ARTICLE 2 #India Agri News

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.

Confirms India produced 180.15 lakh tonnes of millets in 2024‑25, which is 4.43 lakh tonnes more than 2023‑24. Notes Rajasthan is the top producing state.India produced more than 180 lakh tonnes of millets in 2024‑25, Rajasthan top producer of grain.”

Indian Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said the collaboration focuses not just on trade, but building trust, sharing scientific knowledge, and promoting sustainable farming.

(especially chia & flax) before consumption helps soften their outer coating, activates enzymes, increases bioavailability (nutrient absorption), reduces potential digestive discomfort.

New Delhi, September 15: India’s vegetable oil imports have climbed by 7% to 16.77 lakh tonnes in August 2025. This number is higher than the 5.63 lakh tonnes a year earlier, despite a sharp fall in the refined palmolein shipments as a result of recent import duty changes, according to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA).

India, the world’s second biggest sugar producer, expects surplus sugar stocks in the 2025‑26 season (starting October 1) after meeting domestic consumption and ethanol production needs, which will allow it to export sugar. Ashwini Srivastava, joint secretary at the Department of Food and Public Distribution, told a global conference that after catering to internal demand, there will be enough sugar for exports.

Since 2004‑05, pulse production in Andhra Pradesh (AP) has been declining: the state now records an average annual growth rate of −1.94% in pulse output.

India’s government warehouses are overflowing. As of September 1, 2025, rice reserves—including unfilled paddy—have climbed to a record 48.2 million metric tons, a jump of over 14% compared to the same time last year. Wheat stocks, too, are at a four‑year high, reaching 33.3 million metric tons. These figures greatly overshoot government targets: for rice, the July 1 target is only 13.5 million tons, while for wheat the target is about 27.6 million tons.

India is set to fall short of its sugar export quota for the 2024–25 season, managing to ship only around 775,000 tons out of the 1 million-ton limit. This shortfall is mainly due to Brazil’s cheaper sugar flooding the global market, which has lowered international prices and made Indian exports less competitive. Additionally, higher domestic sugar prices in India discouraged millers from exporting. Industry players are now looking to carry forward the unshipped quota into the next season.

By turning cow dung into energy and income, this ₹15 lakh‑a‑day initiative could become a landmark move in India’s green transition, benefitting farmers, the environment, and energy security together.