Page 20 - Agriculture

Jute industry faced crisis in 2025 amid input shortage, soaring prices

Stakeholders noted that the current crisis was shaped by extreme price swings over the past 15 months

Record agri output in 2025 amid GST cuts, tariffs; new bill eyed for 2026

Above-normal southwest monsoons boosted kharif sowing, with the agriculture ministry's first advance estimate projected kharif foodgrain output at a record 173.33 MT for 2025-26

Year-ender 2025: Rural economy steadies as GST cuts offset weak crop prices

Lower crop prices and weak nominal farm growth weighed on rural incomes in 2025, but GST cuts, welfare support, and rising consumption helped stabilise demand and sentiment

Chemical fertilisers cause diseases, natural farming boosts income: Shah

Shah, who is also Minister of Cooperation, said approximately 40 lakh farmers in the country have adopted natural farming and he has personally practised it on his farms

VB-G RAM G to address labour shortage during peak farm season: Minister

The VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was passed in Parliament last week

Oilseed extractors plan far-East push as oil meal exports slow down

Indian oilseed extractors are planning a far-East outreach to revive oil meal exports amid weak global demand, rising competition from DDGS, and logistical advantages over US suppliers

India's rice stocks surge to record high as paddy procurement climbs

State reserves of rice, including unmilled paddy, totalled a record 57.57 million metric tons as of December 1, far exceeding the government's target of 7.61 million tons for January 1

Rabi sowing over in 91% normal area, acreage 1.43% higher, shows data

Rabi sowing has covered 91% of the normal area so far, with total acreage 1.4% higher than last year, led by gains in wheat, mustard and pulses, official data shows

Water-soluble fertiliser imports steady despite China export crackdown

Between January and November 2024 and 2025, data show that speciality water soluble fertiliser imports from China dropped by just 8.7 per cent, while overall it rose by 8.8 per cent

Centre to decide on sugar exports, higher ethanol quota next month and half

Maharashtra's sugarcane arrears stood at ₹2,000 crore till November 30, 2025

Uttar Pradesh paddy procurement injects ₹5,000 crore into rural economy

The minimum support price (MSP) for paddy this season is ₹2,369 per quintal for common variety, and ₹2,389 per quintal for Grade A

Urea availability row in Rajasthan escalates as farmers queue up

As Rabi sowing nears completion in Rajasthan, farmers queue up for urea, triggering a political row between the state government and the Congress over fertiliser availability

Sowing of rabi crops done in nearly 88% of normal area, shows data

Data showed that till December 12 oilseeds have been sown in around 8.97 million hectares, which is higher than the normal acreage of 8.67 million hectares

India's sugar output jumps 28% in this season, mills urge to raise MSP

Sugar output in Maharashtra, the country's top producing state, more than doubled to 3.13 million tonnes from 1.68 million tonnes, while Uttar Pradesh production rose to 2.505 million tonnes

Offline e-crop survey registration open till Jan 15 for farmers: Bawankule

He made the announcement in the legislative assembly while replying to a calling attention motion, a procedure that allows a member to bring an urgent public matter to a minister's notice

UP to open 50 urad procurement centres, MSP set at ₹7,800 per quintal

Under the Aatmanirbhar Dal Yojana of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), direct procurement from farmers will continue until January 29, 2026

Right time for mkt-linked DAP rates with minimal farmer impact: FAI chief

FAI chief S Sankarasubramanian says buying fertiliser assets abroad could keep value capture outside India; FY27 subsidy requirement may be lower as global prices are softening

Centre approves higher MSP for copra for 2026 season to support cultivators

In a statement, the committee said the Fair Average Quality MSP for milling copra was fixed at ₹12,027 per quintal, while ball copra was set at ₹12,500 per quintal for the 2026 season

Govt to extend Farmer Producer Organisations scheme for five more years

Stating that working capital remains a critical issue, the Agriculture Secretary said while the current equity grant provides matching grants, the ₹30 lakh limit is inadequate for larger operations

Rabi sowing: Gram, barley surpass targets, wheat lags in Rajasthan

According to the data, sowing was completed in more than 21.50 lakh hectares by December 4, the highest in past five years