Agriculture

As part of the nationwide “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” being conducted from June 1 to 30, 2026, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Chaudhary visited Chanduvav village in Veraval taluka of Gir-Somnath district, Gujarat, to interact with farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The farmer awareness programme, held at Ahir Samaj Wadi, was jointly organized by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ambujanagar, Kodinar, and the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Cooperation, Gir-Somnath district. The event brought together farmers, scientists, agricultural experts, and policymakers to discuss innovative and eco-friendly farming methods.

Addressing the gathering, Chaudhary emphasized the importance of adopting natural farming techniques to ensure long-term soil health, environmental sustainability, and reduced dependence on chemical inputs. He encouraged farmers to gradually decrease the use of chemical fertilizers such as urea and DAP and instead adopt alternatives including green manuring, Nano Urea, Nano DAP, and bio-fertilizers.

The minister highlighted that natural farming can help improve soil fertility, lower cultivation costs, and contribute to sustainable agricultural growth. He urged farmers to take advantage of government initiatives designed to support environmentally friendly farming practices.

During the programme, local leaders, including MLA Bhagabhai Barad and former MLA Rajshibhai Jotwa, stressed the importance of farmer awareness and participation in government schemes. They encouraged cultivators to benefit from programmes related to natural farming, soil health management, and the PM-Kisan scheme to enhance productivity and income.

Scientists and experts from Junagadh Agricultural University, along with officials from agricultural institutions, interacted with farmers on topics such as Farmer ID registration, Soil Health Cards, natural farming certification procedures, and climate-resilient agricultural technologies. Discussions also focused on integrated farming systems and sustainable crop production practices.

The event featured live demonstrations and exhibitions showcasing products produced through natural farming methods. Stalls displaying new-generation fertilizers were set up by industry representatives, while agricultural experts demonstrated the preparation of Jeevamrut, a natural farming input widely used to improve soil health.

Scientists from research institutions, including ICAR-CIFT and ICAR-CMFRI, participated in technical sessions and provided guidance on climate-smart agriculture and resource-efficient farming methods.

The programme served as an important platform for knowledge exchange between farmers and experts. Around 100 farmers attended the event, gaining practical insights into sustainable agriculture and natural farming technologies aimed at improving farm productivity while conserving natural resources.

India has abruptly cancelled thousands of tonnes of soymeal export contracts and simultaneously ramped up soybean imports from Africa, signalling a dramatic reversal in the country’s agricultural trade pattern amid soaring domestic prices and tightening supplies.

According to trade sources, Indian exporters have scrapped nearly 25,000 metric tonnes of soymeal shipments scheduled for May and June after local prices surged sharply, making earlier export commitments financially unviable. The cancellations mark the first major disruption of this kind since 2021 and reflect mounting pressure within India’s feed and oilseed markets.

The domestic price of soymeal has climbed around 41 per cent within a month, touching nearly ₹66,000 per metric tonne — the highest level seen in four years. Export offers for June reportedly jumped from around $475 per tonne to nearly $695 per tonne, leaving traders unable to absorb the sudden escalation in procurement costs.

The development is expected to reshape regional trade flows, potentially benefiting soybean and soymeal exporters from countries in North and South America, which may now fill supply gaps in Asian markets traditionally served by India. Analysts note that the situation resembles earlier commodity disruptions, including Indonesia’s temporary palm oil export restrictions in 2022, where domestic inflation triggered sudden policy and trade shifts.

Facing a supply crunch at home, India has now emerged as a significant soybean importer. Traders have already booked at least 80,000 tonnes of non-genetically modified soybeans from African countries including Benin, Niger, Togo and Nigeria for June and July deliveries.

Industry estimates suggest India’s soybean imports could rise to as much as 800,000 tonnes by September 2026, compared with only around 2,000 tonnes imported during the previous year. The country’s non-GM import policy restricts sourcing options, making African suppliers particularly important in the current scenario.

Market experts attribute the crisis primarily to lower domestic soybean production, which tightened supplies across the feed and edible oil sectors. Since fresh soybean arrivals are not expected before the September–October harvest season, prices are likely to remain elevated in the coming months.

Traders and processors are continuing to secure imported cargoes despite higher international prices, indicating strong concern over supply shortages. The episode highlights the growing vulnerability of agricultural supply chains to production volatility, climate-linked uncertainties, and rapid commodity price swings that increasingly influence global trade patterns.

Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday distributed appointment letters to 483 selected candidates for posts in the irrigation and agriculture departments during a programme held at Chief Sevak Sadan at the Chief Minister’s camp office in Uttarakhand.

According to the state government, 473 candidates were appointed to the irrigation department, while 10 candidates received appointments in the agriculture department.

During the event, the chief minister paid tribute to former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri and recalled his emphasis on providing opportunities to youth through merit and hard work.

Addressing the newly appointed candidates, Dhami said the appointment letters reflected their dedication and perseverance. He expressed confidence that the recruits would contribute to the state’s development through public service and administrative work.

The chief minister also highlighted the state government’s focus on transparent recruitment practices and merit-based selection processes. Referring to measures taken against irregularities in recruitment examinations, he said the implementation of Uttarakhand’s anti-cheating law had strengthened confidence in government hiring systems.

According to Dhami, nearly 33,000 youths have received government jobs in Uttarakhand over the past four-and-a-half years.

He further stated that the government has been working to strengthen key sectors such as irrigation and agriculture in line with broader national development priorities under Narendra Modi.

Discussing the state’s economic performance, the chief minister said Uttarakhand recorded a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate of 7.23 per cent. He added that per capita income in the state had increased by approximately 41 per cent over the last four years and noted that the state budget had crossed the ₹1 lakh crore mark.

Dhami also referred to a decline in unemployment rates and spoke about increasing reverse migration trends in hill regions, which he said reflected improving economic opportunities within the state.

Satpal Maharaj said the recruitment drive represented growing youth participation in the state’s development process. He noted that the irrigation department contributes not only to canal and water management projects but also to agricultural productivity, water conservation and the rural economy.

Meanwhile, Ganesh Joshi described the appointments as the beginning of a new professional journey for the selected candidates. He also highlighted emerging employment opportunities through startups, innovation and agriculture-linked initiatives in the state.

A new book by development economists Santosh Mehrotra and Jajati Parida has raised serious concerns about India’s employment landscape, arguing that headline economic growth figures are masking a worsening jobs crisis, rising inequality, and shrinking opportunities for young people.

In their book India Out of Work, the authors challenge the narrative of strong economic recovery by pointing to what they describe as “structural retrogression” in the labour market. One of the book’s most striking claims is that nearly 80 million people moved back into agriculture between 2020 and 2024 — a trend the authors describe as unprecedented for a developing economy seeking industrial growth.

According to Mehrotra, government economists celebrated the addition of nearly 80 million jobs during this period, but most of those jobs emerged in agriculture — a sector already burdened by surplus labour and low productivity.

“Never in human history had 80 million workers been added to an already labour-surplus farm sector in just four years,” Mehrotra said in an interview discussing the book.

The economists argue that India’s growth has become increasingly “K-shaped,” where high-end services and capital-intensive infrastructure benefit upper-income groups while the bottom majority experiences stagnant incomes and declining employment quality.

The book warns that the country may be entering a “lost decade” for employment generation. The authors highlight that youth unemployment has tripled since 2012 while nearly 121 million young Indians are currently categorised as NEET — not in education, employment, or training.

Mehrotra argues that India still has a narrowing demographic opportunity window until around 2040, but insufficient non-farm job creation is rapidly eroding that advantage. He identifies three major groups struggling for employment: surplus agricultural labourers, unemployed youth, and nearly six million new entrants joining the workforce annually.

The book is also sharply critical of India’s manufacturing performance and industrial strategy. According to the authors, manufacturing’s share of gross value added has remained stagnant for decades and employment in the sector actually declined between 2012 and 2019 — an unusual development for a growing economy.

Mehrotra argues that without a strong manufacturing strategy supported by employment-focused industrial policy, India cannot generate large-scale non-farm jobs with rising wages. He points to East Asian economies and countries such as Vietnam as examples where manufacturing-led growth created broad-based employment opportunities.

The authors also raise concerns about women’s employment. While official data suggests female labour force participation has improved since 2020, Mehrotra argues much of the increase reflects women returning to unpaid agricultural and family work rather than entering stable, formal employment.

According to the book, nearly 96% of discouraged workers are women. Mehrotra believes expanding women’s participation in manufacturing and non-farm sectors is essential for India’s long-term economic transformation.

The economists further warn that rising educated unemployment, stagnant wages, exam paper leaks, and poor social security could intensify social tensions in the coming years. Mehrotra noted that worker protests and labour unrest have already begun appearing in industrial regions such as Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Noida.

The book also questions the credibility of India’s GDP growth narrative, arguing that the unorganised sector suffered major losses after 2016 while official economic estimates failed to fully capture those disruptions. Mehrotra pointed to the IMF’s recent concerns over India’s national accounts statistics as validation of long-standing critiques raised by economists.

Despite the bleak assessment, the authors argue that India still has an opportunity to reverse course through employment-driven industrial policy, expansion of manufacturing, improved education quality, and stronger support for women entering the workforce.

For the authors, the central message is clear: economic growth alone may no longer be enough unless it translates into meaningful, broad-based employment generation.

In a major push to strengthen India’s premium rice export ecosystem, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority has partnered with the Uttar Pradesh government to establish the country’s first integrated Basmati and organic training-cum-demonstration farm in Pilibhit.

The project, announced by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is being developed on nearly seven acres at Tanda Bijaisi under a 70-year lease agreement with the state’s agriculture department. The initiative is expected to become a landmark in Basmati rice production, organic farming training, and agri-export development in India.

India’s first integrated Basmati organic training hub

Once operational, the Pilibhit centre will serve as a national hub for Basmati cultivation and organic agriculture training, combining both conventional and organic farming practices under one platform. This makes it the first facility of its kind in India, aimed at bridging the gap between traditional farming knowledge and modern agricultural technologies.

The centre will feature advanced infrastructure, including an auditorium, research laboratory, conference rooms, and dedicated storage for organic inputs. A key highlight is the proposed AI-powered interactive museum, designed to offer experiential learning for farmers, students, and agricultural researchers.

Boost for farmers, research and skill development

The training-cum-demo farm is expected to significantly benefit farmers in Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand by offering hands-on training, capacity building programmes, and scientific advisory support. It will also function as a resource centre for agricultural experts and students, aligning with India’s broader push towards skill-based and technology-driven agriculture.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada emphasised Pilibhit’s growing importance as a key Basmati-producing region, highlighting the need to expand organic cultivation and strengthen farmer engagement.

AI-driven Basmati survey to transform crop planning

In parallel, the government has unveiled an ambitious AI-based Basmati Paddy Survey (2026–2028), which will cover nearly 4 million hectares and engage over 500,000 farmers. The project will use data from more than 150,000 ground-truth points to enable accurate crop assessment, varietal identification, and scientific advisory services.

This data-driven approach is expected to improve agricultural productivity, export planning, and supply chain efficiency, reinforcing India’s position in the global Basmati market.

Strengthening India’s agri-export ecosystem

The upcoming facility has also been designated under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) framework, allowing it to conduct national-level trials for new Basmati varieties suited to different agro-climatic conditions.

With global demand for organic and premium rice rising, the Pilibhit initiative is seen as a strategic step to enhance India’s agricultural exports, farmer income, and sustainable farming practices.

As India moves towards integrating AI in agriculture, organic farming, and export-led growth, the Pilibhit Basmati training centre could emerge as a model for future agri-innovation hubs across the country.

Shimla: Emphasising a shift towards sustainable agriculture, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said natural farming is the future of Himachal Pradesh, underlining the crucial role of academic institutions in driving this transformation.

Addressing an event at Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth ₹34.31 crore. He stressed that the university must actively guide and support farmers in adopting natural farming techniques.

Sukhu noted that over two lakh farmers in the state have registered under natural farming initiatives, with nearly 1.98 lakh already receiving certification. He described this as a strong indicator of growing acceptance of eco-friendly agricultural practices among farmers.

Highlighting infrastructure development, the Chief Minister inaugurated a 107-bed hostel at the College of Horticulture and Forestry in Neri, Hamirpur, built at a cost of ₹3.63 crore. He also inaugurated the administrative building of a Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Tabo in Lahaul and Spiti, constructed for ₹1.48 crore.

Further, foundation stones were laid for multiple working women’s hostels to support students and professionals. These include two 50-capacity hostels at Neri and Khaggal in Hamirpur district, costing ₹8.57 crore and ₹8.68 crore respectively, and a 100-capacity hostel at the university’s main campus in Nauni, Solan, estimated at ₹11.95 crore.

Reinforcing the importance of agriculture, Sukhu said nearly 90% of the state’s population lives in rural areas, with around 53.95% directly dependent on farming for their livelihoods. He reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the rural economy through progressive, farmer-centric policies and expanding the adoption of natural farming practices.