News

India’s oil palm expansion has entered a decisive stage, but the sector argues that more acreage alone will not work without better yields, cluster development and stronger farmer confidence.

India’s farm sector is promoting high nutrient-use-efficiency fertilizers as a response to global NPK shortages, rising input prices and mounting food-security risks.

A direct-seeded rice initiative led by IIRR and SBI Foundation in Telangana delivered yield gains of 8-13% while cutting water use by 25-35%. The project expanded quickly and strengthened the case for a less resource-intensive rice production model.

About half of Australian farms are held in family trusts, making the government’s tax overhaul a major issue for agriculture. Primary producer income has been carved out of the new minimum trust tax, but farm sales and succession planning still face heavier pressure.

The UK government has effectively confirmed that annual renewals for badger culling in England will stop. The move shifts the balance of bovine TB control toward wildlife vaccination, testing and herd surveillance.

Indian tax authorities have uncovered hundreds of cases where agricultural-income exemptions were claimed without any land being declared. The probe covered claims ranging from 5 million rupees to 4 billion rupees and points to large-scale misuse of the farm-income tax regime.

A new study says greenhouse gas emissions from rice paddies have nearly doubled since the 1960s. The findings underscore how critical it is to cut emissions without undermining yields from one of the world’s main staple crops.

Kansas wheat growers are heading into harvest under severe drought, disease pressure and higher input costs, with U.S. production projected at its lowest since 1972.

Strawberry production in Gujarat’s Dang district has risen by roughly 65 percent in three years, giving farmers a higher-value horticulture model and wider market access.

FAI Director General S.K. Chaudhari says India needs close to 450 million tonnes of food grains by 2047 and must accelerate digital agriculture and smart fertilizer management.

Indonesia’s quarantine agency has deployed special task forces on major livestock routes ahead of Eid al-Adha 2026 as cattle, goat and sheep movements surge.

The Confederation of Indian Industry says India should treat fuel, fertilizer and food as one economic chain as West Asia tensions raise import, inflation and farm-market risks.

A European Commission proposal to remove leather products from the scope of EU deforestation rules is reducing compliance pressure for some exporters, but it is also provoking strong criticism from environmental groups. The dispute matters to agriculture because it sits at the intersection of livestock traceability, trade access and responsibility for land-use impacts.

Rainfall in parts of South Australia’s Mallee and Riverland is improving the mood after years of drought. Farmers are seeing better prospects for wheat, barley and lentils, but they are still dealing with poor feed quality, sand drift and locust pressure.

India and the International Fund for Agricultural Development have advanced an eight-year cooperation roadmap focused on climate resilience, rural finance, value chains and local enterprise. The framework is designed to link policy, investment and farmer institutions more tightly across rural regions.

India’s oilseed sector is getting a lift from higher global edible oil prices and tighter import availability. Industry estimates point to stronger mustard prices, record rapeseed-mustard crushing and better incentives for farmers to expand oilseed acreage in the next season.

Nova Scotia is seeing growing interest in agrivoltaics, a model that combines solar panels with grazing and crop production. Early research suggests the approach could help farms adapt to climate stress while also generating cleaner and potentially cheaper energy.

The United Kingdom has issued its first regulatory approval for a CRISPR-edited crop under its new precision-breeding rules. The decision covers a Rothamsted Research barley line with higher lipid content that could improve forage value and help cut methane emissions from ruminants.

The United States has started applying countervailing duties to fresh mushrooms from Canada after a preliminary subsidy investigation. Canada’s mushroom industry rejects the allegations and says it will challenge the decision through available CUSMA trade mechanisms.

Farmers in Central Java are testing a rice-growing package that Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory says can cut methane emissions by up to 50% while also raising yields. The pilot has already covered nearly 100 hectares and delivered a clear profit gain for participating growers.

Researchers at India’s Central Rice Research Institute say they have demonstrated the first successful use of an AI-designed genome-editing tool in plants. The work could broaden the toolbox available for breeding crops with higher yield, better resilience and lower technology barriers.

Indian cardamom exports are rising sharply after a severe crop failure in Guatemala shifted global demand toward Indian suppliers, even as shipping risks through West Asia remain elevated. Traders expect firm prices to continue, but growers are also facing higher input costs.

Australia’s chemical regulator has approved an emergency permit for stronger zinc phosphide mouse bait in grain paddocks. The move follows severe mouse pressure in Western Australia and South Australia, where growers report seed losses, crop damage and mounting costs in rural communities.

Madhya Pradesh has expanded its AgriStack-linked e-Vikas system statewide to manage fertilizer distribution through e-tokens, QR checks and real-time stock visibility. Officials say queues have fallen sharply, but experts warn that digital control cannot substitute for stable supply and subsidy reform.

West Bengal’s jute sector is urging the new state government to intervene as raw material shortages, trade restrictions and surging prices disrupt mill operations. Industry groups warn that more closures and labour distress could follow without rapid relief.

An ICAR-linked study found that El Nino years consistently cut yields of major kharif crops across many Indian districts. Researchers are urging policymakers to strengthen contingency plans through drought-tolerant varieties, agro-advisories and better water management.

Onion growers in Maharashtra are selling below production cost as heavy arrivals, weaker export demand, rain damage and rising input bills squeeze farm margins. Producer groups are asking for price support and compensation for distress sales.

Rice industry leaders in India's largest rice-producing state are asking the new government to speed up approvals, improve logistics and back exports of premium varieties.

A shortage of bagged bovine colostrum during calving season is forcing Alberta producers to share supplies and raising concern about calf losses and beef prices.

Dublin says the EU-Mexico agreement should expand agri-food exports and is not a Mercosur-style threat to Ireland's beef sector.

Drought, heat and erratic rainfall are increasing pressure on Maine's wild blueberry growers and forcing costly spending on irrigation and mulch.

March flooding on Oahu's North Shore caused multi-million-dollar farm losses, wiped out crops and reduced vegetable volumes reaching Hawaii's local markets.

Potato loading in West Bengal cold storages rose to 74 lakh tonnes after the state harvested more than 140 lakh tonnes, while authorities try to restore trade flows after last year's price crash.

Quebec will use $87 million from its climate change fund to reimburse fuel tax costs for more than 15,000 farmers in 2026 and 2027.

Indonesia and Belarus agreed business commitments worth Rp7 trillion in Minsk, including memorandums involving fertilizer, dairy and broader food-security cooperation.

India's FACT has launched di-ammonium phosphate production at its Udyogamandal complex after modifying its existing NP plant, which has a capacity of 148,500 tonnes a year.

Unseasonal heavy rain in Nepal's Kavrepalanchowk district damaged potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers and other crops, with local authorities moving to compile losses for relief and compensation.

Authorities in Kano state are calling for urgent containment measures as Tuta absoluta spreads across major tomato zones and threatens both harvests and market supply.

Nigeria is pushing a shift toward sedentary livestock production, arguing that long-distance migration for pasture and water is becoming less viable under land pressure and climate stress.

Uganda has launched its first canned pineapple export to China, aiming to strengthen agro-processing, raise farm incomes and move further away from raw commodity exports.

The UK has updated its African and classical swine fever control strategy with more flexible restriction zones, stronger surveillance and movement rules designed to protect welfare and trade.

London says its new food and drink arrangement with the EU will remove most checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and reduce costs for agri-food businesses.

South Africa exported 2.9 million tonnes of citrus in 2025 and overtook Spain by volume, but the new season is unfolding under tariff pressure, phytosanitary disputes, costly logistics and flood damage.

A severe mouse plague in Western Australia is hitting grain-growing districts north-east of Perth, raising crop protection costs and intensifying pressure on rural communities.

Global rice production in the 2026-27 season is expected to decline for the first time in 11 years, tightening supplies of one of the world’s core food staples.

India’s Union Cabinet has approved higher minimum support prices for 14 kharif crops for the 2026-27 marketing season, with the government estimating payouts of ₹2.60 lakh crore to farmers.

India has prohibited exports of raw, white and refined sugar until September 30, 2026, as it tries to stabilize domestic prices and manage tightening supplies.

Australia’s federal budget has triggered criticism from farm and environment groups after nearly A$200 million in agriculture portfolio funding was cut, including money tied to pest, weed and disease preparedness.

India’s weather service has launched AI-based forecasting tools for rain-fed agriculture, including a pilot in Uttar Pradesh that can generate rainfall forecasts at 1-kilometre resolution up to 10 days ahead.

USDA lifted its forecast for India’s wheat exports to 2 million tonnes as global output tightens, major exporters face weather damage and India reopens wheat exports after the 2023 ban.