Two BSF troopers killed in Pakistan ceasefire violation
Jammu, June 3 : Two Border Security Force (BSF) troopers were killed and three civilians injured on Sunday in Pakistan shelling and firing on the International Border in Jammu district.
BSF sources said Pakistan Rangers resorted to unprovoked, indiscriminate shelling and firing on the border's Pargwal sub-sector.
"The BSF troopers, a constable and an assistant sub-inspector, were killed in the Pakistani firing and shelling that started at around 3.30 a.m. Our troops retaliated strongly and effectively," the sources said. "Firing exchanges are still going on."
Besides Pargwal, the Pakistan Rangers also violated ceasefire in Akhnoor sector.
The police said the three injured civilians have been shifted for treatment to the Government Medical College, Jammu.
Sunday's ceasefire violation comes days after the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries last week agreed to implement the ceasefire pact in an effort to ensure peace on both the International Border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Consumers feeling the heat of rising tender coconut prices in Karnataka
Bengaluru: The cost of tender coconuts has skyrocketed in Karnataka, with retail prices now ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 60 per coconut. In parts of North India, prices have even touched Rs 80 to Rs 100. This price hike is reportedly attributed to a combination of extreme temperatures in Northern India and lower yields in Karnataka, which has been facing its own heatwave.
Maddur, the largest market for tender coconuts in India, has seen average wholesale prices fluctuating between Rs 38 and Rs 50 per coconut over the past three months. Retail prices are higher and depend upon distance from key markets such as Davangere, Tumakuru, Mandya, Hassan, and others as reported by Deccan Herald on Saturday.
During June and July of this year, tender coconuts were available for around Rs 35 in Karnataka, the country's leading coconut producer. However, prices have spiked due to a variety of factors. According to the state government's online agriculture marketing information website, Krishi Marata Vahini, wholesale prices have risen by at least Rs 10,000 per 1,000 coconuts compared to last year.
V. Rajannab, Deputy Director of the Tumakuru APMC Yard, attributed the supply disruption to the "heatwave conditions of the summer of 2024," explaining that farmers could harvest only 30% to 40% of their expected yield. He told the news outlet that the increased demand from North Indian states has further driven up prices in the local market. Nearly 60% of Karnataka's tender coconuts are shipped to North India, with states like Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat now seeking supplies, he added.
Officials from the horticulture department have suggested that the high price of ball copra could also have impacted the supply of tender coconut. “The price of ball copra has more than doubled in the last three months, going from Rs 8,000 to Rs 18,000 a tonne. There is a general feeling that the price could go further high, which is why most of the farmers are not harvesting tender coconuts,” Horticulture Deputy Director Kadiregowda was quoted as saying by DH.
However, there is some hope for price relief in the near future. With copious rains this monsoon, the yield is anticipated to improve, which could further help stabilise the market and bring prices down in the coming weeks.
