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. […]

The Rubber Board will launch a digital platform called ‘INR Konnect’ on a pilot scale soon to document all details of untapped rubber plantations. Executive Director of the Board M. Vasanthagesan said at the annual conference of the United Planters Association of Southern India in Coonoor on Wednesday (September 23) that growers have plantations in […]

Amit Kumar (fourth left), Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, presenting the TGLIA:STC awards at the UPASI annual conference in Coonoor on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: M. SATHYAMOORTHY Technology and institutional finance, which are accessible to small-scale growers too, in the plantation sector are critical for the sector’s growth, said Amit […]

COONOOR India is encouraging tea exports to explore new markets as shipments to Iran is hit by the war. Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told The Hindu on Wednesday that the government is focusing on markets such as Oman that is increasing its purchase of Indian tea. “We […]

A small tea grower using a leaf cutting machine near Kotagiri, Nilgiris. | Photo Credit: The Hindu India’s tea production declined 1.7% year-on-year (YoY) to 658.3 million kg during January-July this year, according to data shared by the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI). While the country’s tea output in 2025 had grown 7.1% […]

All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha activists taking part in a rally in Khammam on Monday to mark the beginning of AIKMS’s fourth national conference. All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) president Vemulapalli Venkataramaiah has called for a sustained mass movement to address the problems faced by farmers and agricultural labourers in the country. Speaking at […]

The MSP for wheat for the 2026-27 marketing year (April-March) was fixed at ₹2,585 per quintal. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi crops for the marketing season 2027-28, with safflower receiving the biggest […]

The adoption of Kasturi Cotton has accelerated sharply since its launch (for illustration) | Photo Credit: The Hindu Nearly 2.1 lakh bales of Indian-grown cotton were certified as Kasturi Cotton Bharat in the cotton marketing season that ended on September 30, underscoring the growing importance of traceability in India’s textile value chain. The adoption of […]

Rice millers in Kangayam fear that the retail price of rice may touch ₹100 a kg by the end of January, 2027. Non-availability of paddy and continuous increase in paddy prices are a matter of concern to the millers, said Palaniswamy, president of the Kangayam Rice Millers Association. The retail price of rice is approximately […]

Representational file image. | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh The Union Government, on Tuesday (October 13, 2026), constituted a four-member panel headed by former member of NITI Aayog Ramesh Chand to examine issues raised by sugarcane farmers and recommend “appropriate measures” for addressing their concerns. Representatives of sugarcane farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra had met Union […]