Meerut Gets Agritech Innovation Hub to Empower Farmers with AI, Smart Tech.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of State for Education and Skill Development Jayant Chaudhary jointly inaugurated the Uttar Pradesh Agritech Innovation Hub and Startup Showcase at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology (SVPUAT) in Meerut on July 8, 2025. The initiative aims to revolutionize traditional farming practices by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and smart agriculture technologies.
Source: krishijagran.com
Srikakulam Cashew Wins Best National Award Under ODOP.
Srikakulam’s signature crop – cashew – has won the Best National Award in 2025 in horticulture under the One District, One Product (ODOP) programme. This award will be presented at a ceremony in New Delhi on July 14. Farmers and experts across Srikakulam district are celebrating this recognition as validation of their years of innovation and hard work.
Source: deccanchronicle.com
25 Crore Soil Health Cards Distributed; Kisan Credit Cards Ensuring Wider Credit Access: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, during his address at the 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave in New Delhi yesterday stated that 25 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed to farmers to promote balanced fertiliser usage, and crop loans have been made accessible through the Kisan Credit Card initiative. Further Shri Goyal said that, the Government has consistently placed the agricultural sector at the forefront of its development agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a large number of farmer families have benefitted from the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme. Additionally, 1,400 mandis have been integrated with the e-NAM platform, enabling farmers across the country to access real-time information on crop prices and enhance market linkages.
Source: pib.gov.in
Amid deficit underuse of Asean trade agreement to be assessed by commerce department.
The commerce department has drawn up a list of around 20 questions to be shared with exporters to gauge the underutilisation of India's trade pact with Asean countries amid the deal being reviewed due to New Delhi's high and sustained trade deficit. These questions pertain to difficulty to trace the origin of raw materials, challenges in interpretation and procedures, cost of compliance and if exporters are not using the preferential route due to low duty differentials compared to regular rates.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Andhra emerged as leading horticulture hub: Governor.
Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a leading horticultural hub, recording a production of 275.13 lakh metric tonnes from 15.98 lakh hectares, ranking fifth in the country in horticultural output, said Governor S Abdul Nazeer. Speaking at the 6th Convocation of Dr YSR Horticultural University held at Swarna Bharat Trust in Atkur, Krishna district, on Thursday, the Governor noted the State’s leadership in producing crops like chilli, cocoa, lime, oil palm, papaya, tomato, cashew, mango, banana, and sweet orange. He credited this success to advances in productivity and the expansion of cultivated areas.
Source: newindianexpress.com
FSSAI tightens grip on ecomm food players, mandates greater transparency and hygiene compliance.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a strong warning to ecommerce platforms over lax compliance to tighten food safety enforcement. The regulator has put marketplaces on notice, signaling a shift from advisory to accountability, PTI reported. At a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, FSSAI CEO G Kamala Vardhana Rao met with over 70 representatives from leading ecommerce platforms, instructing them to step up hygiene standards and transparency across the food supply chain or face 'severe action'.
Source: storyboard18.com
PM Modi, Brazil President Lula set bilateral trade target of USD 20 billion in next five years: MEA.
Noting ample opportunities for diversifying and expanding bilateral trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have set a target of 20 billion dollars to be achieved in the next five years, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The two leaders discussed the 'entire spectrum of the partnership', Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) P Kumaran said in Brasilia on Tuesday (local time), while addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's State visit to Brazil.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India must deepen ties with Asean nations, not abandon its trade agreement.
Indian industry, like its counterpart anywhere in the world and at any time in history, would be happy to prosper in a more protected market. This is why the voices from within industry calling on the government to abandon India’s free-trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are so loud and persistent. The government, which is currently in the process of reviewing the agreement that came into force in 2010, should ignore these self-serving pleas.
Source: business-standard.com
Brazil’s Lula Hosts Modi in Bid to Turn India Into a Major Trade Partner.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wants to deepen trade ties with India, the world’s most populous nation. The question as he hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Brasilia on Tuesday is how to go about it.
Source: bloomberg.com
FTAs with Aus, UAE, UK to provide greater mkt access to Indian agri sector: Piyush Goyal.
Free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed markets such as Australia, UAE and UK will provide greater market access for the domestic agri sector, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday. He said that despite the global slowdown, India's agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery exports stood at Rs 4 lakh crore.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com