Agriculture

Excess fertiliser and water use hurting soil health, says Chouhan, as Centre pushes millets and crop diversification to boost sustainability

Parliament panel seeks safeguard duty on palm oil to protect domestic farmers

Disruption in shipping routes and West Asia war has raised concerns over fertiliser imports

For the first time, India's premier agricultural institute IARI features in QS World University Rankings 2026 in agriculture and forestry, joining top global institutions

Despite expectations of a bumper wheat crop, a shortage of around 50 million gunny bags could disrupt procurement operations and strain mandi infrastructure in Punjab.

Currently, micro-irrigation facilities cover 24 per cent of the state's gross sown area (GSA). There are plans to expand coverage to 51 per cent by 2030

Prolonged conflict in West Asia could disrupt fertiliser supply chains and impact global planting cycles, raising risks of a food crisis, says Brazil Potash CEO Matt Simpson

The Centre has relaxed sugar dispatch norms for March 2026, allowing mills flexibility amid weak demand without penalties for missing quota targets

FAI called for energy cost reimbursements and penalty waivers for plants operating under constrained gas supplies, citing extraordinary circumstances stemming from the ongoing geopolitical crisis

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms across Rajasthan have severely damaged Rabi crops, leaving farmers anxious as losses mount and compensation processes begin

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

Economist Ashok Gulati of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier) said government spending on agriculture R&D is "not even peanuts" by global standards

West Asia conflict may raise pesticide costs by up to 25%, risking shortages during peak season and impacting farm yields in India

Chairing a comprehensive review of the country's agricultural situation, Chouhan said the adverse weather had hit several states at a time when crops were ripe and ready for harvest

Warns against needless speculation

With this additional procurement, the total gas availability at fertiliser plants has risen to approximately 40 MMSCMD, a jump of around 23 per cent over the earlier supply level

The Middle East accounts for roughly half of India's DAP and urea imports, with Saudi Arabia the largest DAP supplier and Oman the biggest urea supplier

Approval of nano NPK products aims to cut reliance on conventional fertilisers and ease supply pressures amid gas shortages linked to West Asia conflict

The 52 MMSCMD LNG requirement is based on the average natural gas consumption by urea making units in the last six months (September 2025-February 2026)

With the West Asia war showing no sign of an early end, the government has started working on alternative plans to keep fertiliser units running once they resume operations