Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan holds crucial meeting with state agriculture ministers and officials

New Delhi:14/8/25:  Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today chaired an important meeting in New Delhi with various state agriculture ministers, Agriculture Secretary Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Dr. M.L. Jat, along with senior officials and scientists from several states.

Discussions covered a wide range of topics — shortage of fertilisers and urea, certification of bio-stimulants, preparations for the upcoming Rabi crop under the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, the National Mission on Natural Farming, increasing pulses and oilseeds production, the 5-year agricultural action plan, settlement of crop insurance claims in flood and disaster-affected areas, and publicising the toll-free number for resolving farmers’ grievances.

Shri Chouhan began the meeting by extending greetings of Independence Day. He informed that a two-day conference on the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ for the Rabi crop will be organised in New Delhi on September 15–16, and the formal launch of the campaign will be held on October 3, 2025, coinciding with Vijay Parv. The campaign will run from October 3 to Dhanteras on October 18. He urged all state agriculture ministers to prepare seriously for this initiative. He added that he would formally write to the Chief Ministers of the states to ensure the presence of Agriculture Ministers and senior agriculture department officials at the conference. Shri Chouhan also asked the ministers to gather data on fertiliser requirements for the Rabi season and come prepared for an in-depth discussion at the conference.

During the meeting, various Agriculture Ministers shared their respective on-ground challenges with the Union Minister. Agriculture Ministers from Rajasthan (Shri Bhajan Lal), Uttar Pradesh (Shri Surya Pratap Shahi), Madhya Pradesh (Shri Aindal Singh Kanshana), Bihar (Deputy Chief Minister Shri Samrat Choudhary), Karnataka (Shri N. Cheluvarayaswamy), Uttarakhand (Shri Ganesh Joshi), Chhattisgarh (Shri Ramvichar Netam), as well as representatives from Gujarat (Shri Raghavjibhai Patel) and Punjab (Shri Gurmeet Singh Khuddian), requested additional urea supplies. Ministers from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh also reported crop damage due to natural disasters and sought additional financial assistance.

In conclusion, Shri Chouhan reiterated the Prime Minister’s call to adopt Swadeshi and asserted that under no circumstances will the interests of the agriculture sector or the citizens of the country be compromised. The interests of farmers, as well as livestock rearers and fishermen, will be safeguarded, and the government remains committed to the nation’s goal of agricultural development.