Indian Agriculture

Govt raises paddy MSP by ₹72 to ₹2,441/quintal for 2026-27 Kharif season

The government on Wednesday raised the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by Rs 72 to Rs 2,441 per quintal for the 2026-27 kharif marketing season. A decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The support price for common and A-grade varieties has been increased by Rs 72 per quintal to Rs 2,441 and Rs 2,461 per quintal, respectively, for the 2026-27 kharif marketing season (September-October). Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the MSP is 50 per cent more than the cost of production. "Estimated payout to farmers would be Rs 2.60 lakh crore and annual procurement estimated at 824.41 lakh tonne," he added.

Why food irradiation in India faces viability test despite export promise

Despite high post-harvest losses and strong export demand, food irradiation remains limited in India due to high costs, low farmer incentives and weak infrastructure

El Niño 2026: Why India's rural economy may weather the storm better this time

IMD flags a 31 per cent probability of "below normal" monsoon and a 35 per cent chance of rainfall below 90 per cent of LPA-risks for agriculture, heatwaves, and demand

Best of BS Opinion: Trump tariffs, euthanasia, rupee and farms

Today's Opinion page covers Trump's tariff strategy, the Supreme Court's passive euthanasia ruling, rupee depreciation amid West Asia tensions, farm diversification and a Syria war book review

Livestock and fisheries emerge as powerful challengers to crop farming

India's farm sector is steadily shifting from cereals to high-value segments like horticulture, livestock, and fisheries - sectors now emerging as key drivers of rural incomes

Need to make Indian agri products export-oriented, globally-competitive: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked farmers to leverage India's diverse climatic conditions and focus on scaling up the harvest of high-value crops to enable the country's agri products to effectively compete in global markets. Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Agriculture and Rural Transformation', Modi said steps need to be taken to promote all aspects of "quality, branding and standards" of Indian agriculture produce. Agri experts, industry and farmers will have to come together to achieve this goal, he said. "Today the markets of the world are opening, and global demand is changing... It is necessary to have more discussion on making our agriculture export-oriented. We have a diverse climate, and we must take full advantage of it. We are rich in agro-climatic zones," he said in his third post-budget webinar. The Budget for 2026-27 has also focussed on high-value agriculture, including cashew, cocoa, sandalwood, Modi said, adding the National Mission on Edible Oil and

No market opened for agriculture in India-US trade deal, says Chouhan

Chouhan said that, rather than compromising farmers' interests, the trade deal will open new avenues of opportunity for crops such as rice

Shift from cereals to horticulture gains pace across Indian farms

The past decade has seen farmers slowly but steadily expand acreage under more lucrative fruits and vegetables, signalling a gradual diversification away from cereal crops

Industry flags 'licence raj' concerns in draft Pesticides Management Bill

Plant protection industries say the draft Pesticides Management Bill risks fostering 'licence raj' and hampering research, citing sweeping inspector powers, price controls and unclear licensing terms

Govt to push green fuel farm machinery to boost mechanisation: Agri secy

The government will prioritise green fuel-based farm machinery and enhance access to mechanisation for small and marginal farmers as part of India's vision to become a global food basket by 2047, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Thursday. Addressing the ninth edition of EIMA Agrimach event organised by FICCI here, Chaturvedi said mechanisation is crucial for achieving the four key objectives of increasing farmers' income -- reducing farming costs, boosting productivity, improving price realisation through value addition, and building climate resilience. "Over the next 5-10 years, we should shift our technologies towards green fuels -- whether electrically operated tractors or machines running on CBG (compressed biogas) available from rural CBG plants," he said. The agriculture secretary said this transition will bring down both maintenance and operational costs for farmers, and government schemes will increasingly prioritise green fuel-based technologies. He also cal

Low prices dampen sentiment in rabi sowing season despite good outlook

Things are in place for a good rabi harvest. But farmers must contend with poor prices for their kharif harvest. And that may have a knock-on effect on rabi prices in a vicious cycle

Extended rains may hit rural consumption: AWL Agri Biz top executives

While talking about crop damage, Mallick said that groundnut crop has gone bad. The same was witnessed with the paddy crop in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh

India can spark second Green Revolution with more agri R&D: CIMMYT chief

CIMMYT chief Bram Govaerts says India can drive a second Green Revolution by investing in agricultural research and global partnerships as the farm sector faces new challenges

PM draws the line amid US tariff heat, govt plans strategy for exporters

Govt working on three-pronged strategy to support exporters

Centre gears up for the launch of PM-KUSUM 2.0 to meet growing demand

The second phase is likely to match or exceed Phase 1's scale, with possible additions like agrovoltaics and minor guideline revisions

A fresh approach needed to manage demand and supply of fertilisers

India is the second-largest consumer of fertilisers in the world, but lacks the natural resources to manufacture them

The voice of farmers: How Subramaniam backed Swaminathan's seed dream

How C Subramaniam's political backing helped MS Swaminathan secure funds for hybrid seed trials, setting the stage for India's Green Revolution and agricultural self-reliance

Chhattisgarh to get APEDA regional office in Raipur for agri-exports

The regional office will facilitate direct exports of fruits, vegetables, rice, GI-tagged products, millets, and other agri-commodities to international markets

Cooperative major Iffco appoints KJ Patel as new MD, replaces Awasthi

Cooperative major IFFCO has appointed K J Patel as its new Managing Director (MD) with former chief U S Awasthi's term ending on Thursday. IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani announced Patel as the new MD, the cooperative said in a statement. Patel, who was Director-Technical at IFFCO, holds a mechanical engineering degree from Saurashtra University and has a rich experience of more than 32 years in the maintenance of Nitrogenous & Phosphatic fertiliser plants. He was heading the IFFCO Paradeep Plant, the biggest complex fertiliser plant in India. "Patel brings deep industry knowledge and, proven strategic thinking approach that aligns with the goals of IFFCO," Sanghani said. Further, he said the board is confident that Patel will steer IFFCO into a new era of innovation and value creation. Sanghani also thanked the outgoing MD US Awasthi for his invaluable contribution and dedication to IFFCO as well as farmers across the country. IFFCO posted a 16 per cent increase in net profit to

Kharif sowing hits 75% of target, but pulses and cotton lag behind

Owing to deluge of cheap imports, the area under pulses is down