Agriculture

Farmers worldwide face fuel shortages that threaten diesel-powered planting, irrigation and fishing, as energy supply shocks from the Iran war risk pushing up food costs and global inflation

With over 68.6% of India's fertiliser value chain dependent on imports, geopolitical tensions pose rising risks to supply security, underscoring the need for urgent sector reforms, ICRIER paper said

Asia and Africa together account for over 40 per cent of global agricultural production and bilateral agri-trade already exceeds $90 billion annually

The dispute arose after Vinp approached the High Court seeking higher allocation under its long-term offtake agreement (LTOA) in the OMC tender for the 2025-26 ethanol supply year

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said women engaged in agriculture and agri-food sectors should get a greater role in policy formation, decision-making and leadership positions, and called for collective action to close gender gaps across the value chain. Addressing the three-day Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems, the President said success case studies on women in agriculture should be published widely to ensure more people were aware of their contributions. Emphasising India's strategic choice of women-led development, Murmu said women in the agriculture sector must be given a greater role in policy formulation, decision-making, and leadership positions. "Larger participation of women at all levels in the sector will promote gender-inclusive agricultural growth," she said. She called for targeted support for women farmers on issues of land titles, access to technical knowledge, and institutional finance. On the role of technology, Murmu highlighted 'Sarlaben' -

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

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

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's wheat production is estimated at a record 120.21 million tonnes in the 2025-26 crop year, up 2 per cent from 117.94 million tonnes in the previous year, government data showed on Tuesday. 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. Total rabi crop production is estimated to rise 3.16 per cent to 174.51 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 169.16 million tonnes a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said in its second advance estimate. Pulses output is projected to grow 7 per cent to 16.24 million tonnes in the rabi season of 2025-26 from 15.23 million tonnes a year ago, as the country looks to narrow a demand-supply gap that has left the country dependent on imports. Gram production was pegged slightly higher at 11.79 million tonnes against 11.11 million tonnes, while lentil output was estimated at 1.73 million tonnes versus 1.65 million tonnes. However, urad output is seen lower at

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

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

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

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

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

The IMD is expected to release its forecast for March temperatures later this week. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the March temperature outlook

Market participants warn that surplus stocks and OMSS sales could push wheat prices Rs 300-400 per quintal below MSP in 2026-27, denting farm incomes and distorting trade signals

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday stated that there is no proposal currently to bring back the farm laws that were repealed earlier.

Agri-startup executives said policy unpredictability hits processors first but the impact eventually reaches farmers through lower prices and altered sowing decisions

Ramesh Chand argued that India already looks like a "world power" in rice but added that ambition has to be filtered through desirability and consequences

Shivraj Singh Chouhan says it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities