Page 2 - Agriculture

Govt issues new draft of Pesticides Management Bill to curb spurious sales

Industry says absence of regulatory data protection in new draft could hamper research; welcomes no pricing control

No shortage of urea in state: Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Meena

The agriculture minister's statement came after former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot criticised the state government for its failure to provide fertilisers to farmers on time

India becomes world's largest rice producer, surpasses China: Agri minister

India has become the world's largest rice producer, beating China, with a total output of 150.18 million tonnes, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday, as he released 184 new varieties of 25 crops. These new high-yielding seed varieties would boost crop production and enhance farmers' income, he said, while directing the ministry officials to ensure that these new varieties reach farmers quickly. The minister unveiled 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at an event held in the national capital, according to an official statement. Addressing the event, Chouhan said the country has achieved great success in the development of high-yielding seeds. Since the gazette notification process began in 1969, a total of 7,205 crop varieties have been notified, including rice, wheat, sorghum, maize, pulses, oilseeds, fiber crops, among others. Chouhan informed that 3,236 high-yielding varieties have been ..

Record agri output in 2025 amid GST cuts, tariffs; new bill eyed for 2026

India's agriculture sector closed 2025 with a projection of record foodgrain output surpassing last year's 357.73 million tonnes (MT) despite US tariffs disrupting farm exports, while landmark GST reforms delivered input cost relief, and stakeholders await passage of key seed and pesticide bills in 2026 to tackle fake inputs. The year showed both resilience and fragility -- GST rate reductions delivered noticeable cost savings, while American tariff wall compelled market diversification, officials said. "We are hopeful of achieving record foodgrain production this year 2025-26 (July-June). Kharif output remained positive and rabi sowing is progressing well," Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi told PTI. Above-normal southwest monsoons boosted kharif sowing, with the agriculture ministry's first advance estimate projected kharif foodgrain output at a record 173.33 MT for 2025-26, up from 169.4 MT in 2024-25. Rice production is predicted to exceed 124.5 MT, with maize at 28.3 MT.

Chemical fertilisers cause diseases, natural farming boosts income: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday termed chemical fertilisers as the root cause of many diseases and made a strong pitch for natural farming, saying it not only increases farmers' income but also saves water and promotes public health. Addressing a Farmers' Conference held here, Shah said the government was developing a "complete system" - from soil and laboratory testing, certification to packaging - to ensure that the agricultural produce of the country's farmers reaches global level in a better way as there is a huge market for natural farming in the world. "Chemical fertilisers are the root cause of many diseases today. Natural farming is an approach that doesn't reduce farmers' income, but instead makes their produce pure," he said. Natural farming is a traditional practice that people have forgotten over the time. A dung and urine of a single indigenous cow can help cultivate 21 acres of land, he said. "It (natural farming) increases income, saves water, and relieves

Best of BS Opinion: India must learn from China, support new entrants

Today's Best of BS Opinion looks at India's evolving trade strategy, rising tensions with Bangladesh, lessons from China's manufacturing boom, food loss challenges, and the impact of digital platforms

Rabi sowing over in 91% normal area, acreage 1.43% higher, shows data

Rabi sowing has covered 91% of the normal area so far, with total acreage 1.4% higher than last year, led by gains in wheat, mustard and pulses, official data shows

Forest land cannot be leased for farming without Centre's approval: SC

Rejecting the High Court's direction that allowed the society to seek continuation of the lease, the Supreme Court held that no permission could be granted to perpetuate an illegality

IFFCO yet to submit nano urea evaluation report, sales lag production

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has not submitted any evaluation report on the adoption of nano urea despite the fertiliser being in the market for over four years, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Responding to a written query by BJP MP Narhari Amin from Gujarat, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said IFFCO has not sent any evaluation report regarding the adoption of nano urea. Meanwhile, sales of the product continue to lag behind production, with 2.49 crore bottles remaining unsold since its launch in February 2021. Since the launch, total 14.11 crore bottles (500 ml each) of nano urea have been produced nationwide up to November 30, 2025. During the same period, 11.62 crore bottles have been sold across the country, she said in the Rajya Sabha. In the current fiscal (2025-26), production stood at 1.67 crore bottles till November 30, while sales were lower at 1.38 crore bottles. However, in 2024-25, sales outpaced producti

Indian Railways sees increased fertiliser cargo due to record imports

Amid record imports, fertiliser cargo on rail grows 12%

Sowing of rabi crops done in nearly 88% of normal area, shows data

Data showed that till December 12 oilseeds have been sown in around 8.97 million hectares, which is higher than the normal acreage of 8.67 million hectares

Offline e-crop survey registration open till Jan 15 for farmers: Bawankule

Farmers across Maharashtra who missed e-crop survey registration will be allowed to register through an offline process till January 15 to help them sell their produce at government procurement centres, said Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday. He made the announcement in the legislative assembly while replying to a calling attention motion, a procedure that allows a member to bring an urgent public matter to a minister's notice. The online e-crop survey portal has been closed and cannot be reopened due to technical constraints, but the government has decided to open an offline window so that genuine farmers do not suffer losses, said Bawankule. Maharashtra's e-crop survey, known as E-Pik Pahani', allows farmers to self-report their crop details via a mobile application. Bawankule said farmers who failed to complete the e-crop survey registration due to technical issues or other reasons can submit offline applications to the concerned authorities till January 15.

Govt to extend Farmer Producer Organisations scheme for five more years

The government will extend its central scheme for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for another five years from 2026-31, addressing gaps that have limited the scaling up of operations, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Friday. Addressing the CII FPO Summit here, Chaturvedi said the scheme, launched in February 2020 with a target of forming 10,000 FPOs, needs to be extended for the next finance commission cycle. "About 10,000 FPOs have been formed but they have to be handheld. Many of the FPOs have been formed in the last two years, so we have to handhold them with community-based organisations and implementing agencies," he explained to PTI on the sidelines of the event. The ministry has identified practical difficulties in making FPOs successful, including capacity building and access to capital loans. "We will try to incorporate these in the new scheme so that they become very efficient, energetic and dynamic in terms of giving returns to the farmers," he said in

Rabi sowing: Gram, barley surpass targets, wheat lags in Rajasthan

According to the data, sowing was completed in more than 21.50 lakh hectares by December 4, the highest in past five years

Fertiliser import likely to jump 41% in FY26 on strong monsoon demand: FAI

No supply shortage anywhere, country has adequate stocks, say officials

Govt cancels 5K fertiliser firm licences for malpractices in Apr-Nov: Nadda

The government has cancelled 5,371 licences of fertiliser firms for black marketing, hoarding as well as for distributing substandard material, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. In response to a question asked by BJP member Kiran Choudhary, Nadda said while states are empowered to take action on malpractices, the Centre takes action under the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 and the Fertiliser Control Order to check malpractices such as diversion, hoarding and overpricing. He said action on substandard material is taken under the Fertiliser Control Order. "We would like to tell you, as you asked, from April 1 to November 28, there were 5,058 show-cause notices in black marketing, FIRs were lodged in 442 cases and licences cancelled were 3,732," Nadda said. Similarly, in hoarding, there were 687 show-cause notices, 202 licence cancellations and 446 FIRs. In the case of distributing substandard material, show-cause ..

US farmers call Trump's $12 bn aid package short-term relief, not recovery

The effects of the president's trade wars, which have squeezed demand and raised costs further, have left the sector in a state of extended uncertainty

Corteva ramps up biologicals push in India amid rising climate pressures

US agriculture major Corteva Agriscience is accelerating its biologicals push in India, focusing on biocontrols and biostimulants as natural crop protection solutions gain traction amid mounting climate pressures and pest resistance challenges, a top company official has said. The company sees India as a critical market for biologicals, given the government support for natural farming and gene-editing technologies, Corteva president, Asia-Pacific, Brook Cunningham told PTI during her India visit. "Biocontrols are what farmers need most. No one has solved this at scale yet," Cunningham said, adding that the company is investing heavily in microbial solutions that either attack pests directly or boost plant defences. The shift toward biologicals is being accelerated by climate change, which is enabling faster pest movement and increasing stress from drought, flooding, and heat. Biostimulants, products that strengthen plants from the soil up, are emerging as crucial tools for Indian ..

India firms, Uralchem sign deal for 1.8-2 mn tonnes urea plant in Russia

Russia's share in India's total fertiliser imports has grown from a mere 7.68 per cent in 2017-18 to almost 27 per cent in 2023-24, making it a significant player in India's fertiliser story

Despite revisions, ISI Kolkata community protests draft Bill's provisions

ISI Kolkata community protests a draft Bill, alleging it enables government control and pushes unwanted commercialisation