India seeing the rise of exotic mushrooms in agriculture.
India's agricultural sector is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by sustainability, high-value crops, and changing consumer preferences. While traditional farming remains the backbone of the economy, exotic mushrooms—once considered niche imports—are emerging as a profitable, eco-friendly, and health-driven industry.
Source: verticalfarmdaily.com
Andhra CM urged to lift ban on entry of Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu to remove the ban on the entry of ‘Totapuri’ Mangoes from Karnataka into Chittoor district. ‘Totapuri’ mango is a popular variety used in processing and pulp extraction units, and is widely grown in the border district of Kolar.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Quality control can be eased for trusted partners: Piyush Goyal.
India is open to ease the quality control order (QCQ) framework for 'trusted partners', producing good quality products, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has said. The minister, on a four-day visit to Switzerland and Sweden, said discussions on 90% of content were complete on India-EU FTA, with services and rules of origin negotiations slated to start from Monday. However, he said, key issue to be addressed is non-tariff barriers to make it easy to do business.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India tells WTO it won’t lift wheat export ban.
Despite a bumper wheat harvest, India has formally notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it will not lift restrictions on wheat exports, citing food security concerns for its own population as well as vulnerable and neighbouring countries. In a submission to the WTO’s Committee on Agriculture on Tuesday. circulated on Wednesday, India said its temporary ban on wheat exports, first imposed in May 2022, remains in place due to ongoing volatility in global wheat prices and the need to ensure domestic availability.
Source: livemint.com
Swiss part of EFTA deal to be implemented by October: Piyush Goyal.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal indicated on Wednesday that the Swiss part of the EFTA will possibly be implemented from October 2025, with the other three countries -- Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway-- already having ratified the trade deal. 'Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland have reified this agreement. Switzerland's process will last another two and a half months (or so). It is expected that we will be able to implement this in October,' the minister told ANI, during his two-day visit to Switzerland.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India's granaries overflow as rice stocks hit record, wheat surges.
India's rice stocks in government warehouses rose 18% from a year ago to a record high for the start of June, while wheat stocks have hit their highest level in four years on higher procurement from farmers, official data showed on Wednesday. Record rice stocks will help the world's biggest exporter increase shipments, while an improvement in wheat inventories will help the federal government tame any price spikes later this year by increasing open market sales.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Challenging times for global trade; India will certainly cross $825 billion exports this fiscal: Piyush Goyal.
'The world trade is facing severe geo-political challenges, but India has consistently emerged as a winner in such times, and the country’s exports of goods and services will certainly cross $825 billion in 2025-26,' Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said.
Source: thehindu.com
Bihar farmers begin food & energy production via agrivoltaics in Gaya.
The Tata Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) and Preservation and Proliferation of Rural Resources and Nature (PRAN) have set up an agrivoltaics site in Bihar’s Gaya district. Agrivoltaics combines agriculture and solar power generation in an effort to prevent food production and energy production from competing for land. On a typical agrivoltaics site, shade-tolerant crops grow beneath solar panels, allowing farmers to produce food while generating electricity.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
15-Day ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ Successfully Reaches Its Final Phase.
As part of the ongoing Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited Tigipur village on the outskirts of Delhi today. He was accompanied by Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), along with other senior officials and agricultural scientists.
Source: pib.gov.in
India-EU Free Trade Agreement feasible by end of 2025: S Jaishankar.
India places a high priority to its relations with the European Union, the centrepiece of which is the Free Trade Agreement negotiations that are making very good progress, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Wednesday. During a conversation with The Financial Times Brussels Bureau Chief Henry Foy at the German Marshall Fund (GMF) Forum, the external affairs minister expressed confidence that the year-end timeline set for the completion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) seems 'feasible' following his in-depth talks with EU officials this week.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com