NEW DELHI, 26 June 2025: Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently announced that India’s food grain production has increased by 44% over the past 11 years, attributing the growth to focused reforms and farmer-centric policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Addressing the media during a national review on soybean productivity, Chouhan said that India is now the fourth-largest economy in the world, and an empowered agricultural sector is central to sustaining this momentum. “For a developed India, we must have developed agriculture and prosperous farmers,” he asserted.
The announcement came as part of the government’s follow-up to the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a nationwide campaign aimed at bridging the gap between agricultural research and field-level application. As part of the campaign, 2,170 expert teams engaged over 13.5 million farmers, bringing scientists directly into the fields.
‘Lab-to-Land’ Approach Driving Field Innovation
Chouhan acknowledged a long-standing issue—research innovations were not reaching the farm gates effectively. “We are reversing that approach. Farmers, not just scientists in Delhi, will now set the agenda for agricultural research,” he said.
Farmers highlighted challenges including substandard seeds, unregulated pesticide use, and poor seed availability. These insights have now become national research priorities, he added.
Soybean Focus: From Seeds to Soy Milk
Soybean, a key protein crop, was at the center of the minister’s address. He announced upcoming crop-specific consultations for cotton in Coimbatore, sugarcane in Meerut, and pulses in Kanpur.
The ministry’s plan includes:
- Use of genome editing to develop high-yielding, disease-resistant seeds
- Focus on mechanization to tackle rising labour shortages
- Research on root rot prevention, seed treatment, and early disease detection
- Promotion of soymeal exports and value-added soy products like tofu and soy milk
Chouhan shared that some progressive farmers are already harvesting 20 quintals of soybean per acre and their techniques will be studied and scaled.
Unified National Strategy for Agriculture
Underscoring the government’s agricultural roadmap, Shri Chouhan reiterated the mantra: “One Nation – One Agriculture – One Team.” He called for unified action among farmers, scientists, institutions, and policymakers to drive sustainable, inclusive agricultural growth.
This new phase of agricultural transformation reflects a data-driven, grassroots-first approach, aiming not just for production growth but also resilience, profitability, and global competitiveness.
