Actively involving himself in the ongoing ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, a central government campaign aimed at making Indian agriculture a developed one, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday interacted with the farmers in Punjab, the state known as the food bowl of India.
Speaking on the occasion, the union minister emphasized that the campaign has been organised to bridge the gap between the agricultural research and the farming community, by translating scientific knowledge from “lab to land”.
He lauded the spirit and dedication of the farmers of the state, commending their invaluable efforts, and congratulating them for their work in the progress of India’s agriculture.
The minister also expressed satisfaction over the record-high wheat production achieved this year and noted similar achievements in rice, maize, groundnut, soybean, pulses, and oilseeds.
He noted that India is now self-reliant in food grain production and continues to make significant strides in agricultural productivity.
Chouhan, during the meet, also recalled the days when India had to depend on low-quality wheat imports under the PL-480 agreement and credited the Green Revolution for ending this dependency.
Talking about his personal involvement in the whole matter, the minister said that he drove a tractor in the fields to better understand the practical challenges faced by farmers.
He also reiterated that the future agricultural policies would be formulated based on the grassroots-level data being collected during the campaign.
As part of this initiative, agricultural scientists visit villages with prior knowledge of local conditions and engage with farmers accordingly, offering customized guidance on improving productivity based on soil nutrients, climate, and appropriate crop varieties, an official communique issued here said.
Farmers are also educated about pest control and proper use of agrochemicals. The information gathered during these interactions is being used to steer research in directions that meet the actual needs of the field, it said.
The event was attended by Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Vice-Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University along with several scientists and officials.