India climbs the Great Wall to emerge as world’s top rice producer.
This is another new normal from India. It has emerged as the world’s largest producer of rice, with its output in the 2024-25 season to June estimated at over 149 million tonnes (mt). India has been able to achieve this, thanks to the efforts of agricultural scientists and some States’ continued incentives for the paddy crop.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Pulses import value drops 23.5% to $314 million during April on fall in purchase of yellow peas, lentils.
After a record imports last fiscal, India’s overseas purchase of pulses are likely to slow down in the current year. In April 2025, the import value of pulses declined by 23.5 per cent on sharp fall in imports of yellow peas and lentils over the corresponding period last year. As per the Commerce Ministry’s quick estimates, the pulses imports in value terms declined to $314.4 million during April, over same period last year’s $411 million.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Uttarakhand CM Dhami launches e-Rupi system, agricultural policies.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the 'e-Rupi' system, a digital payment initiative for farmers, alongside four agricultural policies aimed at boosting the state's agricultural sector. The e-Rupi system will provide farmers with direct subsidy payments via e-vouchers for purchasing essential supplies.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
India is now world’s fourth largest marine products exporter.
India is now the fourth largest exporter of marine products, commerce and industry ministry said, with 130 countries importing Indian marine products in FY25, as against 105 in 2014-15. In 2024-25, India exported 16.85 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of marine products from 10.51 LMT in 2014-15. Backed by advancements in aquaculture practices, better cold chain infrastructure, and adherence to international quality norms, the country’s marine exports grew to $7.2 billion in 2024-25 from $5.4 billion in FY15.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
US Agriculture Secretary Rollins to Visit India for Trade Talks.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is scheduled to visit India in the coming months as part of a global trade mission aimed at expanding American agricultural exports. This visit holds particular importance, as the United States currently has a USD 1.3 billion agricultural trade deficit with India, despite being India’s sixth-largest supplier of agricultural products.
Source: krishijagran.com
India presents a big opportunity for US sorghum exports.
As trade tensions with China resurface, U.S. sorghum producers are bracing for impact and also looking ahead to new opportunities. Amy France, chair of the board of directors with National Sorghum Producers, says the sorghum sector is once again facing trade pressures — challenges that feel familiar but come with a new level of financial stress for producers.
Source: realagriculture.com
Fruit plantation area in Maharashtra goes up; exports and govt schemes boost growth.
The area under fruit plantations in Maharashtra increased by 68,541 hectares, from 13.32 lakh hectares in the 2023-24 financial year to 14 lakh hectares in 2024-25, agriculture department officials said. Mango, pomegranate, guava, lemon, custard apple, coconut and fig were among the fruits that significantly pushed the area under cultivation up, a senior official from the horticulture department said.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Come with documents, get licences in a day: FSSAI to startups.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which works under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has assured food startups, including millet startups, that they could get licences in a day. 'The FSSAI is regulating and facilitating trade and offering advise to them, rather than enforce rules based on premises or other conditions,' Balu Naik, Deputy Director of FSSAI, has said.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
S Jaishankar rebuts Trump’s ‘zero tariff’ claim, says discussions still on.
India's trade negotiations with the US are complicated and nothing is decided till everything is, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. He was speaking ahead of commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Washington-starting May 17-for discussions on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
Andhra Pradesh: Promote horticulture to ensure double income to farmers: CM.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to promote horticulture cultivation extensively across all regions of the State, excluding the Godavari and Krishna deltas. He emphasised that the goal should be to ensure a minimum annual income of 1 lakh per acre for farmers. During a review meeting on horticulture held at the Secretariat on Monday, the Chief Minister stated that 24 horticulture clusters should be developed across the state based on 11 priority crops — chili, banana, mango, oil palm, cocoa, dragon fruit, cashew, coffee, coconut, tomato, and onion — to provide necessary support to farmers.
Source: thehansindia.com