Area under rabi oilseeds falls by 11 pc
Chennai: The area under rabi oilseeds is estimated to have fallen by 11.62 per cent this year with just 100 lakh hectares coming under the crop against 112.42 lakh hectares last year. With this the overall crop size has fallen to 95.2 lakh tonnes from 102.7 lakh tonnes, according to estimates made at the 28th All-India seminar on rabi oilseeds during the weekend.

Rapeseed-mustard in the crop that has shown the maximum decline in acreage. Its coverage has declined by 7.4 lakh hectares resulting in the crop being down to 60.2 lakh tonnes (from 66.7 lakh tonnes last year).

Coverage of the groundnut crop, which had declined alarmingly during kharif as farmers in Gujarat shifted to cotton, has remained at the same level as last year. Overall, groundnut production this oil year is seen declining to 53.5 lakh tonnes (62.5 lakh tonnes).

On the brighter side the estimates is that forecast for oilseed production this year has been raised by over three lakh tonnes to 131.5 lakh tonnes from the initial estimates made in January.

The estimate also saw the forecast being raised for soyabean and castorseed but cut for sesame and nigerseed. In the case of soyabean, a kharif crop, the production is now estimated at 76.6 lakh tonnes against earlier projection of 72.6 lakh tonnes. In the case of sesame, the output has been cut by 0.2 lakh tonnes to four lakh tonnes; for castorseed it is up by 0.6 lakh tonnes to 7.8 lakh tonnes; and down for niger seed to 0.7 lakh tonnes from one lakh tonnes.
Back to News Review index page  

Trai willing, ISD calls may cost less from April 1
New Delhi: Trai is considering reducing the access deficit charge on ISD calls from April 1.

The ADC on both outgoing and incoming ISD calls may be reduced by up to 50 pc and the current total ADC of 1.5 pc of gross revenue is also likely to come down to 1 pc.

As per the road map, the total ADC, currently at Rs3,335 crore, should be lowered to Rs1,600-1,800 crore for FY08 before being phased out by next fiscal to 0.

Even as state-owned BSNL has objected to reduction in ADC annually, Trai has been maintaining that the road map for phasing out the levy would be followed.

The domestic long distance (STD) call tariffs may also fall marginally as the reduction would be spread over to all segment but more on the ILD traffic.

However the implementation of the new regime may get delayed as the telecom tribunal TDSAT is hearing a petition on ADC regime challenged by BSNL.
Back to News Review index page  

Media industry to grow at 18 pc CAGR: report
New Delhi: The Indian entertainment and media industry is expected to grow at 18 pc compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and reach a projected size of Rs1,00,000 crore by 2011 from its present size of Rs43,700 crore (for CY06), according to the 2007 edition of FICCI PricewaterhouseCooper's (PWC) annual report on the Indian entertainment and media Industry.

The report states that the industry grew at 20 pc over 2005 which was Rs36,400 crore. For 2004, the figure was Rs31,100 crore.

The report said the reasons for the upbeat prospects of the media industry are technological advances, positive government initiatives in terms of policy and foreign investment, and energised initiatives by private media companies coupled with rising income levels and India's robust economic growth-led consumerism.
Back to News Review index page