Business
Copra price boost: Govt hikes Copra MSP for 2026 season; farmers to get up to Rs 12,500 per quintal – The Times of India
The Centre government on Friday approved higher Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for copra for the 2026 season, in line with the government’s policy of fixing MSPs at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.The MSP for Fair Average Quality milling copra has been set at Rs 12,027 per quintal, while ball copra will fetch Rs 12,500 per quintal in 2026. This marks an increase of Rs 445 per quintal for milling copra and Rs 400 per quintal for ball copra compared with the previous season, according to the cabinet release.The statement noted that MSPs for both varieties have risen sharply over the past decade. Milling copra MSP has climbed from Rs 5,250 per quintal in 2014 to Rs 12,027 in 2026, while ball copra has risen from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,500, registering growth of 129% and 127%, respectively.“A higher MSP will ensure better remunerative returns to coconut growers and incentivise farmers to expand copra production to meet rising domestic and global demand,” the government said in the release.The Centre added that NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) will continue to act as central nodal agencies for procurement under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
Cases of Pepsi soda are displayed at a Costco Wholesale store on Nov. 13, 2025 in Simi Valley, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
One of this year’s top food trends is facing some tough competition.
Protein captivated consumers and food companies in 2025, but fiber is increasingly stealing the scene as people place an increasing emphasis on promoting gut health.
It’s taken hold on social media, where “fibermaxxing” — or the concept of increasing fiber intake through whole foods like fruits and legumes — has seen thousands of posts.
“Fiber is finally getting a spotlight, which is a great thing because it’s a nutrient that people need,” said Stephanie Mattucci, principal strategist at food research company Mintel.
Currently, 90% of women and 97% of men in the U.S. are not meeting their daily fiber requirements, Mattucci said. For most Americans, that recommended range usually falls somewhere between 25 grams and 38 grams of fiber per day, she added.
But more people are beginning to take notice of those gaps.
According to Mattucci, 22% of consumers in the U.S. said high fiber content was one of their top three important factors when shopping for food — up from just 17% in 2021.
Wall Street’s companies are taking note, too. On an earnings call with analysts in October, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said fiber was emerging at the forefront of the company’s product goals as it looked ahead to 2026.
“I think fiber will be the next protein,” Laguarta said. “Consumers are starting to understand that fiber is the benefit that they need. It’s actually an efficiency in U.S. consumers’ diets, and that will be elevated.”
In February, the company is going a step farther and plans to launch Smartfood Fiber Pop, featuring six grams of protein per serving, and SunChips Fiber, incorporating fiber variants like whole grains and black beans, Pepsi’s chief science officer, Tara Glasgow, told CNBC exclusively.
Smartfood Fiber Pop and Sun Chips Fiber snacks.
Source: Pepsico
And there’s a reason companies are broadening their offerings. Research firm Datassential found that fiber is on track to be the “next big health trend following on the heels of protein” in its 2026 trends report.
Of the consumers the firm surveyed, 54% said they are interested in foods and beverages that are high in fiber. That number is even higher — reaching 60% — among members of Generation Z, who are pioneering the “fibermaxxing” trend on social media.
And 42% of consumers said they believe the attribute of “high fiber” on a nutrition label of any food or beverage product is important to defining that product as “healthy,” according to Datassential.
It’s that momentum that landed fiber as one of Whole Foods Market’s top trends for 2026.
The gut health craze
Watching fiber intake isn’t new, experts note, but it’s often been associated with older people who require it for health reasons as they age.
“When I think of fiber, I immediately think of my grandfather. Every day, he had his little baggie of All-Bran, and he brought it everywhere he went, probably out of necessity,” Mintel’s Mattucci said, citing the slowing of digestive tracts as people age.
Still, something has shifted as consumers of all ages have started placing more emphasis on promoting gut health and digestive wellness — and fiber entered the spotlight.
The emphasis on diversity of fiber intake and finding it in everyday whole foods rather than through supplements or powders is part of what’s allowing it to find popularity and align with current culture, according to Angela Salas, a senior dietitian at the University of California, Davis.
The two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble — work together to keep people fuller for longer, improve digestion, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, Salas said. In some ways, fiber could mimic the effects of weight-loss drugs because it takes longer to break down food and therefore sits in the stomach for longer, she said, which could be a factor for its recent popularity.
“These nutrients have always been around and always kind of shifts, I think, from the food industry saying, ‘What can we highlight? What do people want to be focusing on so that we can continue to sell the same product, just slightly altered?'” Salas said.
Still, Kate Pelletier, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the University of Michigan Health, said it’s important to note that fiber is not sufficient as an alternative to GLP-1 drugs, and a balanced plate is the best way to stay healthy.
Pelletier said fiber’s use as a “street sweeper” for the body is likely one of the reasons it’s been thrust back into the spotlight.
“There’s been a really big shift into more natural plants instead of popping a supplement or using a protein powder,” Pelletier said. “We can get the benefit of fiber from thinking about adding more wholesome foods into our diet, versus typical diet culture [which] focuses on taking out X, Y or Z.”
Promoting high-fiber products
Food and beverage companies are jumping on the momentum, too.
Earlier this year, Coca-Cola launched its prebiotic soda, Simply Pop, with six grams of prebiotic fiber in five flavors to encourage gut health. Nestlé unveiled a new protein shake in June with four grams of prebiotic fiber designed specifically to support the digestive health of adults on GLP-1 medications.
Other companies like Olipop have also entered the prebiotic soda market, boasting recipes that promote gut health, while smaller businesses, like Floura protein bars and Sola Bagels, have also begun selling fiber-rich products.
Olipop soda at a store in San Francisco, California, US, on Monday, March 17, 2025. Olipop Inc., the high-fiber, lower-sugar soda startup, raised $50 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $1.85 billion.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Pepsi’s Glasgow told CNBC the company is taking every opportunity to explore consumers’ newfound interest in fiber. Glasgow said the research and development team’s work starts in science and follows trends to keep up with their audience’s evolving tastes.
Pepsi already has products on the market that specifically boast high fiber content, like its prebiotic cola and Quaker oatmeal. As consumers start to explore the previously “sleepy little nutrient,” Glasgow said, Pepsi is innovating new products across its beverages and food brands.
“We hear it from consumers as well that they’re becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and their nutrition needs,” Glasgow said. “And I think that’s where the excitement is coming from. I feel it growing.”
Glasgow said the company, which already launched successful protein-packed products this year, is moving toward products that incorporate multiple sources of gut-healthy ingredients.
“We saw protein grow in a big way in the last couple years,” Glasgow said. “I think [consumers] are then expanding their view, and they realize there’s not one ingredient alone that is the silver bullet. It’s about getting the right ingredients all together.”
For some, fiber isn’t just a trend.
Naomi Aganekwu, a 27-year-old content creator, said she started incorporating fiber more intentionally into her diet last year. Now, she makes sure each meal she eats has at least five to 10 grams of fiber through foods like beans, lentils and chia seed puddings.
Aganekwu said she’s seeing results from incorporating fiber into her diet, like being satiated after meals and seeing her hormonal acne reduce. And as she’s championing fiber, she’s seeing the people around her do the same, especially among her generation.
It’s become personal for Aganekwu, too, whose father died earlier this year of colon cancer. Some research has shown fiber could prevent colorectal cancer in addition to promoting overall health, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“You don’t want to wait until you’re 60 or 70 and you’re dealing with more diagnoses,” she said. “There’s a lot that you can do, even just in your everyday choices, down to what you’re putting on your plate, that can directly impact your chances or decrease your chances of developing critical diseases.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has come under further pressure as pre-Budget worries and tax hike speculation was widely blamed for an unexpected contraction in the economy during October.
Official figures showed the UK economy shrank for the second month running in October, contracting by 0.1% following a 0.1% decline in September.
Most economists had been expecting a rise of 0.1% for October on hopes of a manufacturing bounceback led by Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) recovery from a major cyber attack.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) fell as car manufacturing activity only made a “slight” recovery from the woes at JLR, with the services sector weighed down as consumers held back spending on the high street before the Budget, delivered on November 26.
The data shows the UK economy has now not grown since June, with GDP either flat or falling in the past four months.
Economists said the weaker-than-expected figures would reinforce hopes of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England next week in what would be a welcome pre-Christmas boost to households.
In the three months to October, the economy shrank by 0.1% after growth of 0.1% in the three months to September, according to the ONS.
Many businesses have recently indicated that activity in the economy slowed in the lead-up to the Budget as speculation over possible tax measures grew.
Barret Kupelian, chief economist at PwC, said: “Some of this weakness still reflects the cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover, which knocked car output earlier in the autumn, but the bigger story is that speculation around the autumn Budget kept households and businesses in wait-and-see mode.
“Given the timing of the Budget, November’s GDP print is likely to look similarly subdued before any post-Budget effects start to show up.”
Some experts have said weak recent growth was largely driven by rampant speculation in the run up to the Budget.
Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said last month the prolonged worries over the Budget and leaks over possible tax hikes had “caused businesses and consumers to hunker down”.
Earlier this week, Ms Reeves hit out at “too many leaks” in the run-up to Budget when questioned by a committee of MPs.
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said the latest GDP blow was “a direct result of Labour’s economic mismanagement”.
He said: “For months, Rachel Reeves has misled the British public. She said she wouldn’t raise taxes on working people – she broke that promise again. She insisted there was a black hole in the public finances – but there wasn’t.”
The ONS data The data revealed that month-on-month activity in car production jumped 9.5% higher in October, but this was only a partial recovery from the 28.6% plunge in September as the JLR cyberattack sent shockwaves through the sector.
Car production activity remained 21.8% lower than in August.
JLR was forced to pause production of its cars for more than a month after being targeted by hackers, having a knock-on impact for the wider sector and resulting in a costly recovery.
It gradually resumed production through October.
Widespread pressure in the rest of the economy also weighed on the GDP outturn, with output down 0.3% across the dominant services sector – including a 1.1% drop for retail – and a 0.6% fall across construction.
A Treasury spokesperson said: “We are determined to defy the forecasts on growth and create good jobs, so everyone is better off, while also helping us invest in better public services.”
Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the recent “Budget chaos” through November is likely to hit growth through that month too, which could see GDP contract by 0.1% in the final quarter of 2026.
He said: “Weak GDP adds to the reasons for the Monetary Policy Committee to cut interest rates next week.
“Rate setters would need a huge surprise in inflation and the labour market data published next week to stop a hike.”
Business
Market Today: Sensex Jumps 475 Points In Afternoon Trade, Nifty Trades Above 26,050 On Strong Buying
Last Updated:
The BSE Sensex jumps 335.08 points to trade at 85,151.32 in the early trade, while the NSE Nifty rises by 110.05 points to above 26,000 at 26,009.60.
Stock Market Today.
Market Today: Continuing strong momentum for the second day, the domestic equity market on Friday saw a positive opening amid global stability following the recent US Fed rate cut and easing crude oil prices. The BSE Sensex jumped 475.8 points to trade at 85,290.21 in the early trade, while the NSE Nifty surged by 152.63 points to above 26,000 at 26,051.32.
Among the 30 Sensex shares, 23 were trading in green. Among the top gainers were Tata Steel, Eternal, Ultratech Cement, Larsen & Toubro, and Bharti Airtel, rising by up to 3.37%. On the other hand, the laggards were HUL, Sun Pharma, ITC, Asian Paints, Power Grid, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and SBI, falling by up to 1.77%.
In the broader market, the BSE Midcap and the BSE Smallcap were trading higher by 1.21% and 0.67%, respectively.
“Sentiment remains supported by global stability following the recent US Fed rate cut and easing crude oil prices, although foreign fund outflows and rupee weakness keep traders somewhat cautious. The broader setup suggests a continuation of range-bound movement unless a clear breakout emerges,” said Aakash Shah, Technical Research Analyst at Choice Equity Broking.
Immediate support now lies around 25,750-25,800, and deeper support is positioned near 25,500. On the upside, resistance is expected around 26,000-26,050. Sustained trade above 26,050 may encourage further buying, potentially driving the index toward 26,300. Until then, intraday swings may remain contained, he added.
Global Markets
Asian stocks advanced in early trade on Friday following strength on Wall Street overnight, though a fresh decline in Oracle’s share price sent jitters through the tech sector. Financial markets had to move fast to find their footing this week when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates but gave a less hawkish outlook than expected, and the return of AI bubble worries added to the stress for investors.
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.7%, tracking mostly higher US markets on Thursday, the Dow and Russell 2000 indices hit new highs but the Nasdaq fell. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 outperformed the region in morning trade, climbing 1% as shares in Softbank Group surged 6% after Bloomberg News reported it is considering acquiring the US data centre company Switch Inc.
S&P 500 e-mini futures were unchanged and Nasdaq future were down 0.2% as markets were on edge after Oracle shares plunged 13%, sparking a tech selloff, as the company’s massive spending and weak forecasts fanned doubts over how quickly the big bets on AI will pay off.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 12, 2025, 09:22 IST
Read More
‘The next protein’: Fiber is shaping up to be the latest grocery obsession
Don’t be surprised if … Brock Purdy, Chase Brown are league winners down the stretch
Copra price boost: Govt hikes Copra MSP for 2026 season; farmers to get up to Rs 12,500 per quintal – The Times of India
-
Sports1 week agoAustralia take control of second Ashes Test | The Express Tribune
-
Politics6 days ago17 found dead in migrant vessel off Crete: coastguard
-
Entertainment1 week agoSabrina Carpenter recalls ‘unbelievable’ experience with pal Taylor Swift
-
Fashion1 week agoBangladesh’s economic outlook cautiously optimistic: Govt
-
Fashion4 days agoGermany’s LuxExperience appoints Francis Belin as new CEO of Mytheresa
-
Politics4 days agoThailand launches air strikes against Cambodian military: army
-
Tech1 week agoThe Trump Administration Wants Immigrants to Self-Deport. It’s a Shit Show
-
Tech7 days agoWIRED Roundup: DOGE Isn’t Dead, Facebook Dating Is Real, and Amazon’s AI Ambitions