Agriculture Economy

While cotton and yarn prices have eased after the import duty cut, traders caution that global price risks, El Nino concerns and the October import window could limit the benefits

The government on Monday said farmers have bought 11.17 lakh tonnes of organic manure in the ongoing kharif sowing season, a 3.5 times jump from the year-ago period, indicating a gradual shift from chemical fertilisers. The Centre also reiterated that the overall stock position of fertilisers in the country is comfortable and there is no challenge in availability. It is also monitoring the situation on a regular basis to ensure adequate domestic supply. At an inter-ministerial briefing on the recent developments in West Asia, Aparna S Sharma, additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, said, "For kharif 2026, the fertiliser requirement has been reassessed by the Department of Agriculture at 383.9 lakh tonnes and against this, the stock as on today is 197.56 lakh tonnes". The stock is more than 51 per cent of the kharif season demand and this is significantly higher than the usual level of 33 per cent, she added. "The purchase of fertiliser has been abou

El Nino is a natural phenomenon in the eastern Pacific Ocean that influences global weather patterns, including India's monsoon

The organised plywood sector has urged the Centre to curb diversion of subsidised agricultural urea into industrial use amid rising fertiliser subsidy costs and supply pressures

IFAD's AVP Donal Brown said that the funding agency is now increasingly looking to fund 3-4 direct investments in the private sector over the next year

The government on Wednesday raised the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by Rs 72 to Rs 2,441 per quintal for the 2026-27 kharif marketing season. A decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The support price for common and A-grade varieties has been increased by Rs 72 per quintal to Rs 2,441 and Rs 2,461 per quintal, respectively, for the 2026-27 kharif marketing season (September-October). Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the MSP is 50 per cent more than the cost of production. "Estimated payout to farmers would be Rs 2.60 lakh crore and annual procurement estimated at 824.41 lakh tonne," he added.

Proposed changes to Sugarcane Control Order, including stricter norms for mills and khandsari units, raise concerns over increased regulatory oversight and potential 'Inspector Raj' in the sector

Former NITI Aayog member and noted agriculture economist Ramesh Chand says India is better prepared to handle rainfall variability than in the past

AWL Agri Business Ltd, formerly Adani Wilmar, on Tuesday posted a 53.70 per cent jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 293.06 crore for the fourth quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal on strong sales. The company's net profit stood at Rs 190.66 crore in the year-ago period, according to a regulatory filing. Its total income rose 18 per cent to Rs 21,464.78 crore during the January-March quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal from 18,229.59 crore in the year-ago period. Expenses remained higher at Rs 21,243.21 crore against Rs 18,057.28 crore a year ago. However for the full 2025-26 financial year, the company posted a 14.75 per cent drop in its consolidated net profit to Rs 1,044.89 crore from Rs 1,225.81 crore in the preceding fiscal year despite higher income. The total income rose to Rs 74,730.67 crore in 2025-26 from Rs 63,672.24 crore a year ago. AWL Agri Business Ltd Managing Director and CEO Shrikant Kanhere said: "We have delivered a strong performance in Q4 FY26, supported by improving

IMD flags a 31 per cent probability of "below normal" monsoon and a 35 per cent chance of rainfall below 90 per cent of LPA-risks for agriculture, heatwaves, and demand

IMD's weak monsoon forecast revives a key question why India's push for drip and sprinkler irrigation has not translated into widespread adoption despite years of policy support

India's fertiliser subsidy has exceeded FY26 Revised Estimates, prompting experts to call for policy reforms, including rational pricing, curbs on overuse, and bringing urea under the NBS regime

A new report highlights Southeast Asia's vast AgriTech potential, projecting over $90 billion in GDP gains by 2033, with India's governance and venture model seen as a key template

Warns against needless speculation

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

WTO reforms, agriculture-related matters, dispute settlement and the e-commerce moratorium are expected to be discussed by trade ministers of 166 countries during the four-day ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Yaounde, Cameroon, an official said. Fisheries subsidies, China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement, e-commerce work programme and moratorium, development and S&DT (special and differential treatment), and level playing field issues are also among the topics that may figure during the 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will take place from March 26 to 29, 2026, in Yaounde, Cameroon. The ministerial conference is the highest decision-making body of the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). It meets every two years. The Indian team will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the official said. The meeting is important as global trade ..

Maharashtra's economy is expected to grow at 7.9 per cent in 2025-26 while the per capita income is projected to reach Rs 3.47 lakh, as per the Economic Survey tabled in the state legislature on Thursday ahead of the Budget. The agriculture and allied sector is expected to grow by 3.4 per cent in the present financial year. Industry is expected to grow by 5.7 per cent and the services sector by 9 per cent during this period, the survey said, adding that the services sector continues to drive the state's economy. According to the budget estimates for 2025-26, the state's revenue receipts are expected to be Rs 5,60,964 crore, including Rs 4,77,400 crore tax revenue and Rs 33,052 crore non-tax revenue. The state has maintained its fiscal deficit within 3 per cent of GSDP, and it is estimated at 2.7 per cent in 2025-26. Maharashtra continues to remain one of the strongest and most dynamic economies in the country, driven by balanced growth in agriculture, industry and services, large .

With rice stocks far above buffer norms, India must shift from open-ended MSP procurement to diversified, sustainable agriculture without hurting farmer incomes

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