Agriculture

A month after lifting of ban, wheat exports rise fourfold, shows data

India exported $69 million worth of wheat in September after lifting the ban, but high domestic prices and limited export competitiveness could constrain shipments in the coming months.

Oil companies receive bids for 1.93 bn litres of ethanol in latest tender

Oil marketing companies have received ethanol supply bids exceeding the tendered quantity, with maize accounting for nearly 59 per cent of offers for the 2026-27 supply year

Ahead of Assembly elections, UP may sweeten sugarcane prices for farmers

Uttar Pradesh may raise sugarcane prices by ₹10-20 per quintal ahead of Assembly polls, even as farmers demand a ₹50-100 hike and private sugar mills seek a freeze on rates

India's guava output jumps 40% in 7 years on more acreage, yields stay flat

The production increase is attributable to expanding acreage, even as yields have been stagnant at around 14.6-14.8 tonnes per hectare, prompting calls for better varieties and orchard management

Early cane crushing yields under 1 mn tonnes of sugar in Oct; recovery dips

Around 152 sugar mills began crushing cane by October-end, producing 0.85 million tonnes of sugar, while the recovery rate fell to 8.01 per cent from 8.44 per cent last season

Deficient monsoon slows rabi sowing, wheat sowing yet to pick up pace

Wheat, the principal rabi crop, was sown over just 19,000 hectare, against 3.34 lakh hectare last year, a shortfall attributed to insufficient soil moisture

Paddy stubble burning falls 26.6% in 7 states; Punjab records most cases

Paddy stubble burning incidents fell 26.63% to 3,316 across seven states between September 15 and November 1, with Punjab accounting for nearly half the cases.

Agri minister asks officials to draw up strategy on drought, cyclones

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asks officials to prepare a strategy to tackle drought, cyclones and erratic rainfall, and ensure timely relief for affected farmers.

AI, IoT can boost shrimp farm returns by over 80%, finds Icrier paper

An Icrier study finds that AIoT adoption can raise net returns from ₹5.63 lakh to ₹10.40 lakh per acre in shrimp farming, while cutting feed use, labour costs and energy consumption

Rajasthan records rainfall deficit of over 20%, worst in 16 years

Over 20% rainfall shortfall triggers drought-like conditions, threatens Kharif output and raises concerns over rural demand

Drought-hit crops, rising costs may drive up India's farm commodity imports

Drought-hit soybean and groundnut crops, concerns over mustard output and high feed costs could raise imports of edible oils, soybean meal, maize, sugar and other farm commodities

Healthy diet unaffordable for 36% of Indians in 2025, says KPMG report

The report says nearly 520.1 million people could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, highlighting gaps in nutrition security despite food production exceeding dietary requirements

Wheat sowing lags at 11,000 ha amid deficient monsoon, irrigation concerns

Wheat, a major rabi crop, is generally sown in October-November and harvested in March-April. The crop was sown in 336 lakh hectare in the 2025-26 crop year (July-June)

Wheat acreage likely to remain steady despite weak monsoon rainfall

Govt has set a wheat production target of 121 million tonnes for 2026-27; officials expect irrigation and favourable soil moisture in key growing states to support sowing despite deficient rainfall

Govt achieves 110 mn farmer ID target 5 months ahead of deadline: Chouhan

The target was reached on October 23, while integration with fertiliser sales systems has led to sharp reductions in sales in select border and pilot districts

Fertiliser sales plunge in select border districts after farmer-ID checks

The sharp decline in offtake has raised questions about the extent of earlier fertiliser diversion, including the possible cross-border smuggling of subsidised urea

ICRIER urges caution over AgriStack-led fertiliser subsidy rationalisation

The paper says Punjab and Haryana receive a much larger volume of central government support relative to the value of what they produce than most other states

Statsguru: Don't blame stubble burning alone for poor air quality

Farm fires are seasonal, but year-round emissions from power plants and persistently high PM2.5 levels underline the need for a broader clean-air strategy

Soybean output may dip to 2%; MP, Rajasthan to cushion Maharashtra losses

Soybean is a key oilseed crop that provides domestic cooking oil and a protein base for the livestock and poultry industries

MNREGA repeal raises doubts over extra 50 workdays for FRA title holders

An RTI reply says no order has been issued for the extra 50 days of employment allotted to eligible forest-rights holders under MNREGA, raising questions about the provision under VB-G RAM G