Agriculture In India

The Kerala government on Wednesday said it intends to protect and preserve the existing paddy lands in the state at any cost and will not allow them to be converted for other purposes. The announcement was made in the state assembly by Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad in response to a query during question hour on whether the government intends to preserve existing paddy fields. The minister stressed the need to preserve the existing paddy fields from the perspective of ensuring food security and recharge the groundwater table. According to Prasad, one acre of paddy land collects around five crore litres of water underground in a year and therefore, it was important to preserve them from the angle of water resources. The minister opined that just like forest reserves, "there should be paddy reserves". However, we cannot tell a farmer that his agricultural land is being declared a reserve paddy field, he added. "That is why we enacted the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged stakeholders to suggest ways to make ongoing schemes more effective and implement this year's budget in a speedy manner on the ground level. Addressing virtually the post-budget webinar on "Agriculture and rural prosperity", Modi said the government has presented a full budget in the third term, ensuring consistency in policy and reflecting the vision of Viksit Bharat. Modi said before the budget, inputs and suggestions from all stakeholders helped in framing it. "Now this budget needs to be implemented more effectively on the ground," he said. Agriculture is considered as the first engine of growth and the government is moving ahead with the target of achieving agricultural growth and rural prosperity, he said. Modi highlighted the need to enhance production of pulses to reduce the country's dependence on imports, and also asked private sector to focus on high-yielding crop seeds. He urged the stakeholders to discuss how the ongoin

BS Manthan: Experts discussed the future of agriculture in India and whether the sector remains profitable for its participants, especially small farmers

At the second edition of BS Manthan, Business Standard's annual flagship summit, experts will debate whether agriculture is India's strength or weakness now

The government does not tolerate irregularities and will take action if anyone is found guilty of indulging in corruption, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday amid allegations of corruption in Maharastra's agriculture department. Chouhan was responding to an allegation levelled by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, who quoted a minister and an MLA of Maharashtra of talking about alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore in the state's agriculture department. "This is for the first time I am hearing. I don't know what is the real position. But if there is any irregularity anywhere, we will conduct an inquiry and action will be taken against the guilty," he said in the Lok Sabha. Replying to another question, the minister said that so far 23 states and union territories have implemented the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) while the rest are yet to accept it. "It is the largest crop insurance scheme in the world. Some states

The government is trying to bring policy-level changes for simplifying agriculture, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said and indicated that providing subsidies on fertiliser, seed and farming equipment through direct benefit transfer could be considered in the future. In an interaction with farmers, who were invited to witness the Republic Day parade as special guests, at his residence here on Monday, the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister said the government spends up to Rs 2,00,000 crore on fertiliser subsidies. "The fertiliser subsidy that the government gives costs to the tune of Rs 2,00,000 crore. A sack of urea costs Rs 265 to the farmers, but it costs Rs 2,400. The subsidy goes to the company. The fertilizer is also used for other purposes... If there is a reliable system, farmers can be given the subsidy directly in their accounts," Chouhan said. "The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi's cost comes to around Rs 60,000 crore, if the fertilizer subsidy is given throu

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday said agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector. Shah also took a swipe at NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, saying just becoming a leader is not enough and questioned his contribution to the key sector when he was the Agriculture Minister in the Congress-led UPA government (2004-2014). 'You also need to work on the ground," he said while addressing a meeting of the cooperative sector at Malegaon in north Maharashtra's Nashik district. Shah, who also holds the home portfolio, pointed out that to emphasise on the importance of science, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had included 'Jai Vigyan' to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's famous slogan of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' (hailing soldiers and farmers). Agriculture becomes a profitable business when science is part of the cooperative sector, noted the minister. He said a separate entity, Bharat Cooperative Organics Ltd (officially named National ...

Critics say that so far, the Modi government, in its third term, has resisted from making any bold or path-breaking initiatives for the farm sector

The country's agriculture and allied sector is expected to grow at 3.5-4 per cent in 2024-25, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday, marking a significant improvement from the 1.4 per cent rise recorded in FY24. In a New Year message posted on social media platform X, Chouhan expressed confidence in India's development trajectory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, highlighting various rural welfare initiatives implemented in the past six months. "The New Year has brought good news that the growth rate of agriculture and allied sector is likely to be 3.5 to 4 per cent this year," Chouhan said. The minister emphasised ongoing efforts to ensure fair prices for farmers' produce and pointed to several rural development programmes, including housing for the poor, village road connectivity, skill development, and the Lakhpati Didi campaign aimed at improving rural livelihoods. He also highlighted the role of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural ...

Also, Rs 824.77 crore fund has been created to foster innovation and technology in the agriculture sector

Nano urea sales dropped by a steep 43.2 per cent in FY24 from the previous year, despite production capacity rising by almost 59 per cent in that period

India is poised to achieve new heights in foodgrain production in 2025, driven by favourable monsoon, though significant challenges persist in pulses and oilseeds production as the country's agricultural sector shows signs of robust recovery. The Agriculture Ministry's initial projections paint an optimistic picture, with kharif (summer) foodgrain production estimated at a record 164.7 million tonnes for the 2024-25 crop year ending June 2025. Winter crop planting has maintained steady progress, with wheat sown across 29.31 million hectares as of mid-December 2024, while total rabi (winter) crops cover 55.88 million hectares. "We had a good kharif crop because of normal rainfall," Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi told PTI. "Overall, the crop prospect for the whole year looks promising," he added, though cautioning against potential heat waves in February-March that could affect the winter wheat harvest. The agricultural sector is projected to bounce back strongly, with grow

It also recommends implementing a robust and legally binding MSP in the country

UPL-Sustainable AgriSolutions (UPL-SAS) is spearheading a transformative approach to Indian agriculture, leveraging technology, digital innovations, and a holistic strategy to address the complex challenges facing the country's farming ecosystem, CEO Ashish Dobhal revealed in an exclusive interview. With agriculture spanning 400 million acres and involving 130 million farmers, 80-85 per cent of whom are smallholders, the company is reimagining its role from a crop protection product seller to a comprehensive solution provider. "Each state has its own nuance, cropping pattern, and cultural nuances of farming," Dobhal explained, underscoring the intricate landscape of Indian agriculture. Emerging from a challenging period, Dobhal confidently asserted that "the worst of the industry downturn is behind us." UPL-SAS, a subsidiary of UPL Ltd, is implementing a multi-pronged strategy to revitalize its performance with key strategic priorities. These priorities include developing crop ...

Following the repeal of the 2021 farm laws, a new policy looks to pass the baton of enacting wide-ranging agricultural reforms to states, a position that they held earlier

While the government is looking to push natural farming, which is different from organic farming, contrasting studies question the scalability and viability of the practice

The main culprit for the degradation of the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio is the overuse of urea as a main fertiliser because of its low price, which has been static for almost a decade

Edible oil industry SEA on Monday called on the government to lift a ban on futures trading in key agricultural commodities, including crude palm oil and soyabean, citing significant financial impact on its members. The ban, first implemented in December 2021 on seven agricultural commodities, has been extended multiple times with the current extension running through December 20, 2024. The Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) has appealed to five ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, arguing that the absence of futures trading has hindered price risk management and market development. "The industry was hopeful that the suspension would be lifted to enable smoother operations, but the continuation of this restriction has further weakened an essential risk mitigation tool," SEA President Sanjeev Asthana said in a representation made to the ministers. SEA emphasised that studies have shown futures trading does not significantly

A Supreme Court-appointed panel on farmers' grievances and protests has filed its interim report, listing reasons for agrarian distress which among others include stagnant yield, rising costs and debts and inadequate marketing system. The high-powered committee, constituted on September 2 under former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Nawab Singh to resolve the grievances of farmers agitating at the Shambhu border, also suggested solutions including examining the possibility of giving legal sanctity to Minimum Support Price and offering direct income support. While forming the committee, the SC had observed farmers' protest should not be politicised. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan on Friday took the interim report on record and praised the committee for its efforts and framing of the issues to be examined and defuse the agitation. In its 11-page interim report, the panel said, "It is a well-known fact that the farming community in the country in general and that o

Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed on the pivotal role of soil health in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as zero hunger, climate action, and life on land