Piyush Goyal highlights resilience of Indian agriculture amid global challenges

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, highlighted the government’s continued focus on empowering India’s agricultural sector while addressing the 16th Agriculture Leadership Conclave held in New Delhi.

During his address, Goyal stated that over 25 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed to farmers across the country to encourage balanced use of fertilisers and improve crop productivity.

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He also said that crop loans have been made more accessible through the Kisan Credit Card initiative, playing a key role in easing farmers’ financial burden.

Minister Goyal reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to agriculture under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that a significant number of farming families have benefited from the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme, which provides direct income support to farmers.

On the marketing and digitisation front, he informed that 1,400 agricultural mandis have been integrated with the e-NAM platform, helping farmers access real-time price information and strengthen market linkages across the country.

The minister also underscored the government’s efforts in ensuring affordable fertiliser availability. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre maintained uninterrupted fertiliser supply to farmers by offering substantial subsidies.

Despite global economic challenges and a slowdown in exports, Goyal said India’s agricultural sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, with combined exports from agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries touching ₹4 lakh crore.

He credited the farming community for driving India’s “Local Goes Global” vision and contributing to the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He further praised Indian farmers for their global contribution in the success of basmati rice, spices, fresh produce, horticulture, fisheries, and poultry.

Minister Goyal noted that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries like Australia, the UAE, EFTA nations, and the UK have opened new markets and provided a boost to the sector.

Looking ahead, the minister said there would be greater focus on enhancing seed production, organic and natural farming, and modern irrigation techniques, including drip irrigation.

He also emphasised the push towards digital agriculture, supported by AI, geospatial technology, weather forecasting, vertical farming, and AI-enabled tools to strengthen Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives.

Highlighting the need for value addition, Goyal said that improvements in food processing, design, branding, and packaging would further enhance agriculture’s contribution to the economy. He added that investments and schemes aimed at warehousing and storage infrastructure are central to the government’s strategy.

Concluding his address, Goyal affirmed the Centre’s commitment to building a secure and prosperous future for farmers, asserting that agriculture continues to be a key engine driving the vision of Viksit Bharat.