Agriculture

Radha stands at only 2 ft 8 in tall. She lives on the farm of Trimbak Borate in Malawadi.

OPINION | India’s farmers and their tryst with the golden grain

Contrary to initial forecasts, maize has overtaken sugarcane as the primary source of ethanol. It’s pushed up acreage under the crop but returns to farmers haven’t been commensurate. This situation should catalyse policy makers to revisit their package of incentives

World’s most expensive satellite Nisar sends first sharp look at India as science phase begins

Nisar’s S-Band radar captured the Godavari River Delta with striking detail, showing mangroves, fields, arecanut crops and aquaculture ponds.

Virus-hit honey bee queens spark rebellion as workers sense weakness

A new study shows viral infections weaken honeybee queens by reducing egg-laying and key pheromones, prompting workers to replace them and destabilising managed hives worldwide.

OPINION | The Seeds Bill, 2025, needs patient effort to build adequate support

The last two attempts to introduce a new iteration of a law governing seeds ran into strong opposition. Government needs to take States and other stakeholders on board to successfully update the legal framework Siraj Hussain 

US exemption to benefit $1 billion of India’s farm exports, says commerce ministry

“While this applies to all trading partners, it creates a level playing field for Indian exporters,” the ministry said.

OPINION | India’s small farmers hold the key to food security in a warming world

India's food security is increasingly reliant on resilient, sustainable farming practices. Small farmers, especially women, play a critical role in adapting to climate challenges, ensuring food availability, and promoting long-term ecological balance

OPINION | India’s playbook holds lessons for Southeast Asia’s agri-tech moment

Without scale, innovations don’t fulfil potential. Coherence and interoperability of India’s digital infrastructure created the pathway for sweeping transformation. It’s a lesson for many ASEAN members

FTA delayed, India to expand preferential trade agreement with Brazil-led Mercosur: Govt officials

Currently, the preferential trade agreement (PTA) with the Mercosur trade bloc covers about 450 tariff lines. Talks are on to expand the PTA further to cover more items across agriculture, industrial goods, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, government officials told Moneycontrol.

Tariffs being used as weapons, India will choose its own path: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

While India has achieved surplus production in rice and wheat, the Union agriculture minister said, the next frontier is achieving self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds. "PM Modi will be launching India's Dalhan Atmanirbharta Mission (Chana–Masoor) day after tomorrow to strengthen pulse production," he said.

International Solar Alliance to replicate India's PM-Kusum scheme in Africa, island nations

India now has the third largest renewable energy installation in the world. Additionally, in manufacturing of solar modules, India is the second largest after China, according to the government

India, EU begin 14th round of trade talks in Brussels today

While the EU is seeking greater market access in automobiles and agriculture products, India wants relaxations in the carbon tax on imports of steel, aluminium, cement and fertiliser which kicks in from January

Why a flood-hit Punjab is bad news for food security

Punjab is reeling under the worst flood it’s experienced in decades. It’s still too early to assess the damage, but the signs are not good. A big hit to the paddy output will have national implications as the state is a critical supplier to the PDS

Faced with urea and fertiliser shortages again, is it time to reimagine our agrarian system?

India faces a critical urea crisis amid global shortages, rising prices and overdependence on fossil fuel-based farming, highlighting the urgent need for ecological agriculture and self-reliant, sustainable food systems

Trump tariffs: Trade talks on, US delegation expected on August 25, say officials

A US embassy spokesperson said on August 5 said they are looking forward to the talks for a productive and balanced trade relationship

India began diversifying away from China before 2025 halt in fertiliser shipments

China’s share in India’s DAP imports fell to 18.5% in FY25 from over 47% in FY19; zero shipments recorded in first five months of 2025

Cabinet approves Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana to develop 100 agri districts

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the objective of the scheme is to ensure the convergence of 36 schemes from 11 ministries across 100 selected districts.

Higher crop output expected in 2025 but uneven distribution of rains could be a spoiler: Govt source

Early monsoons do not necessarily always translate into higher production, though such results are probable and expected by the government, an official told Moneycontrol. There needs to be caution in such conditions as some areas might be prone to flooding or drought, resulting in crop destruction.

Agri minister Chouhan says farmers' interests will be protected amid US trade talks

The remarks come amid reports of differences between India and the US over agriculture and dairy sectors delaying the conclusion of the trade deal

From desert to dairy giant: Rajasthan’s rise in milk production

The desert state has overtaken Uttar Pradesh to become India’s largest milk producer since the pandemic, accounting for 16 percent of the country’s total milk output.

Niti Aayog withdraws contentious paper on farm trade with US, confirms planning minister

Released in May, the document drew sharp criticism from farmer groups and industry associations

Chart of the Day: Early crop sowing data indicate a good season for agriculture-inputs providers

Rice, pulses, coarse cereals and cotton are seeing good sowing

Can AI transform Indian agriculture? Yes, but we need to learn from past failures first

From economic, societal and educational inequalities to differential access to existing support programmes, India presents a complex mosaic which defeats top down, one-size-fits-all solutions

Rural demand picks up as consumer optimism holds steady, RBI’s bulletin says

High-frequency indicators of aggregate demand for May suggested a pick-up in rural demand, especially given the strong performance of the agricultural sector, RBI bulletin says