1. The total area under all rabi crops increased by 1.5 per cent year-on-year to 493.62 lakh hectares (lh) as of December 6 compared with 486.30 lh a year ago. The area under almost all rabi crops, except barley and mustard, is higher, reports our New Delhi Bureau.

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2. The Centre has revised the wheat stock-holding norms, reducing further the maximum quantity that wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors can keep at any point of time. The move may help the government to moderate prices, reports our New Delhi Bureau.

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3. Even while the uncertainty on the revival of derivatives trading in seven agriculture commodities lingers, it may not attract the investors interest due to the fear of similar punitive action in future, reports Suresh Iyengar. 

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4. Palm oil, both refined and crude, is now costlier than other cooking oils such as sunflower and soyabean oils. Prices of palm oil have surged on rising supply concerns following floods in Malaysia and on Indonesia’s plans to increase export taxes and hike the edible oil’s share in biodiesel to 40 per cent, traders said.  

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5. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology has said the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in the neutral range but it is not meeting typical La Nina thresholds. Some oceanic indices besides cloud and wind patterns in the Pacific Ocean have, at times, shown weak La Nina characteristics in recent months, it said. 

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6. La Nina weather may develop in the next three months but it is expected to be relatively weak and short-lived, the World Meteorological Organization has said.

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