Fixing NBS rate for urea will encourage balanced use of urea and bring in efficiency in the fertiliser industry by infusing competition. The DCT is aimed at replacing the existing direct benefit transfer (DBT) system where farmers buy urea at subsidised price, which is almost one-third of the total cost.
According to sources, "So far, only 2 lakh tonnes of urad has been imported. The pulses situation was reviewed recently by the concerned ministeries and a consensus has emerged to give time till June for undertaking the import of rest of the quota." 
Potato prices usually plummet in India by January as fresh arrivals gather pace in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Haryana. Retail prices of potato are Rs 20-30 per kg currently in different parts of the country due to 60-70% above normal rainfall which has slowed crop arrivals in mandis. 
Prices of the grain, which is largely consumed by the poultry feed and starch manufacturers, have remained firm for the past two years because of poor weather and damage caused by pests. Foreign firms such as Louis Dreyfus, Cargill, Cofco, Olam and Glencore, and other companies including Suguna Feed, Roquette, Godrej Agrovet and SKM Animal Feeds were importing maize.
The recent focus on zaid crops has paid off well as area under cultivation during this period has been on rise since last few years. As compared to kharif sowing which is being done across 107 million hectare, zaid planting, mostly pulses, is done across less than 2 per cent of that area.
Several cases of cultivation of illegal GM crops have been reported from across states in the last few months, prompting the Centre to step in.
The country is the world's biggest sugar producer and lower output could support global prices. Mills in Maharashtra have produced 2.55 million tonnes of sugar, down from 5.7 million tonnes during the same period a year ago, the ISMA said in a statement.
According to latest data released by agriculture department, the overall area has also gone up by 8.5% to 64.1 million ha, raising hopes of a bumper Rabi harvest.
The income tax deduction for the in-house R&D has been reducing over the last few years, it said. Through an amendment as per Finance Act 2016, the weighted deduction was reduced to 150% effective from April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2020 and it indicated a further reduction to 100% from April 1, 2020.
The onset date for India, which starts with Kerala on June 1, will remain the same but its withdrawal would now be expected 10 to 15 days than the ‘normal’ date of September 30, said M Rajeevan, secretary of the ministry of earth sciences.
Further, the decline in the sugar production along with the government support measures for SY2020 such as creation of 4 million MT of buffer stock and export subsidy for 6 million MT of sugar, are likely to support the sugar prices.
According to latest rabi sowing data released by the agriculture ministry, wheat acreage — which accounts for over half the sown area — is up over 11% to 32.646 million ha, because of a rise in planting in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The total rabisown area has also climbed to 62.5 million ha, 8% more than 57.847 million ha planted during this time last year.
The total oil seeds production is estimated to be 16218.06 thousand metric tonne, which is 23.78% less than the last year production of 21277 thousand metric tonne. Soybean production is expected to decline by 32.27% over last year and 12.93% over last estimate. Groundnut production is expected to decline marginally by 9.57% over last year.
In the current assessment, coarse grains, pulses, oil seeds and sugarcane have marginally pushed themselves further in the negative region with an expected decline of 14.14 per cent, 14.09 per cent, 53.31 per cent and 11.07 per cent over the last estimate, respectively, according to a report by the National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC). 
This will help the government deal with the storage problem of food grains as silos require 30% less land as compared to conventional warehouses, and can run round the clock, making them more efficient.
Even though agriculture NPA was only Rs 1.1 lakh crore or 12.4 per cent of the overall NPAs in FY19, if we accounted for Rs 3.14 lakh crore worth of farm loan waivers announced in the last decade, agri NPAs/burden for the exchequer/banks could be as much as staggering Rs 4.2 lakh crore and if the latest Rs 45,000-51,000 crore of write-offs announced by Maharashtra this could be at Rs 4.7 lakh crore.
The food ministry has directed the states to regularly update data on the purchase of foodgrains and money disbursement to farmers along with their names for better transparency and record maintenance at micro level. The aim is to benefit all the farmers mainly belonging to scheduled caste or tribe.
Uttar Pradesh government has released released an amount of Rs.200 crore for the outstanding cane price payment of 20 cooperative sugar mills of the state of year 2018-19. With this amount, the Sugar mills of the cooperative sector will pay the outstanding cane price payment of the crushing season 2018-19 to cane farmers.
Launching this farmer friendly mobile app, Chairman Mandi Board Laal Singh said that this endeavour would also empower the arthias and general public with the online licensing and the availability of actual rates of fruits and vegetables in ‘Apni Mandis’ from various locations within Punjab. 
To check the stock availability and bogus paddy procurement, verification of 1304 rice mills in the State was done. The verification process, which was videographed, showed a shortfall of 42,589 metric tonnes (MT) in 1207 Rice Mills.
