ARTICALS 4

dditionally, achieving specialty grade certification and entering global premium markets requires investment in training, infrastructure, and post-harvest processes — resources not all farmers can easily access.

‘’We should explore the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical scope of our spices in a major way. This is another way of value adding by finding newer ways of useful consumption for our spices. Several spices are already being used by Ayurveda and other schools of medicine,’

Japan is contemplating a significant increase in its imports of U.S. corn and soybeans as part of ongoing negotiations to alleviate tariffs imposed by the United StatesThis move aims to offset the decline in American agricultural exports to China and to secure exemptions from U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods

Global rice prices, which have plunged to multi-year lows, appear to have found a floor—but any hopes of a rebound are likely to be crushed under the weight of India's massive stockpiles and a surplus in major exporting nations, according to industry experts.

Cocoa futures fell on Wednesday as a stronger U.S. dollar prompted traders to unwind bullish positions, adding pressure to an already volatile market that has seen wild price swings in recent months.

Domestic pepper prices in Vietnam experienced slight fluctuations, adjusting by VND 500–1,000 per kilogram. Pepper traded in the range of VND 151,000 – 152,000/kg, maintaining stability overall. Meanwhile, global pepper prices saw minimal changes, with notable increases only in Indonesia.

The Asia-Pacific cashew market is poised for steady growth between 2025 and 2030, driven by increasing health consciousness, rising demand for plant-based diets, and the region's dominant role in global cashew production.

East and West Midnapore and Jhargram are the key cashew-producing districts in the state. “Till March 31, 2024, there are 1,233 cashew processing units in the state employing 24,590 people directly,” the minister informed the Assembly in response to a question by ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui. Siddiqui, a member of the Assembly’s standing committee on agriculture, had recently visited the three districts and interacted with cashew processors.

The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a flagship sustainability initiative in American agriculture, has achieved its sixth consecutive year of growth, reinforcing its critical role in promoting responsible cotton production. For the 2025 crop year, the program recorded a notable 18% rise in enrolled acreage, reaching 2.58 million acres under sustainable cotton practices

As India and the United States move closer to finalizing a bilateral trade agreement, certain domestic agri-industries in India are raising red flags. With the July 9 deadline for re-imposing the US’s reciprocal tariffs—originally initiated under President Donald Trump—fast approaching, the pressure to strike a deal is mounting.

India, the largest consumer of Iranian dry fruits, has particularly felt the effects of halted imports, including popular items like pistachios, almonds, and dates.Traders have reported a sharp rise in wholesale prices of dry fruits, with some items witnessing a price hike of up to Rs 100 per kilogram.Iran supplies nearly 70 per cent of India’s pistachio consumption, and the sudden suspension of trade has left many traders anxious. According to Ravindra Mehta, Director of the

When fertilisers are applied in a balanced manner, plants have their fill, grow strong and produce healthy yields, when applied in excess fertilisers do not increase the yield, waste critical money, pollute water, degrade soil and release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat.