Farmers

India must move surplus labour out of agriculture, says NITI's Ashok Lahiri

Country must create efficient farm markets and replace subsidies with direct income transfers, the NITI Aayog vice chairman said

Chhattisgarh cabinet okays power utility IPO, Rs 15,000/acre crop-shift aid

The Chhattisgarh cabinet on Tuesday approved the listing of state-run Chhattisgarh State Power Transmission Company (CSPTCL) on the stock exchange through an IPO to encourage farmers to shift from paddy cultivation to alternative Kharif crops, officials said. Several decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at Mahanadi Mantralaya Bhawan in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. The cabinet nod for CSPTCL's listing through an Initial Public Offering is expected to provide citizens and investors an opportunity to participate in the company's growth journey while strengthening its financial capacity and transparency, a government official said. The cabinet authorised the company's board of directors to complete the necessary procedures related to the proposed listing, he said. The government also approved a revamped version of the Krishak Unnati Yojana for the kharif season of 2026. Under the new framework, farmers cultivating pulses, oilseeds, maize, kodo

Farmers procure 3.5 times more organic manure this kharif season

India imports a large quantity of urea and di-ammonium phosphate to meet local demand. Total domestic production of fertilisers, including urea

Why Centre's sugarcane draft rules are roiling farmers in Uttar Pradesh

The Centre’s proposed changes to the Sugarcane Control Order have sparked concern among farmers and small jaggery makers in western Uttar Pradesh.

UP sugarcane payments cross ₹31,000 crore in current crushing season

According to the state government, sugarcane farmers have received payments of about ₹3.27 trillion between 2017 and 2026

Onion farmers seek ₹10,000 crore revival package amid export curbs, losses

Maharashtra onion farmers have urged the Centre to announce a special Rs 10,000 crore revival package, claiming that repeated export curbs, natural calamities and price crashes have pushed them into a severe financial crisis. Bharat Dighole, founder-president of the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Farmers Association, said that farmers have suffered huge losses over the years due to what he termed flawed export policies, spurious seeds, storage losses and other factors. He said the Centre's decisions to impose export bans in 2019, 2020 and 2023-24, levy a 40 per cent export duty and fix minimum export prices of $850 and $550 per tonne at different periods hit onion farmers hard. The central government's move to release buffer onion stock through NAFED and NCCF at lower rates in the domestic market adversely affected prices of the kitchen staple and caused substantial financial losses to farmers, he said in a statement. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India

Day after PM's meeting, Chouhan pushes result-oriented governance model

Dedicated teams of at least 10 officers each will review grievances, representations, citizen complaints across ministries on a daily basis

Rajasthan's 260K farmers to get subsidised seeds for pulse and oilseed crop

Rajasthan to provide subsidised pulse and oilseed seeds to 2.6 lakh farmers under ₹135-crore central mission scheme

Centre weighing import duty hike for edible oil to support farmers

The deliberations come as the government steps up efforts to curb foreign-exchange outflows, which have put pressure on the rupee - Asia's worst-performing currency this year

Centre's sugarcane draft rules create ripples in western Uttar Pradesh

A section of farmers feel the proposed provisions could hurt cane growers and small khandsari units. Sanjeeb Mukherjee reports

Suicides among those engaged in farm sector fall to two-year low in 2024

Experts often link farm suicides to indebtedness, while the government cites factors such as family problems, illness, drug abuse and marriage-related issues

Millers welcome sugarcane FRP hike; farmers say ₹10 rise too meagre

ISMA said the FRP hike is a progressive, farmer-friendly step reflecting the government's continued commitment to strengthening farmer welfare and boosting rural prosperity

Factories in Tanzania offer new avenues for Haryana farmers, entrepreneurs

Farming and doing business in Tanzania have become lucrative avenues for the people in Harayana, with the state government, along with the Centre, expanding trade ties with the East African nation. Farmers and entrepreneurs have started exploring the Tanzanian markets after Haryana began a push for investment opportunities in that country. To enable farmers to pursue agricultural ventures, the Haryana government, with the support of the Centre, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for one lakh acres of farm land in Tanzania, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said. Saini said that trade cooperation with African countries is being continuously expanded, with key sectors such as mining, plywood, agriculture, and IT being prominently included, according to an official statement. Somveer Ghasola from Dadri near Bhiwani is among those who have bought land in Tanzania. Ghasola, 58, has also set up a mining business near Tanzania's capital, Dodoma. According to him, the African .

Rising heat stress: Integrated climate strategy key to building resilience

India, the largest producer of rice with an output of about 150.18 million tonnes, faces a sharpened threat as heatwaves are projected to severely impact production in the Ganga-Indus basin

Beyond the hearth: Recognising women farmers as key to India's agri future

Unlike the 1970s, the 2026 oil shock may trigger faster shifts to renewables and new global demand patterns, reshaping long-term economic outcomes

MP farmers to get four times compensation for rural land acquisition

Madhya Pradesh will offer up to four times compensation for rural land acquisition, aiming to ensure fair value for farmers and support infrastructure and development projects

MP farmers allege substandard bitter gourd seeds; FIR filed against Nunhems

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered a ban on Nunhems' 'Robusta' bitter gourd seed brand, as per an official statement

Ahead of farmers' protest, FCI Punjab backs easing wheat procurement norms

Punjab farmers are planning to stage the rail blockade, precisely demanding the same, which is easing of wheat procurement standards in line with neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan

Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveils district-wise agri roadmap for 4 MP districts

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan harps on value addition and integrated farming models

Farmers block roads in Haryana over wheat procurement, portal issues

Farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) on Saturday staged road blockades at several parts of Haryana, protesting against difficulties in wheat procurement and issues with the online portal system. Raising slogans, the protesters alleged that technical glitches in the online system and problems related to bank accounts were causing distress to farmers by delaying the sale of produce and payments. Police personnel were deployed near the Anaj Mandis to maintain law and order. Union leader Singara Singh said the protest was held as per the announcement made by BKU leader Rakesh Tikait during a recent mahapanchayat in Naraingarh. He claimed that issues related to land ownership and complex rules had worsened the situation for farmers. The farmers alleged that their demands had been ignored by the government for several years and warned of intensifying the agitation if their issues were not addressed. A large number of farmers participated in the protests at ...