It said the production of tea from North Indian gardens was yet to pick up though total output from the region increased to 0.83 m kg in February from 0.74 m kg in the same month of 1999. In January this year, North India production was 8.0 m kg and with this the total output from the region during first two months of current year has now reached to 8.83 m kg against 9.58 m kg in 1999, it said. The first flush tea from the region was yet to arrive as plucking has not yet resumed in full swing.

MP finalises fertiliser policy
The Madhya Pradesh government has finalised the policy for sale of chemical fertilisers for the year 2000-01 in the state. Urea would be sold through cooperative and institutional agencies which mainly include marketing federation, oil federation, agro industry corporation and mandi board, an official release said here today. Urea would be sold from the sale counters of these cooperative institutions.

As there is no ban on distribution of single super phosphate and chemical fertilisers of other categories these would be sold in the usual manner provided manufacturers supply chemical fertilisers to the cooperative institutions in the required quantity, it said. The manufacturers and importers of DAP fertiliser will have to supply to the institutional bodies and private fertiliser vendors in proportion of 65 and 35 as earlier. They will be eligible for the grant only when they supply 65 per cent of fertiliser to cooperative and institutional sectors, the release added.

`Declare Tirupur as SEZ'
Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA) today urged the union commerce ministry to declare Tirupur as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), as the annual export earning of the knitwear industry was close to $1 billion. Welcoming the announcement to set up SEZ's in the Exim Policy, TEA president, A Shaktivel said that SEZ's would be part of the grand strategy to reduce cost, improve quality standards, thus helping the Indian industry compete more effectively at international level.

Readymade garment export accounted for 40 per cent of the textile exports and textiles and nearly 30 per cent of country's total exports, Shaktivel said in a statement here. Saying that knitwear accounted for 40 per cent of the total export realisation of the garment industry and 50 per cent in quantity and about 65 per cent accounted by Tirupur, Shaktivel said proximity of Tirupur to major ports of Chennai, Tuticorin and Kochi was particularly favourable factor enhancing it's claim for being declared as a SEZ.

Jute industry strike
The ongoing strike in jute mills of West Bengal from March 22 has made the industry poorer by about Rs 130 crore till now, Indian Jute Mills' Association chairman Sanjoy Kajoria has claimed. He said since none of the mills are functional since the beginning of indefinite strike,``you can easily assess the losses of the Rs 3,500-crore industry till now.'' On a conservative estimate, considering that the average loss on each working day is about Rs 10.67 crore, based on assumption that it works for 300 days in a year,the total loss till now should not be less than Rs 130 crore, he added.

IOC buys 35,000 tonnes fuel oil
The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has purchased through a tender 35,000 tonnes of high sulphur fuel oil for delivery to Bombay at a $10 premium to its formula, traders said on Wednesday. They said the tender was awarded to Middle East-based trader Bakrie for April 13-15 delivery to Mumbai/Kandla, but company officials could not be reached for comment. Traders said the IOC did not award a second portion of the tender that sought 25,000 tonnes for April 18-20 delivery to Madras/Vizag on the east coast. The logistics portion of the tender closed on March 29 with validity until March 31.