Production of cotton during the current marketing season that commenced on October 1, 2025 is estimated to be seven lakh bales less than the previous year. The Committee on Cotton Production and Consumption that met in Mumbai on July 29 expected the production this season to be 290.24 lakh bales of 170 kg each while […]

Sugar mills will start operating 10-15 days before the normal schedule for the 2026-2027 sugar marketing season to ensure adequate availability of sugar during the festival season this year. At a meeting held with the Joint Secretary (Sugar) last month, the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar […]

ISMA Director General Deepak Ballani addresses a press conference on the recent surge in domestic sugar prices, in New Delhi on August 24. | Photo Credit: ANI With the government’s announcement last week permitting import of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar, the domestic prices are cooling down. However, volatility in domestic sugar prices continues […]

India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, had banned wheat exports in May 2022 as part of measures to control rising domestic prices. File. | Photo Credit: PTI The government on Monday (August 24, 2026) lifted the export ban on wheat and wheat products with immediate effect and said the decision is aimed at boosting farmers’ […]

The Centre has decided to introduce from September fortnightly sugar allocation system replacing the existing monthly quota system. According to an official press release, the mills will be required to sell at least 40 % of the allocation in the first week and remaining quantity in the succeeding week. The statement said that physical verification […]

Sacks of onions are being unloaded from the “Kanda Express”, a dedicated goods train transporting bulk onion consignments from Nashik, at the Adarsh Nagar railway station in New Delhi. File | Photo Credit: PTI The story so far: Days after sugar prices increased sharply, the price of onion, an essential commodity whose prices are considered […]

Cotton yarn spinning at a textile mill in Coimbatore | Photo Credit: The Hindu : Textile mills are witnessing a revival in cotton yarn demand, with capacity utilisation crossing 90%, but a sharp rise in cotton prices is raising concerns over the sustainability of operations. “The demand for cotton yarn started reviving almost five months […]

Since the 1960s, India has developed a balancing-act habit: between keeping food prices affordably low for consumers and assuring farmers of remunerative prices, with the state’s interventions focused on managing this volatility in the short term. This is also why the government banned onion exports from December 2023 to May 2024, then imposed a $550/tonne […]

The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) will organise a three-day event in Coonoor from September 21 to 23 bringing together experts, policy makers, and stakeholders of the plantation sector. Vice President of India C.P. Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the centenary conference of the UPASI Tea Research […]

The world of “development” often seems short of convincing answers. Conflict, climate stress, food insecurity, entrenched poverty, and fiscal pressure are exposing the limits of old models. There is wisdom in starting with things as they are, which is where serious development must begin — with honest evidence, practical experience, and results that hold up. […]