Agriculture

Centre to leverage digital infra to optimise food, fertiliser subsidies

Government plans to use AgriStack and CBDC-based pilots to better target fertiliser and food subsidies, reduce leakages, and improve transparency in welfare delivery systems

New seed tech, biologicals can be 'game changers' for Indian agriculture

Experts say Direct Seeded Rice and next-generation seed technologies could transform Indian agriculture by cutting water use, lowering costs and improving sustainability in rice cultivation

Nagauri Pan Methi gets PPVFRA patent under community farmers' variety

The patent registration was published in the Plant Variety Journal, February 2026 issue, conferring statutory ownership, legal rights upon the farming community of Nagaur district, Rajasthan

India's wheat output pegged at record 120.21 mt in 2025-26, up 2%: Govt

Wheat, a major rabi (winter) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks

India wheat output seen increasing 2% to record 120.21 MT 2025-26

Wheat, a major rabi (summer) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks

Global fertiliser prices may strain India's subsidy maths for next year

The subsidy burden might rise as retail rates of major fertiliser such as urea and DAP has to kept fixed to support farmers while import cost and cost of domestic production will go up

Farmers stage fresh protest in Delhi against India-US trade deal

The protest site, close to the historic Jantar Mantar observatory near the parliament complex in New Delhi, was packed with demonstrators

Paddy payments jump nearly 11% to ₹14,900 crore in Uttar Pradesh

Last year, the state's institutional paddy payments stood at about ₹13,370 crore

West Asia crisis: Centre working for smooth gas supply to fertiliser plants

Amid Middle East tensions, the Government of India assures fertiliser makers it is working to ease LNG shortages and safeguard urea output despite supply disruptions from Qatar

Centre sets 30.3 million tonnes wheat procurement target for FY27

Government plans to procure 30.3 million tonnes of wheat for the Central Pool in the 2026-27 rabi marketing season beginning April 1

Farmers' earnings may come under pressure if West Asia exports stay stuck

Centre says India is sitting on 36.5 per cent more fertiliser stocks as on March 6, compared to last year; farmers fully insulated from global shocks

Rice exporters seek urgent relief as Iran crisis disrupts exports, shipping

International freight rates have risen by an estimated 15-20 per cent, while war-risk surcharges and insurance premiums for Gulf-bound shipments have increased significantly

Iran war threatens Asia fertiliser supplies ahead of planting season

West Asia conflict disrupts fertiliser production and shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, threatening supplies to major Asian importers including India and China ahead of the planting season

Maharashtra takes private route to revive sick cooperative sugar mills

Policy allows establishment of sugarcane byproduct processing projects through private investors

Sugar shares rally on hopes of higher ethanol blend amid West Asia crisis

Sugar stocks surged on expectations that rising crude oil prices amid the West Asia crisis may prompt the Centre to raise ethanol prices and increase the blending mandate from 20 per cent

India, Canada sign 5-year MoU to boost agri-food research cooperation

The partnership follows the announcement by the Prime Ministers of both countries of a jointly supported Centre of Excellence in Pulse Protein, to be led by NIFTEM-K and USask

West Asia conflict: Iran stepped up basmati imports under war cloud

The rise in shipments to Iran may also be linked to demand during Ramzan, which began in mid-February

West Asia conflict: Edible oil rates firm up on crude price spiral

Brent rally amid Strait of Hormuz tensions may lift edible oil prices in India, even without supply disruptions

Civil society groups welcome govt's suspension of rice fortification scheme

Experts said that the reasoning given by the government to stop the scheme, which is loss of nutrients in fortified rice due to prolonged storage, is extremely plausible

Farm sector underperforms in FY26 under new series; share rises to 18%

Nominal GVA growth maintains downward trajectory for agriculture and allied in FY26