Page 6 - Agriculture

Excessive use of fertilisers, water harms soil fertility: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said in the Rajya Sabha that overuse of chemical fertilisers and excessive use of water are adversely impacting soil fertility in some parts of the country. In a reply to supplementary queries during Question Hour, the minister said the central government is promoting crop diversification and has launched many schemes, including the Millets Mission. Through these schemes, Chouhan said the Centre is making efforts to boost production of millets, pulses and oilseeds. "Due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and higher use of water, the soil fertility is getting affected at many places," he said. Chouhan said the area and production of mills have increased in the last few years and expressed hope that the output and consumption would increase further. He appreciated the farmers of Punjab for helping India achieve self-sufficiency in foodgrains production. "Punjab ko pranam karte hain. Punjab ke kisanon ko pranam karte h

Parliament panel seeks 100% MSP procurement for oilseeds, pulses

Parliament panel seeks safeguard duty on palm oil to protect domestic farmers

PUSA's IARI enters QS university ranking in agriculture, forestry category

For the first time, India's premier agricultural institute IARI features in QS World University Rankings 2026 in agriculture and forestry, joining top global institutions

Rajasthan govt plans irrigation upgrade to reduce monsoon dependence

Currently, micro-irrigation facilities cover 24 per cent of the state's gross sown area (GSA). There are plans to expand coverage to 51 per cent by 2030

World may face food crisis if West Asia war persists: Brazil Potash CEO

Prolonged conflict in West Asia could disrupt fertiliser supply chains and impact global planting cycles, raising risks of a food crisis, says Brazil Potash CEO Matt Simpson

Centre relaxes monthly sugar sales quota for March on subdued demand

The Centre has relaxed sugar dispatch norms for March 2026, allowing mills flexibility amid weak demand without penalties for missing quota targets

Subsidies or science? India's farm future hinges on scaling up R&D

Economist Ashok Gulati of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier) said government spending on agriculture R&D is "not even peanuts" by global standards

Centre clears IFFCO's nano NPK fertilisers under FCO amid West Asia war

Approval of nano NPK products aims to cut reliance on conventional fertilisers and ease supply pressures amid gas shortages linked to West Asia conflict

Daily urea production poised to jump 22% by Mar-end as LNG supplies up 23%

The 52 MMSCMD LNG requirement is based on the average natural gas consumption by urea making units in the last six months (September 2025-February 2026)

India plans ₹600 crore war chest to boost LNG supply for fertiliser units

With the West Asia war showing no sign of an early end, the government has started working on alternative plans to keep fertiliser units running once they resume operations

Govt hikes arthiyas commission by 10% for Punjab, Haryana wheat procurement

An official statement today announced that the increased rates will apply starting with the forthcoming Rabi marketing season of 2026-27

ICAR to build national gender platform to boost women's role in farming

Agricultural research body ICAR on Sunday said it is developing a national gender platform connecting more than 900 institutions to strengthen women's role in farming, as an international conference adopted a declaration for a global alliance to boost their leadership across agri-food systems. Addressing the closing session of the Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems (GCWAS-2026) on Saturday, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General ML Jat said the platform would link ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and agricultural universities to strengthen research, extension and capacity-building initiatives focused on women in agriculture. The three-day conference here, attended by delegates from 18 countries, concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration, which calls for establishing a Global Alliance on Women in Agri-Food Systems, an official statement said. The declaration commits stakeholders to champion gender-responsive policies, ensure ...

Fuel shortages caused by Iran war begin to threaten global food supply

Farmers worldwide face fuel shortages that threaten diesel-powered planting, irrigation and fishing, as energy supply shocks from the Iran war risk pushing up food costs and global inflation

Use West Asia crisis to push fertiliser reforms in India: ICRIER paper

With over 68.6% of India's fertiliser value chain dependent on imports, geopolitical tensions pose rising risks to supply security, underscoring the need for urgent sector reforms, ICRIER paper said

Asia-Africa Agri Alliance launched to boost trade, investment, tech ties

Asia and Africa together account for over 40 per cent of global agricultural production and bilateral agri-trade already exceeds $90 billion annually

SC ruling on Vinp Distilleries restores parity in ethanol procurement: ISMA

The dispute arose after Vinp approached the High Court seeking higher allocation under its long-term offtake agreement (LTOA) in the OMC tender for the 2025-26 ethanol supply year

Women should get greater role in agri-food sector, says President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said women engaged in agriculture and agri-food sectors should get a greater role in policy formation, decision-making and leadership positions, and called for collective action to close gender gaps across the value chain. Addressing the three-day Global Conference on Women in Agri-Food Systems, the President said success case studies on women in agriculture should be published widely to ensure more people were aware of their contributions. Emphasising India's strategic choice of women-led development, Murmu said women in the agriculture sector must be given a greater role in policy formulation, decision-making, and leadership positions. "Larger participation of women at all levels in the sector will promote gender-inclusive agricultural growth," she said. She called for targeted support for women farmers on issues of land titles, access to technical knowledge, and institutional finance. On the role of technology, Murmu highlighted 'Sarlaben' -

Centre to leverage digital infra to optimise food, fertiliser subsidies

Government plans to use AgriStack and CBDC-based pilots to better target fertiliser and food subsidies, reduce leakages, and improve transparency in welfare delivery systems

New seed tech, biologicals can be 'game changers' for Indian agriculture

Experts say Direct Seeded Rice and next-generation seed technologies could transform Indian agriculture by cutting water use, lowering costs and improving sustainability in rice cultivation

India's wheat output pegged at record 120.21 mt in 2025-26, up 2%: Govt

Wheat, a major rabi (winter) crop, is beginning to be harvested and is expected to pick up pace in key growing states in the coming weeks