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• India's Oct-Nov sugar output down 11 pc to 4.32 mn tonne: NFCSFL

  India's sugar production has decreased by 10.65% to 4.32 million tonnes in the first two months of the 2023-24 season compared to 4.83 million tonnes in the same period last year, according to the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSFL).

• India's Oct-Nov sugar output drops as mills start late: Trade body

  Indian sugar mills have produced 4.32 million metric tons of sugar, down 10.7% YoY, due to delayed operations in Maharashtra and Karnataka due to price disputes with farmers. This could lead to reduced export quotas and support for global prices trading near multi-year highs.

• Bhagwant Mann hikes sugarcane price by Rs 11 per quintal to Rs 391; farmers term it as 'betrayal'

  Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a Rs 11 per quintal increase in sugarcane prices, making it the highest in the country. The announcement came after farmers held protests demanding an increase from Rs 380 to Rs 450 per quintal. The strike ended after a meeting between farmer leaders and the chief minister.

• EL Nino may adversely impact rabi crops: S&P Global

  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOOA) climate prediction center has said that there are chances of “Super El Nino” which may cause winter to be drier affecting the wheat crop, said Elvis Kurian John, associate pricing editor, agriculture, S&P Global Commodity Insights.

• Rice on cusp of fresh 15-year high in Asia after sharp rebound

  Rice prices are approaching a 15-year high, with Thai white rice 5% broken, an Asian benchmark, rising $57 in the past two weeks to $640 per ton. Factors contributing to the surge include increased demand from unexpected buyers like Brazil and the Philippines, higher domestic prices, and a stronger baht.

• Why are onion prices on the rise again?

  Onion prices started to climb in Maharashtra’s Pimpalgaon and Lasalgaon wholesale markets, Asia’s largest, in the second week of August. However, they shot through the roof in October, just after the end of Navratri, crossing Rs 85 per kg in some markets.

• We are trying to gradually raise the productivity of Indian cotton farmers: Textile secretary

  The ministry also plans to launch India’s premium cotton, “Kasturi cotton”, at the inter-governmental event featuring participants from 28 member countries and seven invitee countries.

• Erratic rains put potato and rice on hot plate

  Even though the government has banned exports of non-basmati rice, prices have shot up by 15% amid increased demand from south India where patchy rains in Karnataka have reduced kharif rice production. On the other hand, unpredictable rainfall in October has impacted sowing of the new potato crop, which will delay the arrival of the new crop, pushing up prices of the old stock of potatoes.

• BRS asks EC to reconsider farmers' scheme freeze

  "The Congress conspiracy against Rythu Bandhu has been revealed once again. Even after the Election Commission gave permission to distribute crop assistance to farmers, the Congress conspired. The decision was taken on the basis of a complaint given to the Election Commission...," T Harish Rao wrote on social media platform X.

• Govt to increase procurement of tur dal to tame prices

  The government plans to significantly increase tur dal procurement from a few metric tonnes to 8-10 lakh metric tonnes to control prices amid reduced acreage and expected low production. Tur dal retail prices rose over 40%, from Rs 112 to Rs 158 per kg. Despite efforts to boost imports by removing import duty on tur, retail inflation in pulses surged to 18.79% YoY in October.

• India, 20 others to talk agriculture subsidies at WTO tomorrow

  Around 80 WTO members opposed this proposal by the Cairns Group, which has 19 members including Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Canada. Last month, the European Union had shown willingness to negotiate the public stockholding issue with India. The move was seen as a significant breakthrough on the issue which has been deadlocked for the past 10 years.

• Full potential of dairy sector yet to be tapped: Union minister Parshottam Rupala

  Union minister Parshottam Rupala on Sunday stressed the need to tap the entire potential of the dairy industry in the country, maintaining that only about 25 per cent of the total milk produced is sold through the organised sector. He urged the youth to engage in the dairy sector by employing the latest technologies to ensure a substantial earning.

• Increase in milk, egg, meat production in 2022-23: Report

  The survey is conducted across the country in three seasons, summer (March-June), monsoon (July-October) and winter (November-February). The country's total milk production is estimated at 230.58 million tonnes in 2022-23, registering a growth of 22.81 per cent compared to the figures of 2018-19 when the output was 187.75 million tonnes.

• Milk output up 4 pc to 230.58 million tonnes in 2022-23: Govt

  In terms of annual growth rate, Karnataka clocked the highest rate at 8.76 per cent followed by West Bengal (8.65 per cent) and Uttar Pradesh (6.99 per cent) over the previous year. Egg production has been estimated at 138.38 billion in 2022-23, up 33.31 per cent from 103.80 billion numbers in 2018-19. Egg output increased annually by 6.77 per cent in 2022-23 over 2021-22.

• Tur and onion growers may be paid via DBT for procurement

  Until now, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd - the two procurement agencies for pulses and onions - were making the payments to farmer federations or cooperatives, which in turn were paying the farmers. This process has been time consuming and so the government is planning to replace it with direct benefit transfer (DBT).

• FM dials ITC, asks to buy millets from Karnataka’s drought-hit farmers

  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri to deploy a team to Karnataka for sourcing Sri Anna millets from drought-affected farmers. Following discussions with state ministers, Sitharaman requests additional support measures and highlights the Centre's initiatives to aid farmers, as posted on social media platform X

• ITC launches ITCMAARS app and 'phygital' ecosystem in West Bengal

  “ITC is deploying ‘ITC MAARS', which seeks to offer a wide range of agricultural solutions to farmers, while creating new revenue streams and providing better markets for advanced agriculture and rural services. The aspiration is to connect with 5 Lakh farmers in West Bengal,” Puri said

• Govt may revoke Tur dal MoU with Mozambique

  The Indian government is considering revoking the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mozambique for importing 200,000 tonnes of tur dal due to irregularities and corruption issues within Mozambique. The supply of tur from Mozambique has been inconsistent, prompting the Indian Pulses and Grains Association to seek assistance from the Prime Minister’s Office.

• Farmers of India's dry soil wary of planting wheat despite record high prices

  Indian farmers are unlikely to boost wheat planting despite prices hitting record highs as they opt for less-water intensive crops. While wheat planting area will reduce eventually, the world's second-biggest wheat producer may then also maintain its export ban or even force it to resort to imports, according to industry officials and scientists.

• Parsottam Rupala asks for international cooperation and collaboration for sustainable growth of fisheries

  Rupala said that the GPS system should be made user-friendly to the fishermen, utilising the global expertise and technologies. Cost-effective and reliable technologies are essential for marine navigation to be truly beneficial to fishermen venturing into the sea, the Minister said.

• Patchy Maharashtra rains may hit your kitchen budget

  According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while overall rain in Maharashtra during the monsoon was normal, it was deficient in many regions such Marathwada, Madhya Maharashtra and North Maharashtra. Rain in the rabi season from October 1 to November 15 has also been in the "large deficit" category.

• Indian farmers rack up carbon credits with climate-conscious ways

  A new method of cultivation, called direct seeded rice (DSR), reduces the overall cost of cultivation by using 12-35% less irrigation water and reducing labor, sowing time, and use of chemical herbicides and fertilisers. The cultivation of rice, a staple food for more than 3 billion people worldwide, is responsible for 12% of global methane emissions and 1.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

• Sugar prices to stay firm due to likely output fall

  Prices have not eased even though the festive season has come to an end and the new sugarcane crushing season has begun across the country. "This year, we have not seen any substantial decline in sugar prices after the beginning of the crushing season," said sugar trader Abhijit Ghorpade. The ex-mill price of sugar, which was in the range of ₹36.50 a kg to ₹37.50 a kg for the smallest sized S-30 grade of sugar around the first week of October due to festival season demand, is still ruling in the same range.

• India's farmers wrestle with shift to eco-friendly agriculture

  Agriculture is India's biggest employer, supporting the livelihoods of 250 million farmers and informal labourers - but their work is getting harder as climate change makes living off farming difficult, pushing up debt, migration and suicides. Worries over falling yields have driven up the use of chemical fertilisers that are stripping the soil of nutrients and fuelling agricultural emissions on a warming planet.

• India seen keeping rice export bans into 2024, holding up global prices

  India, a leading rice exporter, is set to prolong restrictions on overseas sales, maintaining the staple grain at its highest price levels since 2008. Despite being a top global shipper, Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to curb domestic price surges, impacting nations like Benin and Senegal while facing impending reelection. Analysts predict these measures to persist post-elections if domestic rice prices continue rising.

• Two-day Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 beings at Ahmedabad from November 21

  The union government intends to captialise on this global event as a strategic platform to harness international collaboration aiming to boost export, enhance the socio-economic well-being of fishers and aquafarmers, and promote start-up and entrepreneurial initiatives across the value chain in the sector.

• Govt sells 2.84 lakh tonnes of wheat, 5,830 tonnes of rice from buffer stock to check retail prices

  The Centre has said that 2.84 lakh tonnes of wheat and 5,830 tonnes of rice were sold from its buffer stock to over two thousand bidders through an e-auction. The move was aimed at controlling retail prices by offloading food grains in the open market. Weekly e-auctions of wheat and rice are done by the government to control retail prices.

• India rice rates gain on higher demand; growing supplies cap upside

  Rice prices in Asia have increased, with export rates for the parboiled variety in India rising due to improved demand. The new season crop's increased supplies have further boosted prices. India's 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted at $493-$503 per ton, despite paying a 20% export duty.

• Inland fish production jumps over 2-fold in 9yrs to 131 lakh tonnes: Rupala

  Addressing a press conference here, Rupala announced that a 'Global Fisheries Conference India 2023' is being organised in Ahmedabad from November 21-22 to discuss immense potential as well as challenges in the sector.

• Indian branded spice market set to reach Rs 50,000 crore in three years: Ramkumar Menon, Chairman, WSO

  World Spice Organisation Chairman, Ramkumar Menon, sees India's branded spice market surging to Rs 50,000 crores in three years. With a 20% share in the global spice export market, valued at USD 21 billion, India's spice exports grew by 6% in FY24. Chilli dominates global demand.

• Procurement of millets to be raised 3-fold in current FY

  The purchase at the minimum support price will give a boost to the cultivation of coarse grains which are eco-friendly, climate resistant and powerhouse of nutrients, the official said, adding that the strategy will play a significant role in crop diversification and enhancing nutrition in dietary patterns.

• Onion prices: All-India average rate at Rs 59.09 per kg in retail market

  Onion prices in the national capital started inching up from October 25, when the rates were at Rs 40 per kg. Rates doubled to Rs 80 per kg on October 29. Onion is grown in three seasons -- kharif, late kharif and rabi. It is only rabi onion which is stored, as the variety grown in this season has a longer shelf life.

• Central govt selling Bharat Dal at Rs 60 per kg. Where to buy

  To make pulses and wheat flour more affordable, the central government initiated the sale of chana dal and wheat flour under the brands 'Bharat Dal' and 'Bharat Atta'. Chana dal is retailed at a subsidized rate of Rs.60/kg and Bharat Atta at Rs. 27.50/kg, available through outlets like NAFED, NCCF, Kendriya Bhandar, and mobile vans across India. Buffer stocks of major pulses are released under Bharat Dal to regulate market prices

• View: India's choking Diwali smoke billows from a failed farm policy

  A year of protests caused the government in 2021 to reverse a farm law that would have cut the subsidy bill by deregulating crop prices. India’s urbanites are going to keep choking through Diwali for many years to come.

• Odisha investing over Rs 2,500 cr for providing income, livelihood support to millet farmers

  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an investment of over Rs 2,500 crore to support millet farmers in the state. The state launched the Odisha Millets Mission in 2017 to revive the cereal ecosystem. The promotion of millets is seen as a way to provide justice and equity to rain-fed farmers.

• Coop minister Amit Shah launches 'Bharat Organics' brand of new cooperative body NCOL

  Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Bharat Organics' brand of the newly created National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL) and announced that it will become a trusted brand in India and abroad. The NCOL will initially sell six organic products in India, with plans to expand internationally.

• Stockholding limit hiked for big wholesalers of Tur and Urad Dal

  The Indian government has increased the stock limit for wholesalers of tur and urad dal from 50 metric tonnes to 200 metric tonnes to boost the supply of these pulses in the market. Additionally, the time period for which importers can hold their stocks after clearance has been doubled to 60 days.

• Greece govt in talks with BL Agro for adoption of agriculture technology

  The Government of Greece is in talks with FMCG company BL Agro to explore strategic partnerships in the adoption of agriculture technology, exchange of skilled manpower, promotion of agri trade, animal science, and steps to mitigating climate change, a media release issued by the company on Tuesday said.

• What is Bharat Atta? Where it is sold and how much it costs

  Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, today launched 100 mobile vans for the distribution of 'Bharat Atta.' Consumers can also purchase Bharat Atta at physical retail outlets, mobile vans operated by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF), Kendriya Bhandars, and other cooperative outlets, all priced at Rs 27.5 per kilogram. The initiative, which makes 2.5 lakh tonnes of wheat available for Bharat Atta, aims to further combat inflation and make essential food items accessible to the public.

• World's top sugar trader is having deja vu of an epic shortage thanks to non-contributory India

  India isn’t expected to ship any sugar for the season that just started, a shift from two seasons ago when exports were as much as 11 million tons. That means markets are depending on Brazil, Mauro Angelo, chief executive officer at Alvean, a trading house controlled by Brazilian producer Copersucar SA said, making prices extremely sensitive to issues like untimely rains that threaten to disrupt harvests or delay ship loadings.

• Many large buyers from Turkey land in India to buy basmati rice; prices surge

  “The old contracts that were kept in abeyance because of sub-$1200 price per tonne are being shipped now. New orders are pouring in with large buyers from Turkey visiting India to pick up good volumes of basmati rice,” said Vijay Setia, a basmati exporter and past president of All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA).

• Onion prices in India may stay high for at least a month

  Onion prices are likely to stay high for around a month due to limited supplies, while exports remain strong after the removal of a 40% export duty, making overseas shipments more profitable amid global demand. The government introduced a minimum export price (MEP) to discourage exports, imposing $800 per tonne until December 31.

• Expected fall in rice output could clear way for prolonged export curbs by India

  Production in India, the world's largest rice exporter, is under unusually intense focus after New Delhi banned exports of non-basmati white rice in July, sending global prices surging.

• 'Rainfall deficiency in October likely to affect sowing, production of rabi crops'

  "Late sowing could affect sentiment and exacerbate stickiness in pulses and cereal inflation," said Aditi Nayar, chief economist ICRA, adding that with reservoir levels low by historical standards, timely rainfall holds the key to a broad-based momentum in rabi sowing.

• ISMA pegs 9 pc fall in gross sugar output for 2023-24; says sufficient to meet local demand

  In August, ISMA had estimated gross sugar production at 369 lakh tonnes, while the net sugar output was projected at 328 lakh tonnes after a diversion of 41 lakh tonnes for ethanol. "With India's domestic consumption average of 278.5 lac tons, the production estimates assure sufficient sugar for domestic consumption," ISMA said.

• India braces for 8% sugar output dip as cane crop suffers- trade body

  India's sugar production is anticipated to decline by 8% to reach 33.7 million metric tons in the marketing year 2023/24, commencing on October 1. This projection, put forth by a prominent trade association, is attributed to the decreased rainfall in crucial sugar-producing states, which is expected to impact crop yields.

• Strategic collaboration: Arya.ag and Fortune Rice advance crop monitoring for agriculture

  As part of this collaboration, Fortune Rice Limited will provide details of 2000 acres of farmland under monitoring. Arya.ag will provide comprehensive insights into crop health and growth patterns, empowering farmers, and agribusinesses with data-driven decision-making tools.

• Significant drop in number of farm fires in Punjab, Haryana this year: CAQM

  Since September 15, there have been about 56 per cent fewer stubble-burning events in Punjab and 40 per cent fewer instances in Haryana than there were during the same period previous year. The total number of farm fires in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and the NCR regions of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh between September 15 and October 29 decreased to 6,391 in 2023 from 13,964 in 2022, according to the Center's Commission for Air Quality Management.

• Punjab farmers strike gold selling stubble bales

  In Punjab, many farmers have found a profitable solution to the issue of stubble, a farming byproduct often burned and blamed for pollution. These farmers are now selling their stubble to biomass plants and boilers.

• Onion prices soar in Delhi; traders blame it on supply shortage

  The price of onions surged significantly on Saturday, nearly doubling from the previous rate, thereby placing additional strain on household budgets. The sudden and substantial increase in onion prices is being attributed by onion traders to a shortage in the supply of this essential kitchen staple.