Agriculture

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 ...

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

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

Brazil pushes deeper agri-tech, livestock ties with India amid US tariffs

Brazil calls for greater trade diversification to counter the negative impact of rising US tariffs

Explained: What is Bharat-VISTAAR and how will the new AI system guide farmers via phone calls?

India has launched Bharat-VISTAAR, an AI-driven multilingual agriculture platform that provides farmers with personalised advisory services, access to schemes

Tamil Nadu earmarks ₹47,248 crore for Agriculture in interim FY27 Budget

The Tamil Nadu government has earmarked Rs 47,248 crore for the Agriculture Department in the Interim Budget for 202627, and welfare schemes for farmers will continue, Minister MRK Panneerselvam said on Tuesday. In 202526, the government had allocated Rs 45,661 crore, he said while presenting the Agriculture Budget in the State Assembly. The ruling DMK government, after assuming office in May 2021, introduced a separate Agriculture Budget for 202122. Panneerselvam said that, based on inputs received from various stakeholders, a total allocation of Rs 1.94 lakh crore has been made for the agriculture and allied sectors over the last five Agriculture Budgets. "As the agriculture sector forms the foundation of Tamil Nadu's economic growth, this government is making sustained and determined efforts to modernise the sector, enhance farmers' incomes, increase production and productivity, and ensure food and nutritional security," he said. The state minister for agriculture and Farmers'

Sale of non-subsidised fertilisers banned in UP, industry cries foul

Industry players warn that UP's ban on non-subsidised fertilisers could curb access to high-quality nutrients, potentially hitting yields of sugarcane, paddy and key vegetables across the state

Shivraj Singh Chouhan to launch AI-enabled Bharat VISTAAR on Tuesday

This facility will be launched in Hindi and English in Phase One across several states, including Maharashtra, Bihar and Gujarat

Rajasthan govt plans to promote beekeeping to boost farmers' income

With subsidies, bee colony distribution and new Centres of Excellence, Rajasthan plans to boost honey output and farm incomes through large-scale beekeeping

Addressing nutrition along with hunger: Funding and policy push vital

High-yielding crops ended hunger, but often at a nutritional cost. New research shows modern grains lag traditional varieties, reviving the case for biofortification

Centre lifts ban on wheat exports after more than three years

500,000 tonnes of sugar exports allowed on top of an existing 1.5 mt window

ULI lender base grows to 89; interface has supported over 12 loan journeys

RBI's ULI onboards 89 lenders, supports 12+ digital loan journeys, enabling MSME, agri and retail credit via common tech infrastructure

Bringing urea under NBS scheme faces farmer income, pricing challenges

Pilot trials using Agri Stack and farmer IDs to rationalise urea use have shown promise, but issues of bringing urea under the Nutrient Based Subsidy and rationalising retail prices remain

Datanomics: India's agricultural trade with US remains marginal

Two-thirds of India's imports of tree nuts (such as almonds and pistachios) came from the US alone