NEW DELHI, April 9 -- India has hiked subsidies for farming fertilisers by 11 per cent from last year to support its vast agriculture sector from surging prices sparked by the Middle East war.

The agricultural sector helps sustain over 45 per cent of people in India, the world's most populous nation, making it an influential voting bloc.

"The subsidy would be provided to the fertiliser companies as per approved and notified rates, so that fertilisers are made available to farmers at affordable prices," a cabinet statement on Wednesday read.

Individual farms are small and often unproductive, and successive Indian governments have regularly intervened to protect them from foreign competition.

"In view of the recent trends in the interna...