Surinder Sud

Little incentive to grow pulses: Poorer economics versus competing crops

Rising imports, shrinking acreage, and low profitability show why another mission may struggle unless pulses farming becomes economically viable for growers

Agriculture needs more automation to make it a lucrative business

The need now is to promote novel and state-of-the-art technologies, such as geospatial programming and artificial intelligence, to optimise farm productivity

India's famed spice bazaar needs to do more to break into global markets

However, sector analysts are far from satisfied with this showing and maintain there is ample room for improvement

Giving soybean its due: 2026 Year of Soy may put sector on growth path

An appropriate response, by way of favourable policies and programmes to boost the production and consumption of soybean, is imperative to prop up this sector

Milk that has its source in soil: The growing popularity of 'vegan milk'

In India, vegan milk has managed to carve out a niche market though the country, being the world's largest producer of dairy milk, has copious milk supplies

Seeding the rice success: Technology and policy power India's rise

Since India is also the world's second-largest producer, exporter of wheat, it merits to be counted among the world's major food grain powerhouses, and a key player in the international food market

Horticulture deserves better amid export hurdles and safety norms

Horticultural crops are characteristically more productive and remunerative than food crops

For a sector to flower: Tapping India's vast floriculture opportunities

Studies have indicated that cultivation of flowers is more profitable than many traditional crops, especially in small and marginal farms, which constitute more than 90% of country's landholdings

10,000 FPOs is not too many, but implementation challenges persist

FPOs cannot raise equity to any significant extent because of the limited paying capacity of their members, who are usually smallholders or landless people

Task before new boards: Boosting India's global standing in key commodities

The Indian turmeric industry, however, needs to brace itself up to capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the world bazaar in the face of escalating competition from several new players

Treasures in the shallows: India's coastline rich in high-value seaweeds

The government's goal is to achieve a seaweed production level of one million tonnes by 2025 through higher harvesting from natural sources, and better captive cultivation

Over-reliance on imports hampers India's edible oil self-sufficiency plan

Dependence on import for meeting the domestic requirements of this mass-consumed kitchen staple has continued to remain untenably high

Wakeup call on biodiversity: Degradation poses ecological, economic risks

India's revised NBS-AP has done well to set 23 well-advised targets conforming to various global biodiversity-related conventions

Farm to fork goes digital: Indian agri on the cusp of a tech revolution

Indian farmers have shown their ability and, more so, willingness to embrace new technology

Sustaining the cotton revolution is vital for the textile sector's growth

Urgent measures are imperative to rejuvenate the cotton revolution through inducting new genetically engineered seeds and modern technology

Food, fuel, and timber: How bamboo is becoming 'green gold' for farmers

Bamboo cultivation with modern agronomic practices is proving more rewarding than many other crops, including the highly lucrative ones like sugarcane and cotton

Benefits of the domestic 'silk route'

Creating a market for the byproducts of sericulture would hugely benefit silk farmers, as also other stakeholders in the silk sector

Growing & sustaining a liquid asset

Rainwater conservation needs planning on a geographically wider scale, keeping in view the entire watersheds, which can span administrative blocks, districts, or states

The success story of fish farming

Composite fish farming has, over the years, witnessed some major modifications. One of its notable new versions is vertical fish culture

The increasing profitability of apiculture

Interestingly, while India's honey output has increased since 2005-06 by nearly 240 per cent, exports have bounced by over 260 per cent