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imposed 50% tariffs on most US imports from India, making good on a threat to punish one of the world’s largest economies over its purchases of discounted Russian oil. The tariffs, which came into effect just after midnight on Wednesday in Washington, risk inflicting significant damage on the Indian economy and further disrupting global supply chains.US tariffs of 25% on Indian goods went into force earlier this month, but Trump announced plans to double the rate, citing New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which the White House has argued are indirectly funding Russia’s war against Ukraine.

UPPCB Chairman Dr. R. P. Singh held a dialogue with representatives from all 133 sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh and pledged complete support in helping them meet environmental norms and obtain necessary consents (such as Consent to Operate or Establish)

Cumin, Isabgol and fennel seeds were among the ₹3995 crore worth of spice seeds that were exported from Mehsana in Gujarat during financial year 2024-25.Of the total exports, 25 per cent of the spices was shipped to China and an additional 16 per cent made its way to Bangladesh, figures shared by the Gujarat government stated. The same year 10 per cent of the total exports were to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), five percent to the United States and an additional four percent to Morocco.

INDIA – India has teamed up with the World Food Programmed (WFP) to combat global hunger by agreeing to supply fortified rice to crisis-affected populations worldwide. The partnership was formalized through a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed between the WFP and the Government of India, marking a new milestone in international efforts to ensure food security for vulnerable communities.

India’s rice procurement in the 2024-25 season (October-September) has reached 545.22 lakh tonnes (lt) until August 31, up from 525.22 lt a year ago. Due to higher procurement, the government is now planning a roadmap to dispose of as much surplus grain as possible. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has already allowed traders to buy a minimum of 1 tonne of rice directly from a depot at the reserve price.

After grain-based ethanol, the latest worry for India’s sugar industry is the continuous dip in the country’s sugar consumption. With the Central government implementing the Eat Right Campaign to reduce sugar and oil consumption, the industry is concerned that this will have a long-term impact on its economics. Dilip Patil, co-chairperson of the Sugar Bioenergy Forum of the Indian Federation of Green Energy, said the domestic consumption of sugar for the 2024-25 season (October to September) was projected to fall to 275 lakh tonnes.

Despite India being the world’s largest cumin exporter, robust export figures (up ~39.6% year-on-year to 212,502  tonnes in April–March 2025) haven’t translated into price strength due to subdued new demand and abundant stocks. Farmers hold around 20 lakh bags, but only 3–4 lakh are expected to be traded this season, leaving 16 lakh bags to carry forward—creating continued downward pressure.

India's rice exports have shown a varied performance across different regions during the first seven months of the year (January-July 2025), with Asia emerging as the primary growth driver, according to a region-wise analysis of export data for 2024 and 2025.Notably, Indian non-basmati rice is a popular and cost-effective food source in many countries across the region, and its consistent supply and competitive pricing make it a preferred choice for food security programmes and general consumption.

Punjab flood devastation raises questions on overall impact on agricultural sector. Flood came just before Kharif harvest season, affecting Punjab's significant paddy production. Punjab's farmers struggle to deal with losses as 4 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation across Punjab still flooded.

The latest estimate for multi-layered flexible packaging waste in India is approximately 1.87 lakh tonnes (187,933 tonnes) per year, based on data from the India Plastics Pact Annual Reports and related recycling landscape insights. This waste represents a significant share of the flexible packaging segment, where multi-polymer multilayer flexible packaging constitutes about 70% and multi-material multilayer flexible packaging about 9% of flexible packaging by weight.

The spike reflects strategic buying driven by the competitive pricing of palm oil compared to other edible oils, such as soyoil and sunflower oil, and seasonal consumption patterns, which encouraged refiners and retailers to increase their purchases in preparation for the demand surge during festivals marked by higher consumption of sweets and fried foods.

Delhi hosted its first-ever millet-based culinary contest under the PM Poshan mid-day meal initiative. Focusing on porridges and millet dishes, the event aims to make healthy eating appealing to children. Over 16.6 lakh students across nearly 2,800 schools benefit from this scheme, which now includes millets in its menu (for the 2024–25 academic year). The Akshaya Patra Foundation secured the top spot in the competition.