Agriculture

Centre to leverage digital infra to optimise food, fertiliser subsidies

Government plans to use AgriStack and CBDC-based pilots to better target fertiliser and food subsidies, reduce leakages, and improve transparency in welfare delivery systems

New seed tech, biologicals can be 'game changers' for Indian agriculture

Experts say Direct Seeded Rice and next-generation seed technologies could transform Indian agriculture by cutting water use, lowering costs and improving sustainability in rice cultivation

India's wheat output pegged at record 120.21 mt in 2025-26, up 2%: Govt

Wheat, a major rabi (winter) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks

India wheat output seen increasing 2% to record 120.21 MT 2025-26

India's wheat production is estimated at a record 120.21 million tonnes in the 2025-26 crop year, up 2 per cent from 117.94 million tonnes in the previous year, government data showed on Tuesday. Wheat, a major rabi (summer) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks. Total rabi crop production is estimated to rise 3.16 per cent to 174.51 million tonnes in 2025-26 from 169.16 million tonnes a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said in its second advance estimate. Pulses output is projected to grow 7 per cent to 16.24 million tonnes in the rabi season of 2025-26 from 15.23 million tonnes a year ago, as the country looks to narrow a demand-supply gap that has left the country dependent on imports. Gram production was pegged slightly higher at 11.79 million tonnes against 11.11 million tonnes, while lentil output was estimated at 1.73 million tonnes versus 1.65 million tonnes. However, urad output is seen lower at

Global fertiliser prices may strain India's subsidy maths for next year

The subsidy burden might rise as retail rates of major fertiliser such as urea and DAP has to kept fixed to support farmers while import cost and cost of domestic production will go up

Paddy payments jump nearly 11% to ₹14,900 crore in Uttar Pradesh

Last year, the state's institutional paddy payments stood at about ₹13,370 crore

West Asia crisis: Centre working for smooth gas supply to fertiliser plants

Amid Middle East tensions, the Government of India assures fertiliser makers it is working to ease LNG shortages and safeguard urea output despite supply disruptions from Qatar

Sugar shares rally on hopes of higher ethanol blend amid West Asia crisis

Sugar stocks surged on expectations that rising crude oil prices amid the West Asia crisis may prompt the Centre to raise ethanol prices and increase the blending mandate from 20 per cent

Farm sector underperforms in FY26 under new series; share rises to 18%

Nominal GVA growth maintains downward trajectory for agriculture and allied in FY26

India braces for unusually hot March this year, risking crop yields

The IMD is expected to release its forecast for March temperatures later this week. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the March temperature outlook

Traders fear wheat prices may fall below MSP in 2026-27 on surplus stocks

Market participants warn that surplus stocks and OMSS sales could push wheat prices Rs 300-400 per quintal below MSP in 2026-27, denting farm incomes and distorting trade signals

Centre has no plan to bring back farm laws: Shivraj Chouhan at BS Manthan

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday stated that there is no proposal currently to bring back the farm laws that were repealed earlier.

Policy uncertainty, export bans hurting farm ecosystem: Agri-startup execs

Agri-startup executives said policy unpredictability hits processors first but the impact eventually reaches farmers through lower prices and altered sowing decisions

Agricultural shift from subsidies to sustainability may be the way ahead

Ramesh Chand argued that India already looks like a "world power" in rice but added that ambition has to be filtered through desirability and consequences

Agriculture Minister renews push for DBT of fertiliser subsidy to farmers

Shivraj Singh Chouhan says it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities

Agri Minister Shivraj Chouhan pitches for DBT of fertiliser subsidy

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday pitched for transferring the central government's Rs 1.7 lakh crore annual fertiliser subsidy to farmers' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), saying it would give them the freedom to choose which fertilisers to buy and in what quantities. Addressing the Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here, Chouhan said a bag of urea that actually costs Rs 2,400 reaches farmers at just Rs 265-270 because of the subsidy the central government absorbs. "If such a large subsidy is transferred directly to farmers' accounts through DBT, farmers will be able to decide which fertilisers to purchase and in what quantities. This system will ensure that the actual beneficiary of the subsidy is the farmer who applies the fertiliser to the fields," he said. Currently, fertiliser subsidies in India are primarily transferred to companies rather than directly to farmers. Though the ...

Basmati exporters seek separate Board for focussed attention on the sector

Some exporters want the new Board to function under the Ministry of Agriculture, to be carved out of APEDA

Centre aims for 6 crore 'Lakhpati Didis' by 2029-30: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the Centre would strive to achieve the target of creating six crore 'Lakhpati Didis' under the rural livelihoods mission by 2029-30. He said the previous target set by PM Modi to create three crore 'Lakhpati Didis' by end of 2027 was achieved by 2025 with the contribution of rural development ministry's team, bankers and also state governments. Chouhan was speaking during the Central Level Coordination Commitee (CLCC) Meeting and the National Launch event under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission here. Explaining the term, he said 'Lakhpati Didi' refers to a woman whose net come per year is one lakh rupees or more. As on date, 3.01 crore women have achieved this milestone. Addressing reporters, he said, "Now, Prime Minister has revised the target. He said now we have to make six crore (Lakhpati Didis). 10 crore sisters have joined us in Self Help Groups (SHGs). The target

UPL to spin off crop protection business into separate listed entity

UPL will demerge and consolidate its India and global crop protection businesses into a new listed entity, UPL Global, enabling focused value discovery across the group's operations

Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls for making tree plantation a mass movement

Chouhan started the initiative on February 19, 2021, on Narmada Jayanti. He had planted saplings of 'Rudraksha' and 'Sal' at Amarkantak to mark the occasion