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Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the meeting with farmer leaders was held in a cordial atmosphere and the next round of talks will take place in Chandigarh March 19. A fresh round of talks between the protesting farmers and a central team led by Chouhan to discuss the formers' various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP on crops, was held here on Saturday evening. Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal also attended the meeting on Centre's behalf. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chouhan said the discussions with the farmers took place in a cordial atmosphere. The central team placed the farmers' welfare programme, which is the priority of the Narendra Modi government, before the farmers during the meeting, Chouhan said. "We heard the views of farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher. A very good discussion took place. The discussions would continue and the next meeting will be held in Chandigarh on Mar
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said a national-level committee will soon be established to promote natural farming across the country. Through this committee, farmers will be made aware of adopting natural farming practices and be given necessary training, he said. If farmers adopt natural farming correctly, it will not only boost their income but also preserve soil fertility, he said, adding that in addition, citizens will benefit from access to vegetables, grains, and fruits free from chemicals and pesticides. He stated this after observing the natural farming practices under the guidance of Gujarat Governor, Acharya Devvrat, in village Kainthala in Kurukshetra district, said an official statement. Prior to this, Chouhan visited Gurukul Kurukshetra, where he examined the Gaushala for indigenous cows, the Gurukul's hostel, and other facilities. Gujarat Governor Devvrat provided detailed insights into the progress and achievements of the Gurukul. The
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said the government is working out measures to ensure that farmers do not have to sell their produces, especially fruits and vegetables, at throwaway prices. Speaking after inaugurating the 'Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela' 2025 -- being held in the national capital from February 22-24 -- he emphasised the need to take new seeds varieties and farm technologies from labs to agriculture filed at the earliest. Chouhan said the government is holding discussions with farmers directly as well as through their organisations to understand the problems and then making schemes to address the issues. "Jahan-Jahan takleefein dekh rahe hain, hum yojana bana rahe hain (wherever we are seeing problems, we are making schemes to address those)", the minister said, listing out steps taken by the government in the last few years to protect the interest of farmers. Chouhan said the government has removed exports restrictions on rice and onions while
A fresh round of talks between protesting farmers and the Centre will be held here on Saturday evening centred around the legal guarantee of minimum support price on crops, among other demands. The meeting between the central team and farmer leaders will take place at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh at 6 pm. In the last meeting held on February 14, Union minister Pralhad Joshi had said that Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would lead the central team for the February 22 meeting with the protesting farmers. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said a delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will take part in the meeting with a positive mind. Farmers expect from the government to resolve their issues at the earliest, he said. Farmers had earlier asked for the next meeting be held in Delhi but the government scheduled it in Chandigarh. Pandher said, "Today the sixth round of talks with th
India is likely to harvest bumper wheat crop during the current rabi (winter-sown) season on the back of higher acreage and conducive weather conditions so far, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday. India produced a record 1,132.92 lakh tonnes of wheat in 2023-24. "We will have bumper wheat production this year. Crop health is good," Chouhan told reporters here. The area under coverage of wheat stood at 320 lakh hectare in the rabi season of 2024-25 crop year (July-June) as against 315.63 lakh hectare in the preceding year. Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, too, expected bumper wheat production in 2024-25 on the back of higher sowing areas. He said the crop condition is good so far with normal day-night temperature. On Thursday, the Department of Food and Public Distribution tightened the stock limit on wheat for wholesalers, retailers and processors to keep prices under check and asserted that there is ample stock of food grain in the country.
The government does not tolerate irregularities and will take action if anyone is found guilty of indulging in corruption, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday amid allegations of corruption in Maharastra's agriculture department. Chouhan was responding to an allegation levelled by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, who quoted a minister and an MLA of Maharashtra of talking about alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore in the state's agriculture department. "This is for the first time I am hearing. I don't know what is the real position. But if there is any irregularity anywhere, we will conduct an inquiry and action will be taken against the guilty," he said in the Lok Sabha. Replying to another question, the minister said that so far 23 states and union territories have implemented the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) while the rest are yet to accept it. "It is the largest crop insurance scheme in the world. Some states
The government is trying to bring policy-level changes for simplifying agriculture, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said and indicated that providing subsidies on fertiliser, seed and farming equipment through direct benefit transfer could be considered in the future. In an interaction with farmers, who were invited to witness the Republic Day parade as special guests, at his residence here on Monday, the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister said the government spends up to Rs 2,00,000 crore on fertiliser subsidies. "The fertiliser subsidy that the government gives costs to the tune of Rs 2,00,000 crore. A sack of urea costs Rs 265 to the farmers, but it costs Rs 2,400. The subsidy goes to the company. The fertilizer is also used for other purposes... If there is a reliable system, farmers can be given the subsidy directly in their accounts," Chouhan said. "The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi's cost comes to around Rs 60,000 crore, if the fertilizer subsidy is given throu
With less than a fortnight to go for the polling day in Delhi, the BJP stepped up its campaign on Sunday as it organised 20 public meetings which were addressed by top leaders including Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hardeep Puri and Smriti Irani. Over 100 organisational meetings and door-to-door campaigns were held by the party across the city, said a Delhi BJP statement. Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a rally in Narela and call on the voters to bring back the BJP to power in Delhi. Party leaders Arjun Ram Meghwal, Anurag Thakur, Manoj Tiwari, and Ravi Kishan also addressed public meetings in different constituencies. BJP candidates conducted door-to-door campaigns in all 70 assembly constituencies, directly interacting with over 70,000 families, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, who addressed five organisational meetings and women's conference. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal will "deceive" Delhi women just as he did in Punjab, but the BJP will serve them in D
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the government is working on a model to allow farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers, reducing middlemen's role. Interacting with about 400 farmers after the Republic Day parade at Pusa campus, Chouhan emphasized that the "farm to consumer" model will help farmers get maximum benefits, an official statement said. "Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and farmers are its soul. Without farmers, India cannot prosper," he said. While agriculture is a state subject, the Centre will support farmers comprehensively, Chouhan stated. "The contribution of the agriculture sector and farmers would play a key role in making India a developed nation. The Centre along with state governments will support you," he said. He highlighted ongoing efforts including procuring crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), promoting technological solutions, strengthening Krishi Vighyan Kendras, encouraging natural farming and crop
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday urged state governments to prioritise oil palm plantation targets under the NMEO-OP scheme by addressing bottlenecks and mobilizing available resources. The National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was launched in August 2021, with the primary objective of enhancing domestic production of palm oil and reducing reliance on imports. The mission aims to bring 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm plantations by 2025-26. "While significant progress has been made in certain regions, others need to accelerate their efforts," Chouhan said in a statement. The under utilization of allocated funds and delays in achieving plantation targets underscore the urgency for a more focused and coordinated approach, he said. Chouhan emphasized the need for states to prioritize achieving their plantation targets by addressing bottlenecks and mobilizing available resources. With substantial unspent funds under NMEO-OP, the minister urged state
Agriculture minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday reviewed various schemes with state agriculture ministers and sought their suggestions on ongoing programmes and budget allocation ahead of the Union Budget. During a virtual meeting, Chouhan expressed satisfaction over the agriculture and allied sector's likely higher growth rate of 3.5-4 per cent in the 2024-25 fiscal year, and urged state governments to work at a "faster pace", according to an official statement. He welcomed the State Bank of India's report showing that the rural poverty rate declined to below 5 per cent for the first time in FY24 from 7.2 per cent in FY23. The minister said the Centre is implementing a six-point strategy to boost the farm sector, including increasing production per hectare through research by ICAR and release of new seed varieties. The government is also focusing on reducing production costs, promoting micro irrigation, farm mechanisation, technology adoption, and new agricultural ...