Agriculture

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

`Mini deal,' major stakes: India, US trade talks resume, may cover defence, auto

India is likely to allow increased imports of energy products, edible oils, automobiles, and defence equipment, among others, in order to slash the looming Trump tariffs.

India's services sector outpaces manufacturing and agriculture in FY25: RBI annual report

This is despite the fact that the total GVA at basic prices rose by 6.4 percent in FY25, down from 8.6 percent in the previous year, signalling a moderation in economic momentum

Early monsoon a ‘good sign’, but watch the geospatial spread to assess crop yield, say experts

Early monsoon would translate in early sowing by farmers in the upcoming Kharif season, however, the geospatial as well as time spread of the rainfall will be crucial to track, given the erratic pattern seen in recent years.

US-India trade deal: GM corn, soya and walnuts expected to be top points of negotiation

Allowing imports of corn could also prove beneficial to India as the country plans to increase ethanol blending in petrol with the government pushing for grain-based ethanol production.

Bananas and chillies contributing more to the economy than a decade ago

Trade in spices has risen 37 percent between FY18 and FY24, while banana exports have been up 391 percent during this period

Sensitive sectors, stronger stance: India may stick to red lines in high-stakes US trade talks

India has so far offered zero-to-zero tariffs for industrial goods, while the rates on other items are still being negotiated given the government’s intent to protect sensitive sectors like dairy. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal along with a team will be in US from May 17 for talks over the trade deal.

Initial India-Australia agricultural trade data shows that FTA has helped farmers

India’s agricultural exports have increased. For sure, Australia’s exports have increased more, driven mainly by lentils. The trade deal with Australia is a success story even if full potential of the deal is yet to be realised for Indian exports

Monsoon rains to arrive early, brightening outlook for crops

The monsoon, the lifeblood of the country's $4 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of the rain that India needs to water farms and recharge aquifers and reservoirs