Centre, States Must Work Together for Farmers’ Welfare: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday called for closer coordination between the Centre and state governments to improve farmers’ welfare and increase their incomes, assuring states of full central support for the development of agriculture.

Addressing the inaugural session of a conference of agriculture ministers from southern states in Hyderabad, Chouhan stressed the need to ensure that every farmer gets a Kisan Credit Card (KCC). He suggested that KCCs could initially be issued to beneficiaries of PM-KISAN, enabling them to access agricultural loans at lower interest rates.

Since land and farmers fall largely under the states’ jurisdiction, Centre-state coordination was essential, he said, stressing that the national interest should remain the top priority.

Chouhan said the regional conference would help strengthen cooperation and called for state-specific agricultural roadmaps based on local climatic and geographical conditions. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other research institutions were ready to assist states in preparing development plans, he said.

Highlighting the impact of El Niño in southern states, the minister said district-wise assessments had been undertaken and contingency plans prepared. Since the impact could differ across districts, states should promote less water-intensive crops and ensure adequate availability of required seeds, with central assistance.

He said the Centre’s agricultural priorities included food security, nutritional security, higher farm incomes, increased productivity and lower cultivation costs, along with remunerative prices. Crop insurance, crop diversification and soil health protection were also important components of the roadmap.

Chouhan asked states to assess seed requirements in advance to ensure timely supplies and take steps to prevent farmers from suffering due to substandard seeds and pesticides. While calling for new laws governing seeds and pesticides, he urged states to effectively enforce existing legislation until new laws are introduced.

The minister said the Centre had assured procurement support for tur, masur and urad, while procurement of other crops would be undertaken under the PM-AASHA scheme. He also announced that a new scheme to promote coconut cultivation and production would be launched soon.