Shivraj Singh Chouhan stresses increasing farmers' income, food security

Jaipur, April 7 Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday addressed the inaugural ceremony of the Western Regional Conference organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and outlined three key objectives.

Speaking on the first objective, he stressed ensuring food security for citizens and maintaining a smooth supply of grains, fruits, milk, and other essentials. He emphasised that India should stay self-dependent in terms of food supply in line with the Prime Minister's call for “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. He noted that while wheat and rice stocks are currently sufficient, the next challenge is proper storage, reflecting the progress made so far. Highlighting the need to reduce import dependency, he added that production of pulses and oilseeds must be increased, as India still relies on imports to meet demand.

In his second objective, the Union Minister highlighted the need to increase farmers’ income and improve their quality of life. He said that when farmers work hard to produce quality crops, their earnings must rise and their lives should become easier, adding that efforts must focus on enhancing their income.

Third, he underscored the importance of nutrition security, stressing the responsibility to provide nutritious food to the country’s population. This requires increasing both production and productivity, reducing input costs, and ensuring farmers receive fair prices. He also pointed out challenges posed by climate change, such as unseasonal weather damaging standing crops, and mentioned that schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana have been introduced to address such risks.

The Union Minister further emphasised agricultural diversification, stating that with the emergence of new farming techniques, diversification has become essential. However, small landholdings in India pose a challenge compared to countries like the US and Brazil, where farms are much larger. This makes integrated farming an important opportunity, and some model initiatives have already been developed, he added.

Chouhan also stressed that land must be preserved for future generations through sustainable practices such as natural farming. The minister emphasised the role of innovation in farming. He said special emphasis has been laid on natural farming, modern agricultural practices, and the use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.

He further noted that crop selection, seed varieties, and farming techniques must be aligned with agro-climatic conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, he highlighted the importance of Farmer IDs, stating that they will become the foundation of farming in the coming years. With this system, farmers may not need multiple documents and could access services like banking more efficiently.

He noted that states such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra have made commendable progress in this area, and such innovations should be adopted widely in mission mode.

Referring to World Health Day, he also called upon everyone to stay fit. Chouhan said that earlier, regional conferences were not a regular practice, but it was later decided to initiate serious discussions on farming. This led to the concept of regional conferences. The idea of agro-climatic zones was then introduced, recognising that different regions have distinct weather conditions and cropping patterns.

Hence came the concept of organising different regional conferences for the different requirements of different areas. After discussions with the Prime Minister, it was decided to organise five such regional conferences, with the inaugural event being held in Rajasthan for the western region. He expressed satisfaction that all states have taken this initiative seriously. Representatives from Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan participated in the conference.

Earlier, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma welcomed the Union Minister.

In a post on X, he said, “Today, at the Chief Minister’s residence, I welcomed the Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri @ChouhanShivraj, by presenting him with a bouquet. During the meeting, meaningful discussions took place regarding the state’s agricultural development, farmer welfare, innovation, and various public welfare schemes. With your guidance and support, Rajasthan is continuously moving forward towards fulfilling the resolve of ‘Golden Rajasthan’.”

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