Agriculture Economy

Industry flags 'licence raj' concerns in draft Pesticides Management Bill

Plant protection industries say the draft Pesticides Management Bill risks fostering 'licence raj' and hampering research, citing sweeping inspector powers, price controls and unclear licensing terms

Parl panel asks govt to conduct long-term field trials on nano-fertilisers

To further promote nano-fertilisers, the panel has given many suggestions to the Department of Fertilizers, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Nuvama says 'Buy' again on Coromandel Int'l; 3 drivers behind the call

Analysts at Nuvama expect Coromandel to clock ~15 per cent revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years, with profitability improving as integration benefits materialise.

Govt to push green fuel farm machinery to boost mechanisation: Agri secy

The government will prioritise green fuel-based farm machinery and enhance access to mechanisation for small and marginal farmers as part of India's vision to become a global food basket by 2047, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Thursday. Addressing the ninth edition of EIMA Agrimach event organised by FICCI here, Chaturvedi said mechanisation is crucial for achieving the four key objectives of increasing farmers' income -- reducing farming costs, boosting productivity, improving price realisation through value addition, and building climate resilience. "Over the next 5-10 years, we should shift our technologies towards green fuels -- whether electrically operated tractors or machines running on CBG (compressed biogas) available from rural CBG plants," he said. The agriculture secretary said this transition will bring down both maintenance and operational costs for farmers, and government schemes will increasingly prioritise green fuel-based technologies. He also cal

Chouhan urges farm scientists to focus research on practical solutions

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday urged agricultural scientists to focus research on practical solutions that benefit farmers, ensure livelihood, and promote nutritious food and natural farming. In his inaugural address at the Sixth International Agronomy Congress (IAC-2025), Chouhan emphasized the need to address challenges like poor seed quality, adulterated inputs, climate change adaptation, pulse and oilseed production increase, virus attacks on pulses, soil's organic carbon depletion, and problems with direct-seeded rice. He stressed the need to explore advancements like mechanization, carbon credits for farmers, water-efficient farming, drone technology, smart agriculture, AI, and machine learning alongside ensuring farmers receive benefits of these technologies, according to an official statement. The agriculture minister underlined the need for focussing research on actionable solutions including increasing shelf life of agricultural products. He also highligh

Prolonged monsoon delays rabi sowing of wheat, barley in Rajasthan

Mustard has dominated the rabi sowing this year. So far, around 79 per cent of mustard sowing has been completed

Uttar Pradesh govt to provide free pulses, oilseeds to 1 million farmers

UP is among India's top agricultural-producing states. Its food grain production jumped from 55.7 million tonnes (mt) in 2016-17 to nearly 72.5 mt in 2024-25

Mandi prices of major kharif crops show little improvement between Sept-Oct

Prices of soybean, moong, and groundnut remained below MSPs in late October despite some recovery, prompting government action through import curbs and procurement plans

Industry bats for long-term deals; govt aid for DAP under recoveries

Fertiliser firms expect the Centre's special package to cover under recoveries from rising DAP costs, even as global prices strain margins and import deals shape supply stability

UP govt raises sugarcane SAP by ₹30 per quintal for 2025-26 season

Millers say the hike will raise costs and squeeze margins; opposition calls it inadequate, while the state claims the 8% rise will add Rs 3,000 crore to farmers' income

Agriculture needs more automation to make it a lucrative business

The need now is to promote novel and state-of-the-art technologies, such as geospatial programming and artificial intelligence, to optimise farm productivity

Centre committed to increasing farmers' income, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The central government is committed to increasing agriculture production and enhancing farmers' income, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday. He said that four low-production districts of Tamil Nadu viz. Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Tuticorin, and Virudhunagar have been included in the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. Under this, 36 schemes of 11 central ministries were being integrated to deliver comprehensive benefits to farmers. We will work to increase production in these districts and make farmers prosperous, he said at the Chaupal programme at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra here He interacted with farmers and officials of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and explained about the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Yojana and the Pulses Mission. The farmers here are very hardworking and are doing excellent work for natural farming, he said lauding the ryots of Tamil Nadu. He assured that concrete steps will be taken to address pest and disease

Govt looks to increase pulses production by 40% till 2030-31 crop year

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said the government has set a target to increase pulses production by 40 per cent to 350 lakh tonne by 2030-31 crop year. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a six-year central scheme aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production, with a financial outlay of Rs 11,440 crore. The 'Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses' will be for the period from 2025-26 to 2030-31. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said the pulses production would be increased over the next six years by increasing the area under coverages as well as raising the crop productivity. He exuded the confidence that the target would be met. He also assured that the government would take appropriate decisions related to import duties of pulses for safeguarding the interests of farmers. Chouhan said the government has identified 100 blocks where the productivity is very low compared with the national average. "We are not self-sufficient

Agri department looks to fast-forward work on 'Rising Rajasthan' MoUs

According to the agriculture department secretary Rajan Vishal, projects to construct five new modern grain storage silos with an investment of ₹253 crore were approved in the meeting

Soybean prices crash 39% below MSP, oilseeds, pulses also decline

As kharif harvest nears, mandi rates of major crops like soybean, arhar, and moong fall sharply below MSP, raising concerns over farmers' income

Inside Bihar's silent agricultural revolution: What has changed, and how

In a state where nearly 75 per cent of the population depends on agriculture, Bihar has been steadily revolutionising its rural economy by improving yields, diversifying crops, and empowering women

Aggressive pricing pulls down crop insurance premiums by over 30% in FY26

Crop insurance premiums dropped over 30% in FY26 till August due to aggressive pricing, state re-tendering and unsustainable loss-sharing models under PMFBY

Coromandel signs pact with Veolia to expand Vizag desalination capacity

Coromandel and Veolia partner to expand Vizag desalination plant from 6 MLD to 9 MLD under BOO model, ensuring long-term water resilience and sustainable operations

La Nina, October rain: What it means for kharif harvest, early rabi sowing

While the monsoons have helped the kharif crop, any extra rains through September and October could adversely impact the standing crop, while a harsh winter due to La Nina could affect perishables

Kharif foodgrain 2025-26 output likely to cross 171.39 MT target: Govt

The county's kharif foodgrain production is likely to surpass the government's target of 171.39 million tonne set for the 2025-26 crop year (July-June) buoyed by higher coverage and favourable monsoon rains, Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh said on Monday. Despite lower coverage, the prospects for oilseeds and pulses crops remain positive as productivity is expected to be higher due to good crop conditions, he said. Speaking to PTI, Singh said damage to crops due to flood and heavy rainfall was minimal compared to the overall sown area in the kharif season. "The crop condition is good and the overall (kharif foodgrain) production will be more than the targets that we have kept for this year," Singh said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the Biological Agri Solutions Association of India (BSAI). Kharif crops coverage has exceeded that of previous years, rising to more than 110 million hectares from the usual 109.5 million hectares in recent years, driven by increased .