Agriculture

India's mushroom production surges, led by Bihar, but challenges remain

India's mushroom output rose from 51,000 tonnes in 2015 to 347,750 tonnes in 2024, with Bihar at the forefront, but productivity, cold-chain and infrastructure gaps threaten further growth.

ITA seeks West Bengal tea policy push for Darjeeling, Dooars-Terai

White papers seek financial support, tea-area rejuvenation, factory modernisation and trade reforms to revive production, protect livelihoods and attract investment in North Bengal

Agri varsities should focus on student employability, job data: Chouhan

MoS says over 2.5 million students passed out of agricultural universities in the last 10 years; but 0.8 million did not get employed

Govt moves to ban widely used plant protection chemical, Carbosulfan

An expert panel recommended a complete prohibition citing toxicity risks and lack of a specific antidote, while the agrochemical industry warned of pest-management and economic consequences

Kharif sowing reaches near-2025 levels, just 1.5% lower till August 21

According to the latest data, till August 21, 2026, kharif crops were sown on around 105.67 million hectares of land, which was just 1.5 per cent less than in the same period last year.

Centre raps states for tardy progress in digital agriculture mission

The Centre has questioned states over delays in implementing the Digital Agriculture Mission, with 61 per cent of India's sown area linked to Farmer IDs

About 40% of India's sown area yet to be linked to Farmer IDs: Agri Min

Around 40 per cent of India's net sown area is yet to be linked to Farmer IDs, while most states have not drafted standard operating procedures for cultivator categories

Shivraj Chouhan asks states to ensure full saturation of farm schemes

The minister said the Farmer ID, under which payments are credited directly to farmers' bank accounts, is a key transparency measure

Centre caps sugar stocks; mills told to furnish three days' sale details

Centre caps sugar stocks held by bulk consumers at 15 days' requirement as prices hit record highs; mills must disclose buyer-wise sales for August 17-19

El Niño unlikely to hurt kharif production much: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Chouhan said that integrated farming systems and models based on local resources should be developed to enhance farmers' incomes, urging officials to set clear goals and implement concrete roadmaps

VB-G RAM-G's first month: Poor jobs data, but the story is more complex

July persondays fell sharply from MGNREGA levels, but the Centre cites sowing pauses, monsoon recovery and transition issues, while experts say one month is too early to judge

Paddy acreage down 3.65% on deficient rains in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maha

Sowing of kharif crops, which typically picks up with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, was delayed this year on account of El Nino conditions.

Agriculture-only Discoms: What Telangana, Maharashtra, Haryana are changing

Telangana and Maharashtra are separating agricultural consumers and their associated finances from existing distribution companies. Haryana has proposed a similar model

Drones take the field in Indian agriculture as services expand for farmers

Driven by on-demand models, startups and government programmes are making the tech accessible and affordable for farmers

PM Modi calls upon farmers to leverage FTAs to build global agro brands

The Prime Minister also called for chemical-free farming and said the government had absorbed higher global fertiliser costs to keep urea and DAP affordable for farmers

India's fertilizer squeeze forces rethink of legacy of overuse amid war

The country's farmers use more urea than the US and Brazil combined, buoyed by government support that keeps prices well below market rates

Hindustan Urvarak explores new projects for next phase of growth

HURL is exploring green urea and coal gasification projects while considering ammonium sulphate and NPK production at its Barauni and Sindri units

Fertiliser sales decline in July despite a pick-up in the monsoon

Fertiliser sales fell across key nutrients in July despite a stronger monsoon, suggesting farmers entered the peak sowing season with adequate stocks

AgriStack DPI to plug gaps in data collection system, says government

To overhaul the system, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare approved the DAM for the creation of a DPI to enable a robust digital agriculture ecosystem in the country.

Only 3.1% of fruit, vegetable samples had excess pesticide residue: Govt

Government data shows 3.1% of 70,652 fruit and vegetable samples tested over three years exceeded FSSAI pesticide residue limits, prompting continued monitoring and farmer training