On Saturday, mango business was stalled at the Kothapet fruit market after traders stopped buying the fruit, complaining that farmers used calcium carbide to ripen it. At the Gaddiannaram fruit market, where 80 per cent of the stock is exported to other states and foreign countries, prices have escalated this year. Not only has there been a dip in mango crop by at least 50 per cent, the fruit's sale too has hit an all-time low due to its prohibitive cost. Moreover, markets here are yet to...

Quad-Cities Online Mother's Christmas Cake -- Quad-Cities Online Recipe Book. Ingredients 4 cups water 2 cups raisins 2 cups sugar 1-1/2 cubes butter or margarine 2 teaspoons baking soda 4 eggs 4 cups flour, sifted 2 tablespoons cocoa 2 teaspoons cinnamon Walnuts, optional Icing: Powdered sugar Cocoa Vanilla Small amount of milk Cashews. Ingredients 4 cups water 2 cups raisins 2 cups sugar 1-1/2 cubes butter or margarine 2 teaspoons baking soda 4 eggs 4 cups flour, sifted 2 tablespoons...

Provided By: The Associated Press Last Modified: 5/9/2007 5:40:45 PM ATLANTA (AP) -- At Hillcrest Orchards in the north Georgia mountains, the annual Apple Pickin' Jubilee will go on as planned this fall - although the state's most withering drought in decades threatens to destroy the country festival's namesake. Provided By: The Associated Press Last Modified: 5/9/2007 5:40:45 PM ATLANTA (AP) -- At Hillcrest Orchards in the north Georgia mountains, the annual Apple Pickin' Jubilee will go...

The recent analysis projects payments to decline by nearly 43 percent, from $140 billion to a projected $80 billion over the next decade. Much of Eastern Arkansas is dedicated to row cropping and has benefited from commodity payments made under the Farm Bill, while Northwest Arkansas and River Valley farmers have received far less because they don't grow the typical commodity program crops like rice, wheat and cotton. Much of Eastern Arkansas is dedicated to row cropping and has benefited...

The official figures for this year's wine grape harvest have been announced - South Australia's Riverland and south-east growers say they come as no surprise. Meanwhile, the impact of the drought on the Riverland's grape and citrus industries has been outlined in a report due to be presented to the State Government today. It has been nearly a year since the region's wine grape growers held a rally calling for action. The report also states that if the drought continues, production next...

For instance, if there is only one kind of apple available worldwide, and a disease that targets that specific apple tree kills all the trees, apples will cease to exist. Of the more than a dozen varieties of apples that used to exist in the orchards, only six remain, Routson said. The more varieties of apples, the less a chance of losing apples to time. Because the trees don't always bear fruit yearly, reliance on selling apples from the orchards has been spotty. About 200 cloned trees...

California chardonnay all about wood, fruit California chardonnays can leave you with the impression that wood is as important as grapes in the winemaking process. European (Old World) styles emphasize balance, minerality and less fruit, while California chardonnays typically produce more fruit and wood flavors in their wines. We had to wait for the ammonia (as in a hair salon) to blow off from the nose, then we discovered apples and nice fruit. Apparently there is a market for wines that...

Savvy farmers all over the country have discovered a practice that might not work as a nationwide agricultural policy, but that has allowed some economically inefficient orchards to thrive: Encourage yuppies and their progeny to come pick your fruit they'll pay handsomely for the privilege, buy more than they'd ordinarily consume, and then shell out for all sorts of other value-added products. Instead of paying workers to pick their fruit, they should try another strategy: making customers...

For instance, if there is only one kind of apple available worldwide, and a disease that targets that specific apple tree kills all the trees, apples will cease to exist. Of the more than a dozen varieties of apples that used to exist in the orchards, only six remain, Routson said. The more varieties of apples, the less a chance of losing apples to time. Because the trees don't always bear fruit yearly, reliance on selling apples from the orchards has been spotty. About 200 cloned trees...