Agriculture Growth

30% of India's soil degraded, urgent action needed: Agri Minister Chouhan

Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed on the pivotal role of soil health in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, climate action, and life on land

India, US should aim to enhance agricultural productivity: ITC official

India and the US should aim to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food distribution system, and ensure the usage of sustainable practices to strengthen ties in the agri sector, a senior ITC official said. Both countries should leverage their respective strengths and forge strategic partnerships in the sector, ITC Agri Business Division V P Sanjeev Bhat said at an event here. "The US and India should aim to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food distribution system and ensure sustainable food security solution," he said during a panel discussion in the Indo-US Economic Summit organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). Now, India majorly exports seafood, rice and plants to the US and this trade is growing at a three-year CAGR of 20-30 per cent, Bhat said. Currently, India and the US do not have any trade agreement, however, starting from January 2024, both countries have established a Trade Policy Forum (TPF) for trade promotions. The US is the secon

India leads with world's largest food-based safety net programs: MoS Agri

India is committed to developing resilient agricultural systems and ensuring food security on the global stage, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Ram Nath Thakur said. He made the remarks while representing India at G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Cuiab, Brazil on September 12-14, 2024. India also emphasized enhanced international trade's contribution to food security at the meeting. "Our approach not only focuses on productivity but also ensures economic, social, and environmental sustainability, enhancing farmer prosperity and embodying a comprehensive vision for development," an official statement quoted him as saying. The minister also pointed to India's implementation of "the world's largest food-based safety net programmes" to ensure food security and nutrition. He stressed the need for Special and Differential Treatment for developing and least-developed countries, particularly to empower small and marginal fishers, the statement said. "This is ..

Farmers body AIKCC urges state govts to frame comprehensive agri policy

Farmers body All India Kisan Coordination Committee on Wednesday asked state governments to formulate a comprehensive 'agriculture policy' in the interest of farmers and maintain the policy consistency for a minimum period. Farmers body All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC) discussed the issue during a two-day brainstorming session organised in memory of late Sharad Joshi, a prominent farmers leader and founder of Shetkari Sanghatana. "More than 60 per cent of India's population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, yet many states lack their own agricultural policies, leading to conflicts between the Centre and states on various issues," AIKCC Chairman and former Rajya Sabha MP Bhupinder Singh Mann said in a statement. AIKCC emphasised the importance of maintaining policy consistency for a minimum period to boost agricultural exports and prevent frequent policy changes that harm farmers the most. Binod Anand, Vice Chairman of AIKCC, emphasised the strategic need fo

Centre approves expansion of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund scheme

The government on Wednesday expanded the scope of Rs 1 lakh crore-Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme to make it more attractive, as part of its objective to strengthen farm-related infrastructure facilities in the country. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the "progressive expansion in central sector scheme of financing facility under the AIF to make it more attractive, impactful and inclusive", an official statement said. In a significant move to enhance and strengthen the agricultural infrastructure in the country and support the farming community, the government has announced a series of measures to expand the scope of the AIF scheme. "These initiatives aim at expanding the scope of eligible projects and integrate additional supportive measures to foster a robust agricultural infrastructure ecosystem," it added. The government has allowed all eligible beneficiaries of the scheme for creation of infrastructure covered under 'viabl

Govt launches satellite-based agricultural decision support system

The government on Friday launched a satellite-based agricultural decision support system to provide farmers with critical data for crop management and productivity enhancement. Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary unveiled the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS), a geospatial platform that will offer real-time information on crop conditions, weather patterns, water resources, and soil health. "This platform is a new milestone for farmers amid growing climate challenges," Choudhary said at the launch event. Krishi-DSS, developed using technology similar to the government's Gati Shakti initiative, will utilize satellite imagery to deliver early warnings about potential disasters such as pest attacks and extreme weather events. The system will aid in crop mapping, monitoring, and promoting crop rotation and diversification. It will provide data on crop patterns across regions and track crop conditions throughout various growth stages. Agriculture Secretary De

Agri bodies urge FM Sitharaman to boost research, rationalise subsidies

Pre-budget meeting: Finance Minister meet agricultural bodies to discuss policy and budget recommendations

New govt formation: PM Modi takes first decision after returning to office

Over the next three months, the union ministers are expected to execute the Modi government's key agenda of the first 100-day roadmap

Rice prices at three-month low on shrinking demand, ample supplies

Vietnam's markets will be closed from Monday through Wednesday for national holidays

Force Motors to shut down its agricultural tractors business from March 31

In financial year 2023, the sale of agricultural tractors accounted for 3.66% of the company's total revenue, Force Motors said

BS Manthan: From trade & startups to China+1, here's what happened on Day 2

At the Business Standard's annual event Manthan, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and industry leaders spoke on various steps India needs to take to transform into 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047

BS Manthan panel: Viksit Bharat can't thrive without nourishing farm policy

Business Standard Manthan 2024: Agriculture has a key role in making India developed by 2047, including building a nourished workforce, panelists highlighted at the key event

WTO issues new draft deals post all-night talks, some issues unresolved

A draft agriculture deal showed that a key reform sought by India on permitted government support levels for farmers was still not agreed, with two alternative solutions sitting side by side

Modi's 'mismanagement' has set economic transformation back by 20 yrs: Cong

Underlining that economic growth means diversification of employment from agriculture to industry to services, the Congress on Saturday claimed that the progress achieved under Manmohan Singh's prime ministership in this direction has been reversed by the Narendra Modi government. The current dispensation's "mismanagement" has set the economic transformation back by 20 years, the party alleged. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the number of agricultural workers in India declined by 6.7 crore between 2004-05 and 2017-18 as workers left low-wage agriculture to instead pursue higher-wage occupations in manufacturing and services. This was a historic achievement, a key landmark in India's transition to a middle-income country, he said in a post on X. "All the progress achieved, largely under Dr. Manmohan Singh's prime ministership, has been almost entirely reversed within three years of Modi's Anyay Kaal," Ramesh claimed. Since 2018-19, the number of agricultural workers

Cong accuses Centre of surrendering Rs 1 trn agri-budget in 5 years

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that there is no proposal to lift export restrictions on wheat, rice, and sugar

Govt has strictly no plans to put MEP on all agri commodities: Comm Min

The government on Friday said there are "strictly" no plans to impose the minimum export price (MEP) on all agricultural products. Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal said that there is no such intention of the government to look into exports of all agri products. "Just want to clarify that the government has no intention to put in MEP on all agri products or review all agri products from the export perspective. There is no such decision. The government has strictly no such plans," he told reporters here. An inter-ministerial committee, which looks into MEP on onion, has recently decided on basmati rice. He said that the committee getting a wider mandate does not mean that "the committee is there to look into each agri product and start recommending MEP for that". He informed that despite banning exports of non-basmati white rice, India has allocated 13 lakh tonnes of rice for exports to over 14 countries for their food security issues.

310 districts in 28 states, UTs highly vulnerable under NICRA: ICAR report

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of districts where agricultural land may be vulnerable to climate change

Sugarcane crushing in full swing across country, says sugar trade body

The sugarcane crushing operation in the 2023-23 season is in full swing post-Diwali across the country, trade body AISTA said on Tuesday. Sugar season runs from October to September. "The crushing operation is in full swing across the country now. All sugar factories have started the crushing," All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA) chairman Praful Vithalani told PTI. Some mills had begun the crushing operation during mid-October. However, it picked up post-Diwali, he said. There are about more than 700 installed sugar factories in the country with crushing capacity of about 340 lakh tonnes of sugar, as per the official data. The country's total sugarcane production is estimated to be higher at 434.79 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June), as against 422.25 million tonnes in the previous year, as per the first estimate released by the agriculture ministry. There was an opening stock of sugar at 5.7 million tonnes as of October 1 in view of slight decline in the .

'Pvt sector can provide advisory services, tech to support agri sector'

NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand on Thursday emphasised on the importance of partnership between the private and public sectors for long-term agricultural growth. Addressing an event organised by industry body Assocham, Chand further stressed on the need for coming up with new ways to boost agricultural output and recognising the wide range of agricultural practices across the country. "Private sector can play a critical role in precision farming In India. It can provide advisory services, agrochemicals, and suitable technology to support agricultural development," he said. He also highlighted the growth seen in India's agricultural industry, notably in livestock and fisheries, with an annual increase of roughly 2.75 per cent. The NITI Aayog member elaborated on the complex interaction between agriculture and climate change. "The real challenge lies in increasing productivity. To do so, we must address concerns of cost, technological progress, and resource efficiency," he said. Cha

IZA calls for integration of micronutrients in Indian agriculture industry

With India's consumption of micro-nutrients in the agriculture sector remaining below the global average, the International Zinc Association (IZA) on Thursday called for the integration of micro-nutrients in agri-practices to produce nutrition-rich crops. Recently, there has been a shift in Indian consumer preferences towards healthier food options that can aid in maintaining and improving health. This has resulted in a surge in demand for high-value crops, thus driving the need for micro-nutrients in the Indian agriculture industry, it said. "India's journey towards optimal health and well-being hinges on the pervasive integration of micro-nutrients into our diets, healthcare, and agriculture practices," IZA South Asia Director Sourmitra Das said. He was addressing a two-day global micro-nutrient summit organised by IZA in association with the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) here in the national capital. Highlighting the pressing challenge of micro-nutrient deficiencies ...