<p>Bikaner: Piles of groundnuts lie under the open sky at the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) mandi in Bikaner, awaiting buyers as exporters in Rajasthan face an unexpected crisis.</p><p>Indonesia and several other countries have temporarily suspended imports of Indian groundnuts following concerns over contamination by aflatoxin, a naturally occurring fungus that can affect crop quality. </p><p>Suendra Kumar Maroo, Additional Director, Agriculture Extension, said, "Aflatoxin is a kind of fungus. It is also called 'holoheart', and locally it is known as '<i>tikki</i>'. It degrades the quality of the groundnut crop, which is why peanut exports have been impacted. Several containers were refused because aflatoxin was found in the peanut consignments."</p><p>Exporters in Bikaner are not taking the setback lightly, pointing out that nearly 60 per cent of the peanuts exported from India are shipped to three South East Asian countries. </p><p>The Bikaner division alone accounts for two-thirds of the groundnuts grown in Rajasthan, and exporters said that the absence of exports will lead to oversupply and a fall in prices.</p><p><i>Read More</i></p><ol><li><a href="https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!offbeat/exploring-hidden-origins-of-lac-pigment-a-breakthrough-in-microbial-symbiosis-enn25062202804"><i>Exploring Hidden Origins of Lac Pigment: A Breakthrough In Microbial Symbiosis</i></a></li><li><a href="https://www.etvbharat.com/english/national/state/delhi/evidence-of-superbug-found-in-delhis-stray-dogs/na20230708164642926926462"><i>Evidence of superbug found in Delhi's stray dogs</i></a></li></ol>
