Seeds Bill finalised, likely to be introduced in Budget session.
The government is believed to have finalised the Seeds Bill, 2026 and is keen to get it introduced in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming Budget session, scheduled to commence from January 28 and to continue until April 2, including a 25-day recess. No major changes are likely to be made in the draft Bill, which was shared in November 2025 for public feedback, sources said.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
India’s Record Rice Crop Is Set to Deepen Slide in Global Prices.
Indian farmers are wrapping up another bumper rice harvest, adding a wave of grain to the global market that’s already well supplied and likely putting further pressure on benchmark prices. They could bear the brunt at a time when demand is weak and key buyers have tightened import rules. Growers in India, the world’s biggest producer of the staple, may be forced to slash rates to stay competitive against rivals such as Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: bloomberg.com
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal visits Brussels for high-level dialogue with European Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, concluded a significant two-day visit to Brussels (8-9 January 2026), marking a decisive step forward in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. In a series of high-level dialogues with Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, both leaders provided guidance to negotiating teams to resolve pending issues and expedite the agreement.
Source: pib.gov.in
Union Agriculture Minister holds bilateral meeting with Fijian counterpart to deepen India–Fiji cooperation in the agriculture sector.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a bilateral meeting with Tomasi Tunabuna, Minister for Agriculture and Waterways of Fiji, today at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. Both the sides discussed ongoing cooperation and outlined future areas of collaboration.
Source: pib.gov.in
Year End Review 2025 - Achievements & Initiatives of Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
The food processing sector plays an important role in increasing farm income and creating off-farm jobs, reducing post-harvest losses in agriculture and allied sector production through on- and off-farm investments in preservation and processing infrastructure. Accordingly, Ministry of Food Processing Industries has undertaken several initiatives to give impetus to development of food processing sector in the country and has made significant achievements in its schemes during the year of 2025.
Source: pib.gov.in
With 150.18 million tonnes of production, India is largest producer of rice in world.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has announced that India now officially is the largest producer of rice in the world, surpassing China. As per the Ministry, India has recorded 150.18 million tonnes of rice production during the current season as compared to China's 145.28 million tonnes.
Source: fnbnews.com
UK, New Zealand, more — India taps new markets amid 50% Trump tariffs as US trade deal remains elusive.
Amid ongoing talks with the United States to strike a trade deal for months, India has been aggressively seeking trade deals to open markets for exporters and allay the blow of 50% US tariffs. India and US officials have been for months trying to ink a trade deal it seems to remain elusive as relations between Washington and New Delhi hit a low in August after Donald Trump hiked US tariffs on India to 50%. The Trump tariff blow threatens job losses and impacts India's aim to becoming an export and manufacturing superpower.
Source: livemint.com
India's agriculture grew at 4.42% during 2015-24 surpassing China’s 4.10%: NITI Aayog's Ramesh Chand.
India’s agricultural income did not witness a single year with negative growth during 2015–16 to 2024–25, according to a recent report titled ‘Agriculture in meeting aspirations of rising India’, released on October 10 last year, by Ramesh Chand, member of NITI Aayog. The country’s agriculture sector defied Covid, which failed to cause adverse effects on agriculture unlike the non-agriculture sector.
Source: moneycontrol.com
Trade boost: FTAs to open wider markets for agriculture, food processing sectors; Jitin Prasada flags ease-of-business push.
The growing number of free trade agreements (FTAs) signed and implemented by India will provide wider market access to the country’s agriculture and food processing sectors, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said on Friday, PTI reported.'We have navigated a series of free trade agreements. Our produce has access to these markets,' Prasada said, noting that India has recently signed and implemented FTAs with Mauritius, Australia, the EFTA bloc, the UK, Oman and New Zealand.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
India to host global conference on women in agriculture in March.
After a long gap, leading global and Indian organisations such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), in collaboration with other organisations, will organise a global conference on women in agri-food systems at Pusa from March 12 to 14, 2026.
Source: business-standard.com