Page 5 - Agriculture

Sugar industry seeks cap on exports to divert supply for ethanol

Senior industry official said the government also seems amenable to this, as producing more ethanol has become a national priority given the impact of the West Asia war on petroleum prices

Rajasthan govt set to achieve record mustard production this year

Rajasthan is set for a record mustard harvest, with output rising despite weather disruptions, supported by higher sowing and favourable crop conditions

Govt seeks 2.5 mn metric tonnes of urea amid West Asia supply disruptions

India, where farming is a mainstay, imports fertilisers such as urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash, as well as liquefied natural gas, a key feedstock for urea production

Surplus rice pushes Odisha to open mkt auction, 100K T to be sold this yr

State to offload 100,000 tonnes of rice and expand free grain distribution under MAPY to manage surplus stocks and support over 32.8 million beneficiaries

West Asia conflict: Fear arrives early in fields of Haryana and Punjab

In third part of series on West Asia impact, wholesalers warn of thin stocks as hoarding fears drive early fertiliser buying

Agri minister takes stock of crop losses from hailstorm, heavy rainfall

The minister is scheduled to hold discussions with the agriculture ministers of the affected states later in the day over the extent of crop damage

India extends duty-free yellow peas import window until March 2027

All other terms and ​conditions ‌governing such imports would remain ​unchanged, the government said

Agro-chemical sector sees input costs falling 8-9% after customs duty cut

The duty exemption will start from April 2 and continue till June 30, 2026, an official order said

Uttar Pradesh govt aims to procure wheat worth over ₹12,900 crore

UP targets ₹12,925 crore wheat procurement at ₹2,585 MSP, expands centres and ensures quick payments to farmers in Rabi season 2026-27

AgriTech may unlock $90 billion in Southeast Asia, India offers roadmap

'India's venture and governance evolution an instructive model to unlocking opportunities'

Centre cracks down on fertiliser black-marketing, reviews MSP procurement

He stressed that registration must go beyond PM-Kisan beneficiaries to include all eligible farmers, an official statement sai

There is adequate supply of seeds, pesticides for kharif 2026 sowing: Govt

Says prices of most essential food items fairly stable despite the war

Centre to hold regional meets to boost agriculture policy execution

Centre will organise regional agriculture conferences in April-May to improve policy execution, strengthen Centre-State coordination, and address implementation bottlenecks

Centre assures adequate Kharif inputs, urges states to curb hoarding

Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia, Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Additional Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, said, "The most important input is seeds

MGNREGA work dips to 53.2 million households in FY26, lowest in six years

In FY25, around 57.8 million households got work under the scheme

Bio-isobutanol can be India's answer to energy insecurity: Dilip Patil

As West Asia tensions strain energy supplies, industry backs bio-isobutanol blending in diesel to boost energy security without affecting mileage, using existing distilleries with minimal investment

LNG supply to urea units rises to 75-80%; output falls 27% in March

The government has also secured arrangements for 2.8 million tonnes of urea from Russia through the Cape of Good Hope route

Govt extends Indian Potash STE status for urea imports till March 2027

The move is important as the West Asia crisis has disrupted global fertiliser trade

Haryana begins mustard procurement, wheat procurement to start April 1

Procurement of wheat will begin from April 1, 2026, and a target of 72 lakh metric tonnes has been set by the Government of India for this Rabi procurement season, an official statement said

Excessive use of fertilisers, water harms soil fertility: Shivraj Chouhan

Excess fertiliser and water use hurting soil health, says Chouhan, as Centre pushes millets and crop diversification to boost sustainability