ARTICALS 1

Vietnam's cashew industry has recorded a surprising shift in trade balance, with over $2 billion spent on cashew imports in just the first five months of 2025, signaling a return to a trade deficit in a sector traditionally known for its export strength

Indian consumers can expect a welcome relief in edible oil prices in the coming weeks, following the customs duty reduction announced by the Government on May 30, aimed at curbing domestic inflation and supporting household budgets

India has officially surpassed China to become the world’s largest rice producer, clocking a record 149 million tonnes in the 2024–25 crop year — a remarkable 25% increase over 2019–20.

India’s rice export sector is showing renewed strength, supported by robust government reserves, favorable currency movements, and recovering global demand. While India gains momentum, top competitors Vietnam and Thailand continue to face subdued market conditions due to slow buying and ample domestic supply, according to a recent market report.

Crisil says for India’s diamond polishing industry, Israel functions primarily as a trading hub, contributing around 4% of total diamond exports last fiscal. About 2% of India’s rough diamond imports also came from Israel.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, which comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and is responsible for monitoring prices of essential commodities, plans to promote cultivation of two pulses — arhar (tur) and urad — through seed distribution campaigns across a dozen districts in seven states, a top official said Thursday.

An industry insider stated that lowering the import tariff on maize is essentially a non-issue, as there have been imports from Ukraine and Myanmar last year, at zero duty. For India, imports will stabilise Maize supplies in India, which has seen a high demand on account of fuel blending initiatives and other sectoral demands.Dr. C.K. Jain, President, Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA), presents a contrary view. He said, “India must not allow GM corn imports, as it would be a direct blow to the livelihoods of millions of our marginal farmers and a major setback to our Atmanirbhar Bharat goals.

According to sources, the US boasts of huge surpluses of all three commodities and is pushing to ease entry barriers as part of the deal. If the US has its way, it could have repercussions for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. But, the most immediate impact could be in Bihar, which goes to polls later this year.

Dr H.S. Jat, Director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, outlined ambitious productivity goals, stating that maize production must grow at 8-9 per cent annually to achieve 65-70 million tonnes by 2030, supporting India’s ethanol blending target of E30. He highlighted that whilst ethanol currently consumes 18-20 per cent of maize production, the sector requires improved starch content in hybrids to enhance ethanol recovery from the current 38 per cent to 42 per cent. The institute is developing high-yielding varieties capable of 10-11 tonnes per hectare in rabi-spring seasons and 7-8 tonnes in kharif, with enhanced fermentable content of 64-65 per cent. He emphasized that the site specification mechanization is required to achieve the desired goals from seed to seed.

The Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) invited a tender for around 49 crore litres of ethanol for Q4 (August – October 2025) of Ethanol Supply Year 2024-25. Now, the allocation has been completed, matching the quantity initially tendered.

India’s Kharif crop sowing has gained significant momentum, with the total area covered crossing 597.86 lakh hectares as of July 11, 2025, according to the Agriculture Ministry’s latest data. This marks an increase of 37.27 lakh hectares compared to the same period last year, when was recorded at 560.59 lakh hectares. Rice, India’s staple crop, has recorded a major jump in sowing, with 123.68 lakh hectares already covered, nearly 12 lakh hectares more than the previous year. Pulses have also seen a strong rise, particularly Moong, which increased by nearly 11 lakh hectares. The total pulses acreage now stands at 67.09 lakh hectares, up from 53.39 lakh hectares in 2024. However, the area under Arhar has slightly declined.

New Delhi [India], July 15 (ANI): Indian edible oil refiners are set to see their revenues decline 2-3 per cent on-year to Rs 2.6 lakh crore this fiscal due to lower realisations, even as volumes grow 2.8-3.0 per cent on-year, according to the credit rating agency Crisil Ratings.