Page 7 - Agriculture

Domestic DAP makers take a lesser hit than importers amid price surge

Price of raw materials used by local players has not spiked

Cabinet clears ₹24,000 cr for PM Dhan Dhaanya Yojana to boost farm output

The Rs 24,000 crore scheme will converge 36 programmes across 11 ministries and run for six years from FY26 with the goal to raise yields and farm credit access

Consumption will be robust from July on, says AWL MD Angshu Mallick

Our B2B business was very good, but it got impacted because of the same reason that industry expected the market to come off, says Angshu Mallick

Kharif sowing update: Cotton, soybean show slower progress than last year

In the case of soybeans, traders said that total acreage covered could be lower than last year as farmers have struggled to get adequate price for their crops due to unregulated imports of edible oils

France's agriculture-food sector worst impacted by Trump tariffs

Officials from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, are also trying to win concessions for particular sectors as part of a possible agreement

Chouhan writes to CMs on tagging nanofertilisers, crackdown on fakes

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to state CMs to end the forced tagging of nano-fertilisers with conventional products and take action against counterfeit fertilisers

Will talk to environment ministry on HtBt cotton issue, says Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan says the agriculture ministry will discuss the illegal cultivation of HtBt cotton with the environment ministry, addressing concerns raised by farmers

Google focuses on India's farms and languages in new AI initiatives

Google unveils open-source AI initiatives targeting India's agriculture and linguistic diversity, aiming to enhance farming productivity and cultural representation in AI models, boosting partnerships

Resilient supply chains needed for agri sector, says Piyush Goyal

While the minister did not refer to any country, the statement came at a time when China has reduced exports of a critical fertiliser - di-ammonium phosphate - creating a global supply squeeze

Rainfall 15% above normal, but 33.5% of districts remain monsoon-deficient

It is in these 33.5 per cent districts where agriculture activities would be under most threat

10 years on, time to reassess PM Fasal Bima Yojana: AIC of India's Mundayur

Single national scheme predominantly funded by the Centre is best option, says Lavanya R. Mundayur

High-yielding seeds, increased acreage to boost mustard production: Experts

Mustard crop, an indigenous oilseed grown in Rabi season, can play an important role in achieving self-sufficiency in domestic output of edible oils and there is a need to increase acreage, promote use of high-yielding seed varieties and provide assured prices to farmers to boost yield and production, according to industry experts. According to the latest government data, India's rapeseed and mustard production stood at 126.06 lakh tonnes in 2024-25 crop year (July-June) with acreage of 86.29 lakh hectares and an average yield of 1,461 kg per hectare. The area and production have declined from 2023-24 when acreage was 91.83 lakh hectares while output was 132.59 lakh tonnes. Puri Oil Mills Ltd Managing Director Vivek Puri said, "The idea that mustard oil should play a vital role in bridging the edible oil demand-supply gap and in reducing import dependency is an integral part of our company's vision." He noted that there is a huge scope to expand mustard cultivation as well as yield

DBT of central, state aid in agriculture still riddled with challenges

What remains the Holy Grail of DBT is the direct transfer of input subsidies into the bank accounts of farmers, and within it, the transfer of fertiliser subsidies

Best of BS Opinion: US trade deal or not, India must cast its net wider

Today's pieces cover a wide expanse, from India's trade deals with the rest of the world to China's attempt to trip Indian manufacturing, to the world's struggle to enforce rules

India-US BTA negotiations throw up tricky farm trade riddles to solve

Any decision on granting access to maize from the US may send the ruling JD(U)-BJP-led coalition back to the drawing board in poll-bound Bihar, writes Sanjeeb Mukherjee

PM Modi emphasises India's commitment to BRICS, begins 5-nation visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is committed to BRICS as a vital platform for cooperation among emerging economies as he left on a week-long visit to five countries, including Brazil where he will attend the bloc's meeting. "Together, we strive for a more peaceful, equitable, just, democratic and balanced multipolar world order," he said in his departure statement. During the week-long travel, the PM will visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. Ghana will be his first port of call. Modi said that at the invitation of President John Dramani Mahama, he will be there on July 2 and 3. Ghana is a valued partner in the Global South and plays an important role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, he said, adding that he looked forward to talks aimed at further deepening the two countries' historical ties and opening up new windows of cooperation, including in the areas of investment, energy, health, security,

Tafe settles Agco dispute, retains Massey Ferguson brand in India

TAFE to buy back AGCO's 20.7% stake for $260 million, retains exclusive Massey Ferguson rights in India, Nepal, Bhutan; ends legal battle and commercial ties

MoSPI launches GoIStats app for easy access to official statistics

The National Sample Survey Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), on Sunday launched the GoIStats mobile application, an all-encompassing data ecosystem for seamless access to official data. The application features an interactive "Key Trends" dashboard showcasing important socio-economic indicators with dynamic visualizations of critical metrics including GDP, inflation, employment data. Currently the android version of the mobile application is available free of charge on google play store. The iOS version will be released shortly, an official statement said. Advanced filtering and search capabilities with comprehensive metadata, and mobile-optimized data tables are also available for seamless viewing. In another statement, MOSPI said on the occasion of 19th Statistics Day, on June 29, it released publications on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These publications are the National Indicator Framework Progress Report, 2025; Data

Centre issues draft rules to ease tree felling on farms, boost agroforestry

The Centre has issued model rules for the felling of trees on agricultural land in a bid to promote agroforestry with the aim of doubling farmers' incomes, increasing tree cover outside forests and mitigating climate change. In a letter sent to all state governments on June 19, the environment ministry said the objective of 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands' is to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivise farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems without facing undue procedural hurdles. The government has been promoting agroforestry to double farmers' income, enhance tree cover outside forests, mitigate climate change, reduce timber imports and ensure sustainable land use. It also supports India's climate goals under the Paris Agreement. A key barrier is the lack of clear, harmonised rules for felling trees on agricultural land which affects cultivation and marketing of agroforestry produce, according to the ...

Will take up fertiliser export curbs by China as required, says MEA

India before the curbs used to import around 1-2 million tonnes of urea from China out of the total imports of around 6-7 million tonnes