Agricultural Sector

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)

Want to know where to grow a crop? This Noida agritech startup tells you

This AI platform can analyse climate, soil, and crop data to predict what grows best where-boosting yields and cutting carbon risks

Tropical Agrosystem eyes 22% revenue jump to ₹2,200 crore in FY26

Chennai-based agrochemicals company Tropical Agrosystem is targeting a 22 per cent jump in revenues to Rs 2,200 crore this fiscal year, driven by a favourable monsoon and strong demand for its patented products, Chairman V K Jhaver said. The company, which competes with MNC giants like Bayer, Syngenta and UPL, expects to turn debt-free by next fiscal and is exploring private equity funding instead of going public. Tropical Agrosystem has launched three patented products including herbicide Tag Proxy and granular insecticide Tag Stem Lee, with three more slated for December launch. The company is confident of achieving Rs 100 crore in sales from its new dual-action paddy insecticide Stem Lee alone this financial year. "We have just introduced one patented product 'Stem Lee' for dual-action control of stem borer and leaf folder in paddy crops. I am confident that this product will have sales of Rs 100 crore this year. I don't think it should be a problem to achieve Rs 2,200 crore sale

India to gift 12 agricultural drones, two mobile soild testing labs to Fiji

Fijian Prime Minister Rabuka thanked PM Modi for the assistance of 5MT of high-quality cowpea seeds sent by India to support food security and agricultural resilience in Fiji

Ethnic clash leaves farmlands abandoned in Manipur, threatens livelihoods

Once vital to the state's economy & the source of income for over 60% of its residents, agriculture in Manipur is suffering from the effects of ongoing conflict between the Meitei and Kuki groups

Govt launches 6-year scheme to boost farming in 100 lagging districts

The PM-DDKY scheme to start in FY26, merging 36 existing programmes to boost yields, irrigation, and rural credit in low-performing districts; NITI Aayog to oversee progress

Rallis, RCF, Deepak Fertilisers rally up to 9%; what's driving agri stocks?

Agri sector outlook: With a growing consumer base, the agri-inputs sector stands poised to benefit from a shift toward more efficient, sustainable practices.

Crop cutting surveys ramped up for better farm production estimates

The CCEs are a method used to estimate crop yield by harvesting a small, randomly selected area of a field

Centre issues model rules to ease tree felling on farms, boost agroforestry

The Centre has issued model rules for the felling of trees on agricultural land in a bid to promote agroforestry with the aim of doubling farmers' incomes, increasing tree cover outside forests and mitigating climate change. In a letter sent to all state governments on June 19, the environment ministry said the objective of 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands' is to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivise farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems without facing undue procedural hurdles. The government has been promoting agroforestry to double farmers' income, enhance tree cover outside forests, mitigate climate change, reduce timber imports and ensure sustainable land use. It also supports India's climate goals under the Paris Agreement. A key barrier is the lack of clear, harmonised rules for felling trees on agricultural land which affects cultivation and marketing of agroforestry produce, according to the ...

Chinese squeeze drives up DAP fertiliser prices, spurs West Asia reliance

It's the second-most-consumed fertiliser in India after urea but a significant portion is imported

Kothari Industrial Corp unveils 30 new agri-products to boost farm yield

Diversified conglomerate Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd has launched 30 agro-products aimed at bolstering agricultural output and serving the growing needs of farmers, a top official said on Saturday. These products, including Kothari Bioshakthi Gold, Kothari Neem Power, Kothari Subhiksham, among others, were launched by the company's Executive Chairman, Dr Rafiq Ahmed. "We strongly believe our farmers face different challenges when it comes to pests and diseases, but still they seek to continue to feed a growing population," said Ahmed in a press release here. "To address the growing needs, KICL introduced a robust range of bio and organic fertilisers along with neem-based variants (that can be applied with the help of) drone-based spraying, power sprayers and knapsack sprayers which not only affirm our commitment to empowering farmers across the country but also improving their lives," he added. These agri-products include insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. A range of N

India will protect farmers' interest in US trade talks: Agri min Chouhan

India will prioritise protecting its farmers' interests while assessing potential gains and losses in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States over agricultural market access, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. "Our priority is to protect the interest of our farmers. India will not work closing its eyes. We will assess our gains and losses. Keeping that in mind, an agreement will be finalised," Chouhan told PTI in an interview. He was responding to a query on how India would safeguard farmers amid US pressure for greater market access for American agricultural and horticultural products. The negotiators are expected to agree on the framework for the broad contours of the first phase of the bilateral deal, expected to be signed by fall (September-October) 2025. "The discussions are ongoing between India and the US. One thing is clear, we will protect the interest of our farmers. When we talk about two nations, we need to see the overall trade," the ministe

Farmers' body calls for investment boost to tackle climate-farming barriers

Farmers' body FAIFA on Thursday called for bridging implementation gaps and increasing investment in climate-resilient agricultural technologies, citing high initial costs, fragmented infrastructure and low farmer awareness as key barriers to widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices. The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) released a white paper titled "Nourishing the Future: A Report on Climate-Resilient Agriculture" during a national seminar in New Delhi, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable farming practices to counter climate change impacts. The report identified erratic rainfall, unseasonal droughts, temperature spikes and rising pest incidence as key threats disrupting crop cycles across major agricultural states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Member of Parliament from Andhra Prades Putta Mahesh Kumar was present at the event. Small and marginal farmers, who comprise over 80 per cent

Iffco net profit rose 16% in FY25; nano fertiliser sales up around 47%

IFFCO reports Rs 2,823 crore FY25 net profit with strong nano fertiliser sales but flags slow adoption; turnover grows 4.5 per cent to Rs 41,244 crore

Market returns rarely move in lockstep with monsoon rain, shows data

Earnings, tariffs likely to be more keenly watched

Maharashtra onion farmers reel under slump, unseasonal rains worsen woes

Pre-monsoon rains in several parts of Maharashtra since the beginning of May have increased the worries of the state's onion cultivators, who are already stressed about falling prices of the kitchen staple. Onion crops on thousands of acres have been damaged in the rains, leaving farmers staring at heavy losses, Maharashtra State Onion Producers Farmers Association founder-president Bharat Dighold told PTI. The damage in real terms is yet to be ascertained as the rains continue and panchnamas (spot assessment) haven't been done, he lamented. Onion-producing areas in Konkan, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Latur, Amravati and Nagpur have been witnessing heavy unseasonal rains since May 6. "Unseasonal rains have lashed onion-growing districts of Dhule, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, Solapur, Beed, Dharashiv, Akola, Jalna, Buldhana, and Jalgaon. Prices were already down and have further slumped due to unseasonal rains," he said. He said in th