By : Shivraj Singh Chouhan
New Delhi : The Indian agriculture sector is steadily progressing under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. His visionary approach and historic decisions dedicated to farmer welfare have empowered our farmer brothers and sisters and strengthened the grand vision of a Viksit Bharat’. Today, our food producers are not only ensuring the nation’s food security but also amplifying India’s pride by exporting food grains to several countries. Our mission, in collaboration with states, is to work as ‘One Nation – One Agriculture – One Team’, ensuring that agricultural research conducted in laboratories reaches the farmlands on time, so that we modernise agriculture and farmers become self-reliant. Agriculture and farmers form the foundation of the nation’s prosperity. Our agricultural scientists have conducted numerous studies and are engaged in increasing crop production at lower costs through new-age technologies, improved seeds, and fertilizers. To ensure their research reaches farmers in real time and helps them understand aspects like climate change impact, soil nutrients, and correct use of fertilizers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, is launching the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ from May 29 to June 12.
Through this nationwide campaign, 2,170 teams of scientists will visit over 65,000 villages in more than 700 districts. Approximately 15 million farmers will be directly engaged during this initiative.
Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, modernising agriculture and transforming the lives of farmers is our top priority. This campaign is not a formality but a grand mission to bring prosperity to farmers’ lives. Scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), state agricultural departments, agricultural universities, and innovation-related institutions will work together as one team towards the goal of “developed agriculture and prosperous farmers”. This campaign will realise the Prime Minister’s ‘Lab-to-Land’ mantra and transform both the destiny of farmers and the face of Indian agriculture. Scientists will interact directly with farmers in villages, sharing research findings, and also learning from the farmers’ lived experiences to make research more practical. If our efforts through this campaign and the tireless work of farmers increase productivity even by one quintal per hectare, it will augment food production across the country by an additional 20 million tonnes.
Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, with about 50% of the population dependent on it directly or indirectly. It contributes around 18% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India is rapidly moving toward becoming a developed nation, and modernised agriculture with prosperous farmers will play a critical role in this journey.
Over the past 11 years, the NDA government has taken several decisions to empower farmers — from seeds to a marketplace — making farming easier. Recent initiatives like procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), removal of export duties on onions and rice, development of climate-resilient and high-yield crop varieties, and expansion of farmer-friendly schemes have all reflected the Modi government’s commitment to farmer welfare. India has recently surpassed Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. Agricultural production has witnessed historic growth, with food grain output expected to reach 330.9 million tonnes in 2024-25. Kharif rice is estimated at 120.6 million tonnes, wheat at 115.4 million tonnes, and soybean at 15.1 million tonnes, all at record levels. Soybean productivity has increased from 985 kg per hectare to 1,169 kg per hectare. The horticulture sector is also expected to reach 362.1 million tonnes in output. These achievements highlight the combined success of farmers’ hard work, scientific research, and the government’s pro-farmer policies.
With a comprehensive vision, integrated approach, clear policies, and sincere intentions, the central government has devised a six-point strategy to increase farmers’ income, ensure fair value for their efforts, and make them self-reliant. This includes increasing production, reducing costs, ensuring fair prices, providing adequate disaster relief, promoting diversification, and encouraging natural farming. The ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ is a mega movement to improve the lives of farmers. I appeal to all my farmer brothers and sisters to join this campaign and reap benefits from it. By following the advice given by scientists, you can modernise your farming methodologies and increase your produce. With the goal of boosting agricultural production, reducing costs, and maximizing farmer benefits, this grand mission will become the foundation of a developed India.