Page 9 - Agriculture

Coromandel International Q4 results: Profit rises over two-fold to ₹578 cr

Coromandel's total income for the quarter ended March 2025 was at Rs 5,114 crore versus Rs 3,996 crore for the quarter ended March 2024, up 28 per cent

For a sector to flower: Tapping India's vast floriculture opportunities

Studies have indicated that cultivation of flowers is more profitable than many traditional crops, especially in small and marginal farms, which constitute more than 90% of country's landholdings

ICAR clears release of improved fodder crop by Ranchi agri university

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recommended the release of an improved variety of fodder crop, Birsa Lathyrus-1, developed by scientists at the Ranchi-based Birsa Agricultural University (BAU). According to a statement from BAU, the new variety was developed under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on fodder crops. The average green fodder yield (GFY) of this variety, released for the country's north east zone and central zone, is 190 quintals per hectare, which is 6.3 per cent more than that obtained from national check variety Mahateora, the statement said. The variety, moderately resistant to leaf blight in the north east zone, is also suitable for timely-sown, normal fertility and under irrigated conditions of Jharkhand, it said. "This variety carries per cent crude protein which is 4-5 per cent higher than the national check. It gives a seed yield of 8.3 quintal per hectare, which is 15 per cent superior to the check variety Mahateora," i

If agri growth rate rises, rural youth won't migrate to cities: Gadkari

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday emphasised the need to increase agriculture growth rate and purchasing power in rural India to prevent migration of rural youth to cities. Addressing an event here, Gadkari said currently the government's minimum support prices for agriculture crops are way higher then commercial market prices. "If agriculture growth rate increases then rural youth will not be forced migrate to metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai for livelihood," he said. According to him, the growth rate in agriculture will lead to increase in purchasing power of rural population. Gadkari also emphasised the need for more intensive use of bamboo resources in the country, saying bamboo can create employment opportunities and contribute to rural development. He pointed out that the use of bamboo in the energy sector will help India in reducing import of fossils fuels. Gadkari said bamboo has the potential to be used as an alternative to coal and ca

A below-par monsoon could imperil Bihar's agri sector, Assembly elections

If rainfall is below average this year, too, it would mark it as the fourth consecutive year that the agriculturally important state would get lesser rains from the Southwest monsoon

Tractor sales likely to hit record high in FY26 on monsoon, MSP hike

Pre-buying ahead of TREM V norms, rising construction activity to fuel demand; margins remain stable

Favourable outlook: A good monsoon may lead to growth-enhancing steps

Despite improvements in irrigation coverage, precipitation during the southwest monsoon remains crucial for agricultural production

India urges global focus on small farmers at Brics agriculture meet

India on Friday pitched for placing small and marginal farmers at the centre of global agricultural strategies, saying they cannot face climate change, price volatility and resource scarcity challenges alone. Speaking at the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brazil, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said global food security goals would remain unfulfilled unless small farmers are protected and empowered. "We cannot leave smallholders to fight these challenges alone. They need our policy support," Chouhan said, describing agriculture as not merely an economic activity but a source of "livelihood, food, and dignity" for millions. Chouhan presented cluster-based farming, farmer producer organisations, cooperative models and natural farming as effective approaches for empowering small farmers and improving their market access, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement. The meeting underscored the need for fair agricultural trade, control of global price volatility

Pest and disease attacks on crops rising due to climate change: Scientist

Prasanna talks about some of the challenges that climate change poses to agriculture and ways to handle them

Shivraj Singh Chouhan visits farms in Brazil; praises mechanised farming techniques | Agriculture

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited tomato farm in Sao Paulo, Brazil and hailed the mechanised farming techniques.

Govt to set fresh target of 30% ethanol blending in petrol by 2030

Target of 20% blending already achieved in March this year

Pulses imports at nine-year high of 6.7 million tonnes in FY25, shows data

The biggest contributor to the surge in pulses imports has been the jump in yellow peas imports

Don't think govt is in a great hurry to sign BTA with US: Ashwani Mahajan

Since the US has announced the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, their markets are down, and there are fears that inflation will increase

Centre hikes non-urea fertiliser subsidies with allocation of Rs 37K cr

Says FY25 subsidy now totals Rs 1.91 trn versus BE of Rs 1.68 trn

Cropin secures Walmart project to boost sourcing in US, South America

The partnership aims to mitigate risks associated with weather, market volatility, and supply chain disruptions, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality perishable goods

Trump tariffs: India needs short- and medium-term agricultural trade plans

From 2022 to 2024, India earned $5.75 bn per year from agri-export to the US, which constituted one-tenth of India's agri exports to the world. In the same period, India imported agricultural product

New wild ginger species discovered in Odisha's Similipal Biosphere Reserve

Researchers from Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University in Odisha's Baripada have claimed to have discovered a new species of wild ginger from Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in Mayurbhanj district, officials said. The discovery was made by Dr. Sudam Charan Sahu, assistant professor of Botany, and Sifan Priyadarshini, Ph.D research scholar of Botany, who have been studying and exploring the diversity of the Zingiberaceae family in Odisha for the past three years, the varsity said in a statement on Wednesday. According to researchers, the new species was discovered in August 2024 from the semi-evergreen forest at Kulipala, SBR. "After a detailed observation of its unique morphological characteristics, it was confirmed as a new species," said Sahu, adding that the research paper has been published in the international journal 'Phytotaxa'. They said the new species, 'Zingiber jagannathii Sahu & Priyadarshini,' has been named in honour of 'Lord Jagannath.' This new species ..

Global farm firms come together to train 500,000 rural entrepreneurs

The academy, which has been set up with a starting capital of $3 million, will seek to address critical challenges in smallholder farming

Climate concerns: Changing rainfall patterns threaten agriculture

In 2024, India experienced extreme weather events on 322 days, up from 318 in 2023, affecting around 4.07 million hectares of crop area

Women constitute 64.4% of India's agricultural workforce: Report

Women constitute 64.4 per cent of India's agricultural workforce but only 6-10 per cent are employed in top agri and agri-related companies, according to a new report released on Friday. The report "Women in Agribusiness Opportunities and Challenges" was launched by Godrej Agrovet Ltd in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) and Godrej DEI Lab at its second Women in Agriculture Summit. "At Godrej Agrovet, we believe the future of agribusiness lies in empowering women through education, workplace inclusivity, and leadership development," Godrej Agrovet Managing Director Balram Singh Yadav said in a statement. "Last year, we pledged to support 100,000 women across the agri value chain, and I'm proud to share that we've positively impacted 20,000 women in just one year," he added. The report highlights that women account for 30-40 per cent of the total enrolment in agricultural studies but very few enter formal employment. Vidya Vemireddy, Faculty ..