Page 4 - Agriculture Economy

Gene-edited rice may pose IPR risks, scientists say in letter to PM

Centre has assured multiple times that all IPR concerns linked to gene-edited rice will be addressed and farmers will not face any licensing burden

Evaporation, less rains affect maize cultivation in Marathwada: Official

Irregular rainfall and moisture evaporation have raised concerns for the maize crop cultivation in various parts of Marathwada region in Maharashtra this month, an agriculture official said on Monday. Nearly 2,56,650.38 hectares of land is estimated to come under maize (corn) cultivation this year in the Marathwada districts of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Dharashiv, Latur, Parbhani and Nanded. Till June 19, sowing was completed on 98,891.20 hectares, as per a report from the agriculture department. "The evaporation has raised concern for the maize crop in the region," district superintending agriculture officer Prakash Deshmukh told PTI. "A crop like maize is sensitive to moisture and water. The area under maize cultivation has gone up in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other parts of Marathwada, replacing the cotton crop in about 50,000 hectares," he said. In some areas of the region, moisture is getting reduced. Therefore, the maize crop is getting water stres

Seeding the rice success: Technology and policy power India's rise

Since India is also the world's second-largest producer, exporter of wheat, it merits to be counted among the world's major food grain powerhouses, and a key player in the international food market

Nano fertilisers see a jump in sales, but questions around efficacy remain

While Iffco has seen an increase in the sale of both nano urea and nano DAP, some industry players say that despite its intrinsic benefits, nano has still not caught the imagination of some farmers

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

Nabard gets approval to raise ₹19.5K cr via deep-discount zero-coupon bonds

Nabard can raise funds via these deep-discount zero-coupon bonds, which mature in 10 years, 11 months, and 13 days, until the end of March 2027, a government document showed on Friday

Higher yields across crops don't always mean higher income for farmers

Data from 2013-14 to 2024-25 show yield increases haven't translated into proportional income gains for all crops, with market access and prices emerging as key factors

Agriculture output rises 40% in 10 years, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said agriculture production in the country increased by 40 per cent in the last 10 years and that the sector saw growth rate of 5.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024-25 financial year. Chouhan, who attended events here as part of the Central government's 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' , said even a one-two per cent growth in agriculture is considered big in the world. Monday (June 9) is a historic day as it marks the first anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in his third tenure, he said. The year has been full of achievements, he added. "If I see from the agriculture perspective, it is the impact of PM Modi's vision, policies and programmes that agriculture growth rate was 5.4 per cent in the fourth quarter," he told reporters. The country has set new records in the production of wheat, paddy, soya bean, groundnut and others and the storehouses for grain are full, he said. "In the last 10 years,

52% agricultural homes rely on non-farm income amid rising volatility

Trend towards diversification reduces risks associated with farm income: PRICE report

Operative KCCs dipped 2.7% in FY25; loans hit Rs 6 trillion, shows data

The number of operative KCCs declined by 2.7 per cent during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25) over the previous year

India a developed nation only when farming becomes profitable, prestigious

Four focus areas that will be pivotal in achieving our goal of becoming a developed nation

NITI Aayog's Chand outlines 5 priority areas to lower carbon footprint

Ramesh Chand outlines a five-point agenda to cut agriculture's carbon footprint, urging policy reform in pricing, input efficiency and climate-suitable cropping

Cabinet hikes paddy MSP by 3%, pulses and oilseeds see bigger increase

With record rice stockpiles, the Cabinet has limited the paddy MSP hike to 3 per cent, while offering higher increases for tur, ragi, oilseeds, and cotton

Agri output likely to propel India's Q4 GDP growth to 4-quarter high

Industrial sector expansion is, however, expected to remain subdued

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

Centre to expand area under DSR rice to 40% by 2030, solution in the weeds

Weed management remains the biggest challenge in the adoption of the direct seeded rice method; to counter this, popularisation of herbicide-resistant rice is critical, say experts

India needs 5% agri growth yearly to become developed by 2047: Chouhan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said India requires a five per cent annual growth rate in agriculture and allied sectors to become a developed nation by 2047. Chouhan highlighted that foodgrain is grown on 93 per cent of farmland, but the growth is just 1.5 per cent. "We are working towards bridging the yield gap in crops and achieving a national average yield... If we have to make India a developed nation by 2047, agriculture and allied sectors have to grow at 5 per cent annually," he said. He was speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual conference of Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities and Directors of ICAR Institutes. The minister expressed confidence that the five per cent annual growth rate is achievable, emphasising that various agricultural institutes play a key role in this endeavour. "Research plays a very important role in increasing agricultural production and reducing costs. Our target is to maintain an annual ...

India's farm sector growth to hit 3.5% in FY26: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the country is likely to achieve 3.5 per cent farm sector growth rate during 2025-26, as he announced a pan-India 15-day campaign to educate farmers about new technologies before the ensuing kharif sowing. "Globally, agriculture growth of 1.5-2 per cent is considered to be good. India is achieving at least 3 to 3.5 per cent growth rate. We expect to achieve 3-3.5 per cent growth even in the next year (2025-26)," Chouhan said. According to the Economic Survey 2024-25, agriculture sector growth for the 2024-25 fiscal year is pegged at 3.8 per cent. The India Meteorological Department has predicted above-normal monsoon conditions this year, with the monsoon expected to reach Kerala by May 27, about five days ahead of the usual June 1 onset. Southwest monsoon contributes approximately 75 per cent of the country's annual rainfall, crucial for kharif crop cultivation. Sharing details about the 15-day kharif extension campaign ...

Agri, pharma, electronics, engineering made up 50% of FY25 exports: Govt

Agriculture, pharma, electronics, and engineering goods together accounted for over 50 per cent of India's merchandise exports in 2024-25, according to government data, highlighting the country's growing strength in diverse sectors amid efforts to boost manufacturing and value-added exports. Engineering goods contributed the highest share of 26.67 per cent to India's USD 437.42 billion exports in 2024-25, while agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and electronics accounted for 11.85 per cent, 6.96 per cent, and 8.82 per cent, respectively. The data showed that the electronic goods sector saw the highest export growth rate at 32.46 per cent, jumping from USD 29.12 billion in 2023-24 to USD 38.58 billion in the last fiscal year. It was USD 23.6 billion in 2022-23 and USD 15.7 billion in 2021-22. Within this, computer hardware and peripherals, which form 3.8 per cent of the sector, saw 101 per cent growth, doubling from USD 0.7 billion to USD 1.4 billion. The main destinations for electronic

As Punjab and Haryana fret over water, two new orders are causing heartburn

Unchecked paddy cultivation over the years has pushed groundwater levels to unsustainable levels, but a recent decision to stagger sowing might meet with limited success