Agricultural Sector

Farm R&D drove a third of India's increase in agri output in 2025: Icar

Icar estimates agricultural R&D contributed around Rs 55,000 crore, or a third, to the increase in India's farm output value between 2024 and 2025, its latest analysis shows

Chouhan asks ICAR scientists to explore non-GMO ways to raise pulses yield

Shivraj Singh Chouhan urges ICAR to find non-GMO solutions to boost pulses and oilseed yields as the council unveils its agriculture roadmap for 2047

Odisha clears new farm market law to widen buyer access for farmers

Odisha has approved a new farm marketing law to create a unified statewide market, expand buyer access, promote digital trading and improve price realisation for farmers

What is a 'monsoon break' and why does it matter for paddy farmers?

The IMD has forecast a week-long break in the southwest monsoon. Here's why the monsoon takes a pause every year, why this year's break seems unusual, and what it could mean for paddy cultivation

Fixing Fertiliser: Urea subsidy cannot be allowed to continue unreformed

With fertiliser subsidies set to hit record levels, India faces growing pressure to reform urea pricing and shift support directly to farmers

Urea sales jump 10%, DAP 39% amid panic buying after West Asia war

Consumers bought around 5.05 million tonnes of urea between March 1 and May 25, 2026, as against 4.60 million tonnes during the same period last year

Cabinet extends SARTHAK-PDS scheme for 5 yrs with ₹25,530-crore outlay

The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the SARTHAK-PDS scheme till March 2031 to strengthen foodgrain distribution and modernise the public distribution system

Why food irradiation in India faces viability test despite export promise

Despite high post-harvest losses and strong export demand, food irradiation remains limited in India due to high costs, low farmer incentives and weak infrastructure

Farmer suicides drop 1.2% in 2024; farm labourers also dip, shows report

Suicides among farmers and farm labourers declined marginally in 2024, according to the latest Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report

Centre hikes non-urea fertiliser subsidy 10-21% amid West Asia crisis

Government raises non-urea fertiliser subsidy by up to 21 per cent for kharif 2026 to shield farmers from rising global prices and supply disruptions linked to West Asia tensions

Rajasthan to begin mustard, gram procurement at MSP from March 25

RAJFED to begin MSP procurement of mustard and gram from late March as Rajasthan gears up for the rabi marketing season

West Asia crisis: Farmer earnings may decline if exports remain affected

Though some reports claim that authorities have started exploring alternative routes to quickly ship farm goods bound for West Asia, if the crisis continues, the losses could be substantial

Waiver danger: Repeated agricultural loan bailouts must be avoided

Maharashtra's new farm loan waiver may fulfil a poll promise, but repeated debt relief risks weakening credit discipline and straining the state's fiscal balance

India-US trade deal: DDGS duty cuts raise concerns despite tariff rate caps

India has agreed to relax or remove duties on several US agri products under an interim trade deal framework, raising risks for domestic producers of DDGS, but providing possible relief on soybean oil

India will cut tariffs on most industrial, agri goods under deal, says US

The US said India will lower tariffs on a "vast array" of American industrial and agricultural goods, such as "fruits, vegetables", to zero per cent under the trade deal announced by President Donald Trump. The US described this as a "big win" while noting that India will continue to control "certain key areas" that enjoy protection. "This is it. The time has come, and now we have the deal. We'll finish papering it, but we know the specifics. We know the details. It's a very exciting opportunity," United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Tuesday in an interview to CNBC Squawk Box. Greer said that the US will continue to maintain some level of tariff against India - 18 per cent - "because we have this giant trade deficit with them, but they've also agreed to reduce their tariffs for us on a variety of agricultural products, manufactured goods, chemicals, medical devices, etc. It's an exciting opportunity for both countries," he said. Giving details of the deal, Greer .

India-New Zealand trade deal finalised: Which sectors are set to gain?

The deal includes sweeping tariff cuts, expanded services access, enhanced labour mobility and a long-term investment commitment

UP clears food processing proposals worth ₹10K cr to boost rural economy

The state has achieved a 98 per cent bank loan approval rate under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, the highest in the country

AIC plans expanding parametric insurance products to livestock, people

Agriculture Insurance Company of India plans to scale up weather-linked parametric insurance to livestock and income protection for agricultural workers

BL Agro aims to become $2.25 bn group by 2030, to invest ₹3k cr in 5 years

Uttar Pradesh-based BL Agro, which mainly sells edible oils and processed food items, will invest Rs 3,000 crore to expand its business and achieve an aggressive target of growing its revenue 2.5 times to Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years. In an interview with PTI, CEO Navneet Ravikar said the company would make these investments to fund expansion plans across various food categories like rice and milk. BL Agro Group, which sells cooking oils under the brand 'Bail Kolhu' and processed food items under 'Nourish' and other brands, had a turnover of around Rs 8,000 crore in 2024-25 fiscal. The Bareilly-based family-owned group has plans to invest around Rs 3,000 crore in the next five years on expansion of several projects, which include setting up a rice business along with milk. It will also set up a 360-degree value chain with manufacturing to processing unit, along with a feed processing and CBG (Compressed Bio Gas) units, he said. As part of its growth strategy, the BL Agro

Govt should ensure policy gains do not evaporate in opaque tractor markets

The government can ensure trade accountability by making it mandatory for dealers to display MRPs for all models along with prices under GST 1 (12-18 per cent) and GST 2 (5 per cent)