India’s kharif sowing area exceeds normal coverage, though gap shrinks to 2.5%
Crop damage reports have come from different States, including Punjab and Rajasthan, but it will take time to make an actual assessment once flood water recedes and heavy rainfall stops, a senior official said. The Centre is soon sending its inter-ministerial team to affected areas of Punjab as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to […]
SOPA seeks 10% duty on edible oil import, urges Agri Min to implement Bhavantar scheme for procurement
As soybean prices continue to remain bearish, trade body Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) has urged the government to impose 10 per cent duty on edible oil imports and implement the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (Price Deficiency Payment Scheme) in place of the large-scale procurement under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the kharif marketing […]
APEDA launches Bharati initiative to boost agri-food exports
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched its new initiative ‘Bharati’ on the sidelines of the ‘Food & Beverages Sector Stakeholders Meeting’ chaired by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, alongside Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, and Union Minister of Food Processing Industries […]
AI in agriculture: Time to move from demos to decisions
There has been a growing hype in the agtech sector that: “AI will transform agriculture”. From advisories like NPSS (National Pest Surveillance System) to intelligent governance dashboard, AI is perceived as the game-changer from our policymakers to farmers. While this is a compelling vision, it is also dangerously oversimplified. It’s time we ask ourselves the […]
Allegations of irregularities in onion procurement surface again
Allegations of irregularities in onion procurement under the Centre’s Price Stabilisation Fund scheme have resurfaced, with farmer groups demanding immediate payment of pending dues and a white paper on the process. The scheme had set a target of procuring 3 lakh tonnes of onions through nodal agencies NAFED and NCCF. However, farmers allege that farmer […]
India lowers rice procurement target, to buy 46.35 million tonne in 2025-26
The Indian government has fixed the rice procurement target at 46.35 million tonne (mt) from the crop grown during the current kharif season. It had purchased about 47.4 mt from the kharif 2024 crop against a target of 51.16 mt. In a meeting with Food Secretaries of States and Union Territories on Monday, where officials […]
Countries pushed India on agri market, but nation stands firm now: Chouhan
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, without naming the United States, on Saturday said some countries had pressured India to open its agricultural market but the nation today stands tall and engages confidently on the global stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said national interest is paramount, and farmers’ interests will not be compromised, Chouhan asserted […]
Fertilizer industry seeks cut in GST to 5%, urges Govt for input tax credit refund
The Fertilizer Association of India (FAI) has urged the Centre to bring Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate on ammonia and sulphuric acid, which are key raw materials in the production of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and complex (combination of nutrients) fertilisers, at par with their finished products at 5 per cent from the current 18 […]
Global urea prices spike on sudden Indian demand, low stocks
The price of urea in the global market is reported to have spiked in the Middle East from India’s last contracted rate of $530/tonne (CFR). This has been attributed to the sudden demand from India amid declining stocks. On the other hand, Indian importers are hopeful of bringing down prices to about $500/tonne when the […]
Farm equipment maker KisanKraft plans to scale up exports
KisanKraft Ltd, the Bengaluru based farm-equipment maker plans to step up exports to around 50 countries over the next five years. The company currently exports farm equipment such as inter-cultivators and brush cutters among others to about 10 countries including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Ivory Coast and Ghana. KisanKraft, which completed 20 years of […]