ARTICLE 4

The detailed report titled “Statistical Report on Value of Output from Agriculture and Allied Sectors (2011-12 to 2023-24)” was published on June 30, presents a penetrating analysis of sectoral trends... The forestry sector, which includes logging and timber production, also grew steadily. Its value went up from Rs. 149 thousand crore to Rs. 227 thousand crore. A key point is that industrial wood (use...

Pusa DST Rice 1, from ICAR-IARI in New Delhi, is based on Cotton Dora Sannalu and is designed for drought and salt tolerance.Unlike genetic modification, which involves inserting foreign genes, genome editing makes precise changes within the plant’s own DNA. “In genome editing, mutations are induced at specific sites where change is needed.

India’s kharif pulses sowing has picked up pace, with the area under cultivation rising 11% year-on-year to 262.15 lakh hectares. As of early July, pulses sowing stood at 21.1 lakh hectares—up from 15.4 lakh hectares during the same period last year. The early momentum suggests a promising start to the season. However, even with the increase in sowing, India’s dependence on imported pulses remains high, raising concerns about the impact on domestic farmers.

Now that the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been sealed, the focus shifts to the more challenging deal with the US. A major stumbling block to inking even an interim free trade agreement before US President Donald Trump’s August 1 deadline — to either sign or face so-called reciprocal tariffs of up to 26 per cent — is agriculture. India does not want to open up its market for American soyabean, corn (maize), ethanol and dairy products. What this defensive stance misses is the potential loss from the fact that India’s agricultural exports to the US, at $6.2 billion in 2024, exceeded its imports of $2.4 billion. A 26 per cent tariff will definitely hurt Indian seafood exports to the US that alone was valued at $2.5 billion.

The pace of rainfall has slackened in the past few weeks, even as the season-to-date numbers have remained in surplus. The sowing of pulses and coarse cereals continues to lag while reservoir storage levels have climbed to historical highs.

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) India on Monday agreed to supply fortified rice to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to aid the food and nutritional requirements of the most vulnerable populations in crisis-hit zones globally.