agriculture | DD News

September 17, 2026 1:08 PM

India makes first soil carbon payments to farmers in Punjab, Haryana

India has moved its agricultural carbon market from policy to the farm level, with more than 2,500 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana set to receive over ₹2.9 crore in digital payments for adopting regenerative farming practices. The first payments were released at a programme held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, where Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)...

September 14, 2026 10:31 AM

Seven years of PM-KMY: Building a pension safety net for India’s small and marginal farmers

For millions of small and marginal farmers, securing a stable income in old age can be as important as sustaining livelihoods during their working years. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), launched on September 12, 2019, seeks to address this need by providing eligible farmers with an assured pension after they turn 60. As the scheme completes seven years on September 12, 2026, it has enrolled 24,96,252 farmers across the country as of February 6, 2026. The scheme has emerged as...

September 10, 2026 11:10 PM

Proposed Seed Act to tighten crackdown on fake seeds, protect farmers’ rights: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has stepped up consultations with farmer organisations on a proposed new Seed Act aimed at strengthening regulation, curbing the sale of fake and substandard seeds and ensuring greater accountability across the seed supply chain. Chouhan held a consultation with representatives of farmer organisations from across the country at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. Representatives from almost all states participated and a...

September 9, 2026 6:12 PM

Centre to hold nationwide farmer consultation on new Seed Act on September 10

The Centre is preparing to introduce a stringent new Seed Act aimed at curbing the sale of fake and substandard seeds and protecting farmers from financial losses. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will hold a nationwide consultation with representatives of major farmer organisations on September 10 to seek their views before the proposed legislation is finalised. The consultation will be held at 4 pm at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi and is ...

September 7, 2026 6:29 PM

Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviews plan to strengthen KVKs through greater state participation

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday reviewed an action plan to strengthen Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) through greater participation of state governments, with a focus on upgrading 300 centres by March 2027 and establishing incubation-cum-skill centres at all KVKs by December 2028. The meeting, held in New Delhi, reviewed the implementation of recommendations concerning KVKs made during the 5th Chief Secretaries’ Conference 2...

September 7, 2026 11:22 AM

AI Literacy Need of the Hour, Emerging Technologies Opening New Opportunities: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday batted for artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, saying emerging technologies were opening up new opportunities in education, healthcare, agriculture, industry and employment. Education, he said, should not be limited to teaching children how to read and write but should also impart knowledge, values, discipline, confidence and an understanding that gives their lives the right direction. “Today, technology is rapidly changing our lives....

August 17, 2026 10:53 PM

Total area sown in India’s current kharif season crosses 1,016.57 lakh hectares

The total area sown under kharif crops in the current season across the country so far is estimated at 1016.57 lakh hectares as on August 14 this year, compared with the corresponding figure of 1037.52 lakh hectares in the same period last year, data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Monday showed. The official figures show that the area under rice is 379.07 lakh hectares so far this year, compared with 393.44 lakh hectares during the same period last year. The 14.3...

August 5, 2026 10:40 AM

Farmers voice strong support for ethanol after meeting Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Farmer leaders from across the country have expressed strong support for the expansion of ethanol production, describing it as a major opportunity to boost farm incomes and strengthen India's energy security, during a meeting with Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhavan on Tuesday. A delegation of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee (AIKCC), comprising representatives from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telang...

August 3, 2026 6:34 PM

Every ₹1 invested under KCC-MISS generates ₹2.30 for agriculture, government cites third-party assessment

Every ₹1 invested under the Kisan Credit Card-Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (KCC-MISS) generates ₹2.30 in net value addition for the agriculture and allied sector, according to a third-party assessment conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru. The findings underline the scheme's contribution to improving farm productivity, expanding allied activities and strengthening access to affordable institutional credit. According to the assessment, the KCC-MI...

July 27, 2026 11:54 PM

Kharif sowing reaches 787.37 lakh hectares

The total area sown under kharif crops stood at 787.37 lakh hectares as of July 24, 2026, compared with 826.19 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year, registering a decline of 38.82 lakh hectares, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. Among major crops, rice was sown across 234.43 lakh hectares, down from 240.62 lakh hectares during the same period in 2025, a decrease of 6.19 lakh hectares. The area under pulses also declined to 84.57 ...