Punjab is reeling from an unusual crisis. The state doesn't have enough space to store the bumper food grain crop it reaps every year.

In the last couple of years, stocks have piled up and there is no space to preserve wheat, for which procurement will commence in the first week of April.

The state proposes to procure 125 lakh tonnes of wheat this season and has sent an SOS to the Centre that unless adequate space is made available, the exercise could be jeopardised.

Apex court calls for appropriate rehab of displaced farmers

Expressing concern about the plight of many farmers who are left litigating with the government to claim compensation for acquired land, the Supreme Court told the authorities to ensure "prompt payment of realistic compensation to" and "appropriate rehabilitation measures" for aggrieved peasants.

"Having lost his land, and consequently the means of livelihood, the land loser had to engage a lawyer and wage a legal fight for a reasonable compensation," a bench of Justices RV Raveendran and JM Pachal said while scrapping a Karnataka government appeal challenging the high court's appeal ruling that enhanced compensation to a farmer from Rs5,300 an acre to Rs40,000.

The Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) revised the production and demand estimate for the crop season 2008-09 in a meeting held in Mumbai on Friday, confirming the impact of global slowdown on cotton economy and impact of erratic rain and pest problem on the crop.

Athens - More than 1,000 farmers from the southern Mediterranean island of Crete remained camped out at Greece's main port of Piraeus on Tuesday for the second day, determined to drive their tractors in protest through Athens demanding financial help.

The farmers, along with their farm equipment and tractors, arrived in Athens on three vessels from Crete Monday and ended up scuffling with riot police at the port after they prevented them from off- loading their tractors.

The Union Government has finally announced hike in minimum support price of Wheat to Rs 1080 per quintal, ahead of harvesting season of rabi crops. The decision, to revise MSP, was taken in the recent meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday, chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in the absence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The hike of 8 per cent in wheat prices, despite reservation by Planning Commission and Finance Ministry, would effective on crop marketed from April onward.