The government is considering a proposal to raise import duties on crude and refined edible oils, with the domestic mandi prices of most oil seeds ruling below the minimum support prices for several months now.

In a major policy shift, the Government has scrapped rice supply at Rs.20/kg to ethanol manufacturers and allowed them to buy at rates discovered in weekly auction. It has capped the quantity of rice from FCI for ethanol at 23 lakh tonnes (lt) by October 31. In a separate order, the government has also allowed sugar mills with distilleries to manufacture ethanol directly from sugarcane as well as B Heavy molasses, lifting the previous ban imposed last year.

India is preparing for joint trade council meetings with its top trading partners in Africa — Kenya and Tanzania — scheduled in September this year as the country eyes doubling trade with African nations to $200 billion by 2030.

Pitching for 'more India' for enhanced cooperation in bilateral relations, Chile's Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela on Wednesday said they have strong trade ties with some other countries and are working for stronger ties with India in a range of areas including agriculture and technology.

Showing strong growth, the bilateral trade between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached 162 billion dollars last year, the government has said. The GCC now contributes 15 per cent of India's total trade and sectors like energy, defence, security and health are growing in the region, according to Aseem P. Mahajan, Joint Secretary (Gulf), Ministry of External Affairs.

India’s diverse climatic and geographical conditions create a variety of agro-climatic zones, each with unique features that influence local agriculture. Understanding these zones is essential for optimizing crop production and managing resources effectively. This blog provides an in-depth look into each zone, categorized by temperature, rainfall, crops grown, and location.