Page 8 - Agriculture

Sale of non-subsidised fertilisers banned in UP, industry cries foul

Industry players warn that UP's ban on non-subsidised fertilisers could curb access to high-quality nutrients, potentially hitting yields of sugarcane, paddy and key vegetables across the state

Shivraj Singh Chouhan to launch AI-enabled Bharat VISTAAR on Tuesday

This facility will be launched in Hindi and English in Phase One across several states, including Maharashtra, Bihar and Gujarat

Rajasthan govt plans to promote beekeeping to boost farmers' income

With subsidies, bee colony distribution and new Centres of Excellence, Rajasthan plans to boost honey output and farm incomes through large-scale beekeeping

Addressing nutrition along with hunger: Funding and policy push vital

High-yielding crops ended hunger, but often at a nutritional cost. New research shows modern grains lag traditional varieties, reviving the case for biofortification

Centre lifts ban on wheat exports after more than three years

500,000 tonnes of sugar exports allowed on top of an existing 1.5 mt window

ULI lender base grows to 89; interface has supported over 12 loan journeys

RBI's ULI onboards 89 lenders, supports 12+ digital loan journeys, enabling MSME, agri and retail credit via common tech infrastructure

Bringing urea under NBS scheme faces farmer income, pricing challenges

Pilot trials using Agri Stack and farmer IDs to rationalise urea use have shown promise, but issues of bringing urea under the Nutrient Based Subsidy and rationalising retail prices remain

Datanomics: India's agricultural trade with US remains marginal

Two-thirds of India's imports of tree nuts (such as almonds and pistachios) came from the US alone

What are GM crops and why they are a point of concern in US trade deal?

The India-US trade deal has revived debate over genetically modified crops, as New Delhi offers limited farm market access while keeping its most sensitive agricultural sectors protected

India-US trade deal: Farmer groups fear backdoor entry of GM crops via DDGS

Most farmer organisations and Opposition parties have sounded an alarm about the possible entry of GM products; Say could harm soy farmers in MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan

India logs record phosphatic, potassic fertiliser output in January 2026

This signals a significant step towards strengthening India's fertiliser self-sufficiency, reducing dependence on imports in a segment that has traditionally relied heavily on overseas supplies

Govt proposes merging two agricultural schemes for flexibility to states

The government on Friday informed Parliament that it is seeking inter-ministerial comments on a proposal to merge two central agriculture schemes - Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Krishonnati Yojana - into a single umbrella scheme to provide greater flexibility to states. Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said the ministry's centrally sponsored schemes currently operate under two umbrellas - Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) and Krishonnati Yojana (KY). An Expenditure Finance Commission (EFC) draft for an umbrella scheme covering centrally sponsored schemes of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for the 16th Finance Commission period has been initiated, he said. "The draft has been circulated for inter-ministerial consultations," Thakur said. The single umbrella scheme proposal has been initiated to give greater flexibility to states to take up need-based components, he ...

StarAgri sees 55% revenue jump in FY25, eyes ₹2,000 crore in FY26

StarAgri has remained profitable since inception, while its non-performing assets continue to remain below 1 per cent, reflecting disciplined risk management and balance sheet strength

Consumption story of staples is making a comeback: AWL Agri executives

AWL Agri targets 7-8% edible oil volume growth, banks on capacity expansion and a demand recovery led by rural markets and staples consumption

Farm livelihood concerns allayed as agri, dairy sectors kept out of US deal

Centre says sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy are outside the India-US trade deal, easing concerns even as US officials speak of higher farm exports

Indian agrochemical companies scale up via product deals with MNCs

As multinational companies grapple with regulatory uncertainty in India, domestic agrochemical firms are acquiring products and technologies, reshaping the crop protection landscape

Skymet says El Nino might strengthen in middle of Indian monsoon this year

Private forecaster warns evolving El Nino could suppress monsoon rainfall, raise heatwave risks and impact farm output, with models pointing to a peak in winter

Nabard's focus on rural MSMEs in Madhya Pradesh, says CGM C Saraswathi

Nabard's Madhya Pradesh chief general manager C Saraswathi outlines priorities around rural MSMEs, agri-processing, cold storage and tribal development

MP priority sector has credit potential of ₹3.75 trillion: Nabard

Nabard estimates priority sector loan potential in Madhya Pradesh at ₹3.75 trillion for 2026-27, about 20% higher than last year, led by agriculture and MSMEs

Budget 2026 outlook: Key expectations for agriculture, rural sectors

With falling crop prices, slowing farm income growth and pressure on subsidies, the Union Budget for FY27 is expected to focus on agriculture reforms, rural spending and cooperatives