New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a fruitful discussion with members of farmers’ organizations today as part of his regular Tuesday dialogue with farmers. The meeting, aimed at addressing pressing issues faced by the agricultural community, saw active participation from presidents, conveners, and farmers representing various organizations. The discussions focused on key topics such as reducing agricultural costs, ensuring profitable prices, and protecting crops from environmental and animal-related threats.
Chouhan welcomed the suggestions brought forward by the farmers, including solutions for protecting crops from water-logging, improving the availability of pesticides and quality seeds, and mitigating the risks posed by wild animals. A significant portion of the discussion centered around soil health, with farmers raising concerns about the degradation caused by excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Farmers expressed that one of the major challenges is the lack of awareness about government schemes, which often prevents them from fully benefiting from the support available. While praising the crop insurance scheme, farmers highlighted that not all farmers are able to access its benefits. They also raised practical issues, such as the need for faster replacement of burned transformers to avoid disruptions in irrigation, and the adverse effects of contaminated water from factories on crops and groundwater.
Chouhan acknowledged these concerns, noting that while they may seem small individually, resolving them could significantly boost farmers’ incomes by 10 to 20 percent. “Serving farmers is like worshipping God,” he said, expressing his commitment to addressing these issues.
The Union Minister emphasized the need for stronger laws to prevent the distribution of spurious seeds, a suggestion that will be taken up at the Central Government level. He also pointed out that some issues fall under state government jurisdiction, and promised to forward these suggestions to the respective state authorities for action.
Additionally, Chouhan discussed the importance of streamlining the process of maintaining agricultural records, based on valuable input from farmers to avoid the challenges of manual surveys. He thanked the farmers for their participation, stating, “We will work together on the suggestions we have received and collaborate with state governments to resolve the problems.”
