Govt eyes integrated farming to lift rural incomes: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The government is working on an integrated farming model including creation of IDs for farmers and the use of advanced technology to steer India's farm economy towards Viksit Bharat by 2047, said Shivraj Singh Chouhan, minister of agriculture and farmers' welfare, on Friday. The minister also assured that the government will ensure availability of fertilisers despite the ongoing disruptions caused by the West Asia crisis. The government is working on diversifying incomes of smallholder farmers by encouraging farmers to take up allied opportunities such as livestock keeping, bee keeping, diversifying towards cash crops, increasing productivity per hectare by using drip irrigation, Chouhan said, adding that this will help steer the country towards its goal of Viksit Bharat.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India’s 2026 wheat output seen higher, but misses estimates after weather hit.
India's wheat harvest is expected to rise in 2026 from a year earlier but fall short of initial estimates after unseasonal rains and hailstorms hit the maturing crop, trade and industry officials said. India, the world's biggest wheat producer after China, grows a single annual crop, sown in October-November and harvested in March and April. In recent years, late-February and early-March heat has tended to cut yields.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to visit Canada in May for trade talks.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit Canada in May amidst ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries. On March 2, the two countries launched negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
The rise of organic coffee plantations and consumer demand shifts.
In the coffee world the word ‘organic’ has started carrying more weight in recent years. We have seen more demand for organic coffee globally. With the growing awareness around health, the word organic is generally associated with better quality beans. For producers, a chemical-free harvest preserves the original taste profile of coffee. For brands, credibility, storytelling around ethical sourcing, and environmental safety measures are no longer optional. Moreover, for the consumers, the perceived health benefits and premiumness of organic coffee drive choice. However, at a time when ‘organic’ translates to quality, the reality of coffee lies far beyond the label.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Integrating MSMEs into agriculture value chains: Unlocking rural economic growth.
For years, conversations about rural growth in India have centred almost entirely on what happens on the farm. Yields, irrigation, crop diversification. All of these matter. But a quieter shift is taking place outside the farm gate. Increasingly, the real economic opportunity lies in what happens after the harvest.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
As West Asia makes up 1/5th of India’s agricultural exports, govt monitoring closely, says Jitin Prasada.
Countries in the West Asia region, which are a key market for agricultural products exports from India, contribute nearly one-fifth to the total agricultural exports of India, according to the Government. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said the West Asia region, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and countries such as Iran, Iraq and Yemen, are key markets for Indian agricultural products.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal holds bilateral meeting with EU Trade Commissioner Mr Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of WTO MC-14 in Yaounde, Cameroon.
On the sidelines of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Yaounde, Cameroon, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal held a bilateral meeting with EU Trade Commissioner, Mr. Maros Sefcovic. Both sides exchanged views on MC-14 agenda, reviewed progress of the work underway on the signing of the recently concluded India-EU FTA as well as explored options for further enhancing bilateral trade & economic cooperation.
Source: pib.gov.in
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan meets Maharashtra Agriculture Minister.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan met Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Shri Dattatraya Vithoba Bharne in New Delhi today. During the meeting, the Maharashtra Agriculture Minister apprised the Union Minister of the progress of various schemes being implemented in the state under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. He specifically requested the allocation of additional funds for agricultural mechanisation and drip irrigation.
Source: pib.gov.in
Increase In Export of Processed Food.
Major food export destination countries for India are USA, UAE, Bangladesh, State of Libya, Sudan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Thailand, Tanzania, etc.
Source: pib.gov.in
Food Processing Infrastructure and PM-FME Scheme.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, loans for 1,72,707 micro food processing enterprises have been sanctioned as on 31st December 2025. The State-wise details are at Annexure I. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) estimates post-harvest losses from time to time for various agri-produces in the country through commissioning of studies based on primary surveys. Two studies were commissioned by the Ministry through (i) Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) -Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology (CIPHET), 2015 with reference year 2012-14 and (ii) NABARD Consultancy Service Pvt. Ltd (NABCONS), 2022 with reference year 2020-22. Accordingly, the estimated percentage of Harvest and Post-Harvest loss of various agricultural produce in India at various stages of the supply chain is at Annexure II.
Source: pib.gov.in