Time for tailor-made agriculture plans for states akin to regional factors: Shivraj Chouhan
Chouhan noted that integrated farming systems such as intercropping, combining grains with fruits and vegetables, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping and tree-based farming can prove highly useful for small farmers
Union minister Shivraj Chouhan on Friday said every state should draw its own strategy to diversify agriculture, become self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds, and shift to high-value crops.
Speaking during the Northern Regional Agriculture Conference in Lucknow, he said future agricultural planning would move away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach and instead be tailored to regional factors such as climate, water availability, soil conditions, and crop patterns.
He said the Centre and states are working together to prepare a joint roadmap for upcoming kharif and rabi seasons, emphasizing that agriculture being a state subject requires close coordination for effective implementation.
The minister noted that the government’s strategy is moving forward on six major pillars. These include increasing production, reducing cost of cultivation, ensuring farmers get full value for their hard work, guaranteeing compensation when losses occur, promoting agricultural diversification and connecting farming with markets. He said that merely depending on wheat-paddy based agriculture would not be sufficient for the future.
"Therefore, strengthening pulses, oilseeds, horticulture, fruits and vegetables, food processing and value addition has become the need of the time," he said.
Chouhan noted that integrated farming systems such as intercropping, combining grains with fruits and vegetables, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping and tree-based farming can prove highly useful for small farmers.
During the conference, he underlined the role of the Kisan Credit Card scheme. He said crores of farmers still do not have complete access to affordable formal agricultural credit. He also described Farmer ID as a major reform in agricultural governance.
Referring to recent challenges faced by farmers, the agriculture minister said the government has approved procurement of 20 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes under the MIS (market intervention scheme) scheme to support farmers affected by falling prices. He also announced plans to establish an international processing centre in Uttar Pradesh to boost potato processing, storage, and value addition.
To strengthen horticulture, nine Clean Plant Centres are being set up across the country to provide disease-free, high-quality planting material, he said.
