Seaweeds are believed to help combat several lifestyle diseases

"There is much more value to be unlocked (in agriculture) rather than consigning agriculture as a vocation of the past," Anantha Nageswaran said.

The Union Cabinet rationalised centrally sponsored agriculture schemes into two umbrella programmes—the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and the Krishonnati Yojana.

The move is to ease the mounting pressure on rice storage capacity; granaries expect fresh arrivals as kharif crop procurement begins in a week.

The government's directive follows a significant increase in basic customs duty on various edible oils, aiming to support local farmers and stabilize domestic markets.

In a boost to mussel aquaculture, the Kochi-based research Institute, CMFRI, has decoded the genome sequence of Asian green mussel, called kallummakkaya in local parlance. The breakthrough will also act as a vital tool in cancer research.

The initiative is part of the Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission; 19 States are currently implementing the project.

Das, however, said India's growth story was intact and that all the other major sectors had reported growth above 7 %.

Prime Minister Modi has unveiled Rs 287.22 crore worth of infrastructure projects for Kerala’s fishing sector that promise to transform the industry and create over 1.47 lakh jobs.

In preparation for Budget 2024, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman held consultations with sector representatives in June. The agriculture sector expects the industry to boost agricultural exports to USD 100 billion in the next three years.