Agriculture

Industry flags 'licence raj' concerns in draft Pesticides Management Bill

Plant protection industries say the draft Pesticides Management Bill risks fostering 'licence raj' and hampering research, citing sweeping inspector powers, price controls and unclear licensing terms

Worli leads India's ultra-luxury housing boom with ₹5,500 cr sales: Report

Over the past three years, more than 20 deals worth over ₹100 crore have been closed in Worli

Delhi blasts shine a light on role of fertilisers as potential explosives

The recovery of ammonium nitrate linked to the Delhi blasts has raised fresh questions about how fertilisers are bought, tracked and stored in India, and how some agri inputs can be misused

Parl panel asks govt to conduct long-term field trials on nano-fertilisers

To further promote nano-fertilisers, the panel has given many suggestions to the Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

India's sugar output jumps 43% in Oct-Nov on strong Maharashtra performance

Output in Maharashtra, the second-largest producing state, surged to 1.69 million tonnes from 460,000 tonnes in the year-ago period

Seeds of hope: Sowing of rabi crops gathers further steam, shows data

Rabi sowing has crossed 39.3 million hectares, with strong gains in pulses and oilseeds as farmers leverage good soil moisture, better seeds and stable MSP cues to diversify beyond wheat

Agrochemical industry to witness 6-7% revenue growth in 2025-26: Report

The report stated that the industry's return to its long-term growth range of 8-10 per cent next fiscal, however, depends on exports sustaining the momentum and domestic demand picking up

11th ITPGRFA meet postpones key decisions on expanding plant list

The meeting had entered a crucial phase after the chair of ITPGRFA proposed a compromise document where it wanted expansion of the MLS to include all crops and revision of the transfer agreement

Civil groups urge govt to reject compromise draft at Plant Treaty talks

The treaty establishes a multilateral system that provides access to a list of important crops for research and breeding, while ensuring that benefits from their use are shared among the signatories

Farm sector GVA up 3.5% in Q2, collapses in nominal terms on low inflation

Agriculture was expected to do well and growth at 3.5 per cent is supported by a good kharif harvest expected, which will reflect more in Q3, said Madan Sabnavis

Seeds sector faces major shake-up as India readies new laws and treaties

'India's seeds sector heads into a decisive phase as new draft laws, amendments to plant-variety rules, and a global treaty converge to reshape how varieties are regulated, protected and shared'

Rajasthan ensuring availability of fertilisers in every block: Agri min

"We are also working with utmost vigilance throughout the state to prevent black marketing and hoarding of fertilisers," Meena said

Govt to push green fuel farm machinery to boost mechanisation: Agri secy

The agriculture secretary said this transition will bring down both maintenance and operational costs for farmers, and government schemes will increasingly prioritise green fuel-based technologies

India's rice output may hit record high of 124 mt in 2025 kharif season

Good rice production could pressure government to step up buying

Wheat leads as rabi sowing over in half of normal area, shows data

Data showed that during the week ending November 21, rabi crops were sown in around 30.63 million hectares of land which is 12.32 per cent more than the area covered during the same period last year

Chouhan urges farm scientists to focus research on practical solutions

The agriculture minister underlined the need for focussing research on actionable solutions including increasing shelf life of agricultural products

Gadkari bats for 'farmer producer companies' for agricultural development

Addressing a workshop on farmer producer organisation, he said all problems of cultivators must be solved at commissionerate level in districts through the farmer producer company

Farm sector can maintain 4% growth for a decade: Niti Aayog's Ramesh Chand

Addressing an event organised by industry body PHDCCI, Chand said agricultural products' demand will grow at 2.5%

Bihar must rethink growth drivers as current model falls short: Report

A Kotak-ICRIER report says Bihar's development model has not delivered due to an unremunerative agriculture sector, urging diversification, rural infrastructure upgrades and institutional reforms

DCP system faces challenges over late payments, MSP bonuses, surplus stock

The latest large grain producing state to choose centralised grain procurement has claimed high-interest loans and non-repayment from the Centre as a reason