain.

Addressing the meeting, Mr. Jayaraman said officials attached to Department of Public Health, in association with local bodies, should make all out efforts to prevent the outbreak of contagious diseases, especially water-borne diseases, which spread normally during the monsoon. Open defecation should be avoided totally. At the same time, civic bodies should ensure the supply of adequately chlorinated drinking water to the public so that possible outbreak of water-borne diseases could be checked effectively.

To improve the ground water table in all unions, rainwater harvesting systems in government offices, private buildings and houses should be revived as monsoon was active in the district for the past several days. Moreover, bunds of irrigation tanks should be strengthened and water bodies deepened utilising the funds available under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

“Public living close to water bodies and the course of the rivers should be advised to move to safer places well in advance if there is any possibility of flash floods or unexpected breach in the buds. All schools, community halls, marriage halls across the district should be kept ready till the end of the monsoon to accommodate the affected population at any time. Local body representatives and officials should clearly understand the ways of swiftly evacuating the people in distress and taking them to the nearest safer place,” Mr. Jayaraman instructed.

‘108 ambulance service’

He said the ‘108 ambulance service’ should be used at an optimum level in case of any emergency arising out of sudden flooding and other related natural calamity.

“As the district is situated close to Western Ghats, now experiencing good rainfall, the entire official machinery and the public should be alert to jointly deal with any situation,” the Collector appealed.

He informed that the Minister for Highways Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan would convene a meeting at the Collectorate on Thursday afternoon to review the damage caused to roads during recent rains.

District Revenue Officer P. Ramanasaraswathi, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency R. Shankar, Revenue Divisional Officers Thamizh Selvi of Tirunelveli and Murthy of Tenkasi, BDOs and elected representatives of various local bodies participated in the meeting.

From THE HINDU

Reverse monsoon (November rain) is not a pleasant thing anymore. Moreover as it was accompanied with storms, cyclone Phyan and what not. Rains made the days dull and lazy. Weekdays were spent in the office and then came weekend.

My friend wanted to capture clouds/fog for time lapse in Mulashi-Tamhini and I decided to accompany him. (Don’t ask me about time lapse stuff, i dont know any technicalities of it but i can now understand and identify it visually. )

‘Mulashi+Tamhini+rains’ equation is always delightful and also we both didn’t meet for quite some time. These reasons were good enough to catch up. We started at 5:30 AM. Plan was to reach there before sunrise but we couldn’t speed up much, many thanks to worst road condition.

 Somewhere near Mulashi, we found a wild cat crossing the road. We slowed down to watch it. It stood up to see how are we to focus lights in its eye, it gave us a dirty look and walked away. It was still dark morning. As darkness began to vanish slowly we found the road to be foggy and road-side puddles gave us evidences of rains. Few miles later, we stopped the car and my friend showed me 1st new bird of the trip. It was ‘Pied Crested Cuckoo’ (मराठी: ‘चातक’). It was busy enjoying its morning breakfast. It is said that Pied-crested Cuckoo sights are sign that monsoon are in. This is migratory bird which travels from South Africa to India. He waited for while and proceeded ahead.

We halted in Tamhini ghat for sunrise. Lord Sun slowly rose from back of the mountains, generously spreading its rays on the earth, fading away all the darkness and making the morning pleasant and worth while. We took some snaps and drove till Plus valley. There was no fog and clouds rising from valley so my friend was not able to capture time lapse. There were few rain showers in the mid.

We came across an animal which was killed by the road vehicles. The animal was ‘Small Indian Civet’. It was sad to see this rare-cited animal  getting killed in such inhuman way.

We traveled some more and waited at a spot.  We did hear some calls of birds and giant squirrel ‘Shekru‘. And also tremendously beautiful pair of Scarlet Minivets had caught our attention. He parked our car at road side and went to woods. The pair also had their baby with them. I must say Scarlet Minivet male with its red and black color is one of the most colourful birds I have seen in India. The female is none less and is yellow-black with some patches of grey on wings. We silently stood at trees. I was seeing them for first time and all I wanted to do is watch them. Needless to say, thanks to my wildlife expert friend who knows all about birds, wildlife and immediately identifies them.

Another attraction was loads and loads of colourful butterflies. I enjoyed seeing and clicking them too. We started our return journey at 11:30 and took a ‘Quick bite’ break while returning.

Mulashi-Tamhini and its wildlife treat is full of many such surprises and too irresistible to miss.

Things happen for a reason – sometimes it’s good, sometimes not.

Don't anyone go 'aaaw'. He's a cat, he belongs outside.

Take yesterday. We’d just had the most wonderful weekend with my sister and her boyfriend who were staying in Playa de la Arena. They’d come across to Puerto de la Cruz on Saturday and the weather had been glorious. Sunday was the same. In fact the weather only deteriorated when we headed through the crater towards the south coast where it was quite moody and overcast. Ironic to think we were leaving the sun and the heat in the north.

Andy and I returned to Puerto on Monday morning where it was still clear blues skies… and then the world ended.

The first signs were that the sky darkened.

“Hmmm, I think we’re in for a bit of rain,” Andy made what must be the understatement of the year so far.

An hour later and it was full blown monsoon and the thunderous skies were booming. The deluge was spectacular.

At that point Whiskas decided that our house was his favourite after all and appeared at the window like a drowned rat. It might seem harsh, but setting a precedent with that cat is a dangerous business, so he was refused entry to the ‘ark’. There are plenty of places where he can stay dry.

All afternoon we watched the rain come down in sheets unaware of the devastation it was causing outside.

At around seven Andy decided to make some soup and tabouleh for lunch for the next couple of days, but a couple of phone calls from the UK delayed her. Funnily enough, both started with ‘It’s horrible here, windy and raining…’ - Guess what?

So it was later than planned when we started preparing Mediterranean chickpea stew for dinner. It’s a one pot wonder and I’d barely added all the ingredients to the pan when the gas jet went off.

Now we operate a two canister system for this very reason. However, it ain’t much use when both bottles are empty. Andy had been telling me that we needed to replace the gas for days, so she was a bit tight lipped as we threw on our coats and headed out into the rainy night.

As we passed the golf course gate, Glen, who works at the course, was huddled in the darkness. He’d been waiting for his wife for two hours and had been having trouble getting through on the phone.

We offered to give him a lift, but he assured us that his wife was due any moment.

Apart from a few rivers of boulders on the main road to Puerto, there didn’t seem to be much of a problem. We collected the gas and headed back home. As we were returning through the banana road we noticed a sodden looking figure wrapped in refuse bags; it was Glen.

This was as close to the rain as I wanted to get - through the front window!

It turned out his wife couldn’t leave their house in Los Realejos, boulders were blocking the road and he was resigned to having to walk home in the shocking weather. Los Realejos is quite a few kilometres away on the opposite side of town. We could hardly let the poor man walk, so we told him to jump in and headed back into town, this time towards the motorway… and it was at that point we realised that the rains had cause much more havoc than we realised.

There were flashing lights everywhere as police and firemen tried to make some sense out of the chaos. The motorway was gridlocked and the approach roads the same. Luckily we had opted for a back road to Los Realejos and although the roads were a mess we managed to avoid the queues. In the dreadful conditions it still took us an hour to get Glen within a couple of hundred yards of his house and then get back home via the centre of Puerto where traffic was quieter.

Amazingly we crossed the barranco (ravine) where later we saw on TV a rushing torrent of water washing away cars. Funnily a couple of years ago one of us commented ‘I wonder if there’s ever any water in there’ – now we know the answer. At the time we crossed it, about 20.45, we didn’t even notice that there was any water in it. I think all of the action had taken place by then.

We ended up finally sitting down to dinner at about 22.00 having done our good deed for the day.

Had Andy not decided to make soup and tabouleh before we cooked dinner (she doesn’t usually prepare lunches at that time), or our friends phone from the UK and had I not left replacing the gas until it was too late, we wouldn’t have ever left the house last night and Glen would probably have had to walk home in the awful weather. It was one of those little series of events which worked out well for him.

We were especially glad that they did – it was his birthday and having to brave monsoon conditions is no sort of birthday present for anyone.

Hello Friends here we come up with another write up on “Commodity Corner Series”.

Here we would touch upon the importance of Maize crop in Indian commodity market and its relevance in the context of Indian Scenario

CORN………. “The Un-discovered Legend”

Maize, also known as corn, is a cereal which is an important crop after rice and wheat.

The domestication of maize has been dated back as far back as 12,000 years ago. Today, maize is widely cultivated throughout the world, in a greater size with top producing countries like United States, China, Brazil, France, Indonesia, India and South Africa.

Indian Scenario:

Andhra Pradesh is now the largest producer contributing around 21% of annual maize production.

India ’s area harvested of maize and yield have risen by mainly on account of rising production of single cross hybrids seeds, its demand and increasing acceptability among farmers.

In India, its cultivation extends from the hot arid plains of Rajasthan and Gujarat to the wet hills of Assam and Bengal.

There are three distinct seasons for the cultivation of maize:

the main season is kharif;

next is Rabi in Peninsular India and Bihar and

in spring in northern India.

Normally, higher yields have been recorded in the rabi and spring crops.

Over 85 per cent of the maize acreage is sown under rain-fed conditions during the monsoon when over 80 per cent of the annual rainfall is received.

However, this year due to the erratic monsoon production has been affected, as a result of which maize prices have been in uptrend since the withdrawal of monsoon from the country.

During 2008-9, Indian exported 3 million tonnes of maize and 12,000 tonnes of maize seed worth of Rs 2,400 crore and Rs 2,000 crore respectively.

Stay Tuned for more on this.

In next blog we would touch upon the issues like Potential source of demand for Maize crop, Industrial Demand and PVO (Price-volume-open Interest) of MAize crops.

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Water level in rain-fed tanks low

TIRUNELVELI: Even as storage level in all irrigation dams in the district and also in the tanks close to the Western Ghats is comfortable, water level in the rain-fed tanks in the plains still remains a cause for concern owing to insufficient rainfall.

The recent low pressure in the Bay of Bengal ensured a significant inflow into the Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar dams, major reservoirs of the district, and also into eight other relatively small dams in the Western Ghats.

Consequently, all irrigation tanks close to the Western Ghats are also brimming with water now. However, the inadequate rainfall in the plains has left several hundreds of rain-fed tanks with some water, which is enough only for just 30 days.

Monsoon failure

“As the southwest monsoon this year was a complete failure as for as Tirunelveli district is concerned, storage level in the dams, particularly in Papanasam, Manimuthar and Servalar reservoirs, went down precariously. Consequently we could not release water for the systemised tanks and there is no need to say anything about storage of water in the rain-fed irrigation tanks in the plains during the period between June and September. Now, the rainfall so far registered in the district has benefited only the dams as well as the tanks near Western Ghats,” said a top PWD official here.

Admitted

Admitting it, Joint Director of Agriculture, S. Velusamy said almost all rain-fed tanks in the Sankarankovil, Melaneelithanallur and Maanur had water for only 30 days as rainfall in this region was insufficient.

“Similarly, the present storage level in the rain-fed tanks in Keezhapaavoor and Alangulam region is also not satisfactory. Consequently, water level in the irrigation wells, mostly in these regions, has not improved much. Let us all pray for more rains,” Mr. Velusamy said.

Cultivation

However, he hoped that the area of cultivation of ‘pisanam’ paddy, normally done on 86,000 acres in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, would not be affected as there would be sufficient rainfall in the plains too.

Meanwhile, District Collector M. Jayaraman on Monday released water from Manimuthar dam for the Third and Fourth Reaches under the Manimuthar Irrigation System having 176 irrigation tanks.

“These tanks will feed paddy to be cultivated on 5,603 hectare under the Third Reach and 6,415 hectares in the Fourth Reach. Water will be released from Manimuthar dam for 137 days (till March 31, 2010) based on the farmers’ need,” Mr. Jayaraman told reporters after releasing water from the reservoir.

He said fertilizers and other agricultural inputs had been stocked in the district in adequate quantity and Rs. 39 crore had been disbursed during the current fiscal towards crop loan by the cooperative banks against the target of Rs. 45 crore.

P. Sudhakar – From THE HINDU

Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the globe.

Centre may raise coffee package to Rs 802 cr

Centre may raise coffee package to Rs 802 cr:

The Centre is likely to increase the debt relief package for coffee growers to Rs 802 crore, 58 per cent more than the recommendations of Coffee Board, Union minister of law and justice, M Veerappa Moily said.

There are discussions at different stages to work out the package.

The figures of the total loan owed by the coffee industry to banks are Rs 1,700 crore.

The coffee board recommended a scheme for Rs 504 crore.

The coffee growers are in need of an urgent relief package, so as to give them a one-time life line to come out of the crisis.

The coffee industry is continuously facing low productivity due to drought of 2003 and 2004, which have had a domino effect on productivity.

In Other major Commodities Updates we can see how Corn, Soybeans advanced on the Speculation of excess rains which can delay the harvesting of crops”.

Corn, Soybeans Rally on Speculation Rains to Delay U.S. Harvest:

Corn and soyabeans advanced on the concern that higher-than-normal rainfall in parts of the U.S. may raise the risk of yield losses in the world’s biggest exporter of both crops.

Above average rainfall was forecast in producing states, including Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Indiana between Nov. 21 and Nov. 25, according to a U.S. Climate Prediction Center report dated Nov. 15.

The four states are among the biggest corn and soybean growing areas in the U.S. Corn for March delivery added as much as 0.9 percent to $4.0925 a bushel in after-hours electronic trading on the Chicago Board of Trade, and was at $4.09 as of 9:58 a.m. Singapore time.

Soybeans for January delivery climbed as much as 1.4 percent to $10.0125 a bushel in Chicago and last traded at $9.9475.

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