Gold, silver up on scattered buying and global cues
Gold prices recovered by Rs 50 to Rs 30,800 per 10 gm in the Capital on Thursday on scattered buying amid a firm global trend. Silver also rose by R260 to R45,200 per kg on fresh buying by stockists and industrial units for the ongoing marriage season. However, gold of 99.9% and 99.5% purity in Mumbai declined by R60 each to R30,480 and R30,330 per 10 gm, respectively; while silver rebounded by R150 to R45,750 per kg. Gold in New York, which normally sets the price trend on the domestic front, traded marginally up 0.07% to $1,291.80 an ounce.
?Rs 50,000 cr worth crops lost to pest, disease each year?
Crops worth R50,000 crore are lost to pest and disease attack every year as pesticide consumption is low, according to a study. “This huge crop loss could be attributed to low pesticide consumption in India,” said the joint study by industry body Assocham and Yes Bank. Pesticide usage in India is less than 2% of global consumption and is confined to a fourth of total arable land of about 180 million hectares, it said. Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and UP are major pesticides consuming states. Kerala, Orissa and Bihar are least pesticide consuming states mainly due to low purchasing power of farmers having fragmented land holdings, it added.
