agriculture | DD News

September 29, 2026 4:05 PM

Over Rs 1,200 crore PM-RKVY support sanctioned to 10 states; Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls for ‘Team Agriculture’

The Centre has sanctioned more than ₹1,200 crore to 10 states under the Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY), Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday, calling for stronger Centre-State coordination and a "Team Agriculture" approach to improve farmers' livelihoods and food security. Addressing the second day of the National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026 on Tuesday, Chouhan said the Centre and states should rise above political differen...

September 24, 2026 12:55 PM

Mizoram woman farmer to receive FAO award

A 35-year-old teacher-turned-farmer from a remote village in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district will receive a United Nations award in Rome for her contribution to agriculture and rural development, after turning strawberry cultivation into a profitable livelihood. Z T Lalrithangi, popularly known as Pi Mari-i, from Sangau in south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, has been selected among the “FAO 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development” by the Food and Agriculture Organization...

September 21, 2026 12:33 PM

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on one-day visit to Punjab today; to flag off ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to undertake a one-day visit to Punjab on Monday, during which he will inaugurate the ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’, address a public rally, and hold ground-level interactions with farmers and women from self-help groups. According to the Minister’s itinerary, Chouhan will commence his tour in Bathinda district by paying obeisance at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo. Following his visit to the shrine...

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...