Page 6 - Agriculture

Farm sector GVA rises 3.7% in Q1 FY26, up from 1.5% a year earlier

Agriculture GVA grew 3.7% in Q1 FY26 from 1.5% a year ago, with surplus rains and higher kharif sowing expected to drive stronger growth in coming quarters

Nabard to raise maiden external commercial borrowing in FY26, says chief

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) is looking to raise its maiden external commercial borrowing in FY26, a top official said on Tuesday. The entity has received the Reserve Bank approval to undertake such an issuance and is now gearing up for it, its chairman Shaji KV told reporters here. "We have the permission in place and have started work on it," Shaji said, speaking on the sidelines of the annual Fibac event here. The bank is keen to undertake the issuance in FY26 itself, Shaji said, choosing not to point out to an exact timeline or quantum to be raised. Proceeds of the issue will be deployed for climate change-related financing activities for which funds are available at a discount, he said, adding that nearly the entire rural portfolio of the lender will qualify under the category. Stating that it is yet to appoint merchant bankers to undertake the fundraise, he said the final costs of borrowing will play an important role in determining the fi

Rajasthan govt to build godowns to boost food storage capacity for farmers

Under the scheme, the target is to create over 160,000 million tonnes of additional storage capacity in the years 2024-25 and 2025-26 for food grains storage

Uttar Pradesh's agricultural economy surges over threefold to ₹7 trillion

"UP has been witnessing a robust growth in farm output with the current food grain production touching 73.7 million tonnes (mt)," Shahi informed

Onion farmers in Maharashtra claim losses over non-transparent procurement

Onion growers in Maharashtra are facing financial losses due to non-transparent procurement of the crop by a Central agency, an association representing farmers alleged on Saturday. State Onion Growers' Association president Bharat Dighole said farmers are compelled to stage protests even during festivals and demanded that the government should either ensure fair procurement or stop NAFED's onion purchases. A farmer from Nashik district staged a unique protest against NAFED on the occasion of the Pola festival with his bullocks. Pola is a thanksgiving festival celebrated by farmers to acknowledge the importance of bulls and oxen, who are a crucial part of agriculture. "For several years, NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) has been procuring onions for buffer stock. However, farmers allege that large-scale financial irregularities occur in this process, depriving them of fair prices and causing losses worth crores of rupees annually," Dighole sta

Apeda to open offices in Patna, Raipur, Dehradun to aid agri exporters

The commerce ministry's arm, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has decided to open its three new regional offices in Patna, Dehradun and Raipur to support agri exporters, an official said. At present, the Delhi-headquartered authority has 16 regional offices in cities, including Bengaluru, Srinagar, Jammu, Ladakh, Guwahati, Mumbai, Varanasi, Kochi and Bhopal. The functions of the authority include development of industries relating to a certain number of products for export, registration of persons as exporters of those products, fixing of standards, improving packaging, and marketing. The official said the new offices would promote shipments by agri exporters. APEDA has taken a series of measures to boost the country's agri exports, which crossed USD 50 billion in 2024-25. "Focused measures are being taken by APEDA to diversify exports of its scheduled products, including GI-tagged products. This includes boosting exports of traditional

India, US negotiating agreement to liberalise trade in goods: Minister

India and the US are negotiating a multi-sector bilateral trade agreement and as a part of the negotiations, both sides are discussing liberalisation of trade in goods, including non-sensitive agricultural products, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. The government is engaged with all relevant stakeholders including agriculture, farming experts, to assess the interests and requirements of India's rural economy, farmers and agricultural sector, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. "India and the USA are negotiating a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). As a part of negotiations, among other things, both sides are engaged in discussions on liberalization of trade in goods, including non-sensitive agricultural products, with the aim to expand trade and deepen the India-US trade relationship," he said. He added that the government is committed to taking all necessary steps to secure and advance the country's ...

Pests, viral diseases threaten standing kharif crops, push up chemicals use

An increase in monsoon activity and resultant humidity has seen a significant proliferation of pests and viruses across states and crops, leading to greater application of chemicals

India's unemployment rate eases to 5.2% in July as rural jobs rise

The unemployment rate for the April-June period, the first quarter of current fiscal year, was estimated at 5.4 per cent among those aged 15 years and above, the ministry said

Govt policy must reward sustainability for India's small farmers: Syngenta

Government policies must incentivise sustainable farming to support India's smallholder farmers, as they face intensifying climate challenges like erratic monsoons, droughts, and floods, according to Swiss crop protection firm Syngenta Group Chief Sustainability Officer Petra Laux. Smallholder farmers account for 80 per cent of the agricultural sector. With agriculture contributing 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but receiving only 5 per cent of climate transition funding and subsidies rewarding climate-smart practices are critical to drive change, Laux said. In an interview with PTI, she said uncertain crop prices discourage smallholders from using sustainable methods. The lack of premiums for climate-smart crops, unlike niche organic markets, limits progress. Globally, consumer reluctance to pay more hinders adoption, and scaling emission reduction projects, like Syngenta's methane-focused initiative near Delhi for export markets, face challenges. "There's no pre

Agri scientists to visit farms for better rabi crop in October: Chouhan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said agricultural scientists will visit farm fields between October 3 and 18 to ensure a good rabi (winter) crop this year while reiterating the government's commitment to protecting farmers' interests. Speaking during an interaction with farmers, who were special guests for Independence Day celebrations here, Chouhan emphasised that safeguarding the interests of farmers, dairy farmers, and fishermen remains the government's top priority, according to an official statement. The minister stressed that government initiatives should translate into tangible benefits for people rather than remain confined to files. "The government work should be visible in the lives of the people, not in files," he said. The dialogue session was also attended by Union Ministers of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur and Bhagirath Chaudhary, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, Director General of ICAR ML Jat, and other senior officials.

Why India still remains in a state of confusion when it comes to GM crops

For now, India's GM crop landscape remains one of promise stalled by policy inertia, while scientific, commercial, and global trade pressures continue to mount

Monsoon-induced supply disruptions hold key to vegetable inflation ahead

While the monsoon has been fairly normal so far, rain-induced supply disruptions and damage to standing crops in areas adjoining major cities has already started pushing up vegetable prices

Shivraj Chouhan to transfer ₹3,200 cr crop insurance to 3 million farmers

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will on Monday digitally transfer a crop insurance claim amount of Rs 3,200 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to 30 lakh farmer beneficiaries. The PMFBY claim amount will be transferred during an event organised for this purpose in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Besides Chouhan, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, and state agriculture minister Kirodi Lal Meena will attend the event. Of the total claim amount, Rs 1,156 crore will be transferred to farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rs 1,121 crore to 7 lakh farmers in Rajasthan, Rs 150 crore to Chhattisgarh-based farmers, and Rs 773 crore to farmers in other states, according to an official statement. The Union agriculture minister stated that the Centre has implemented a new simplified claim settlement system in the interest of farmers, wherein claims can be paid proportionately based only on the central subsidy with

Uttar Pradesh faces fertiliser supply shortage amid rising demand

The total stock comprises 918,000 tonnes of urea and 558,000 tonnes of phosphatic soil nutrients such as Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Nitrogen Phosphorus Potash (NPK)

A fresh approach needed to manage demand and supply of fertilisers

India is the second-largest consumer of fertilisers in the world, but lacks the natural resources to manufacture them

Maharashtra agro corp to set up units to manage farmers' crop surplus

The state-owned Maharashtra Agro Industries Development Corporation (MAIDC) plans to procure mobile processing units to help farmers manage excess production of certain crops by enhancing their shelf life by 12-18 months, an official has said. Oversupply in the market forces farmers to sell their produce, particularly the perishable ones, at throwaway prices or even discard them. The MAIDC initiative aims at ensuring good returns to the growers, said the managing director of the corporation, Mangesh Gondavale. The official said they will procure two machines and deploy them in two districts by the next monsoon season on a pilot basis. Each machine can process 16-18 products and can be customised depending on the region, he said. Processing includes washing, peeling, drying, chopping, slicing and liquefaction. For instance, tomatoes can be converted into puree, while onions can be dried for longer storage. Sometimes, the overall production of a crop in a region becomes high. To ensu

No need for wheat open market sale as supplies comfortable: Food Secretary

Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra dismissed the need for wheat sales under the open market scheme, citing adequate supplies and stable prices. Wheat procurement season has ended, with stocks sufficient

House panel expresses concern over 30% staff gaps in Krishi Vigyan Kendras

KVKs are the frontline of agriculture extension and are run by a plethora of organisations, starting from state agriculture universities (SAUs) to even social organisations and state governments

Targeted intervention: Aiming at low-productivity districts to boost growth

Backed by performance-based monitoring through 117 indicators, the scheme signals a clear intent for systemic reform