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Article on need of urgent reforms in India's fertiliser subsidy regime What the article talks about: - Fertilizer Subsidy is expected to reach 2 lakh crore in 2026 - Import dependency of India for fertilizers - Policy distortion wrt to Urea Subsidy - Sold at fixed price accounts for nearly 2/3rd of Subsidy in comparison to DAP and MOP which are decontrolled. - All this has led to an imbalanced NPK ratio[ 10.9: 4.4 :1 far from the recommended 4:2:1]. - Nutrient Use efficiency of just 35-40% - Impact on health, Soil health, Reducing Yield , Quality of food etc. - Comparison with Chinese policy design - Way forward: a. Deregulation of Urea or shift to aggregate input Subsidies b. Data integration, use of technology to support farmers All this will lead to savings of around 40k Crore that can be redirected towards Agri R&D, Irrigation etc. Article link 🔗 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/reforming-the-fertiliser-subsidy-demands-political-courage-offers-high-rewards-10432161/lite/

India faces rising threats to coconut from Rugose Spiralling Whitefly, Coconut Black-headed Caterpillar, Eriophyid Mite, Red Palm Weevil, and diseases like Bud Rot (Phytophthora), Stem Bleeding, Root Wilt (Kottayam wilt). Major affected belts: Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Pollachi), Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh. Govt response includes ICAR–CPCRI monitoring, biological control agents (parasitoids, fungal sprays), rapid surveillance, farmer training, and distribution of disease-tolerant varieties. India is the largest global coconut producer, with Pollachi having 1.2 lakh hectares under cultivation.