Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Urges States to Actively Join ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’

New Delhi: In a concerted effort to revolutionize Indian agriculture, Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan today virtually interacted with Agriculture Ministers from various states, urging their active participation in the upcoming ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, scheduled to take place nationwide from May 29 to June 12, 2025.

The Minister, addressing the meeting from Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, described the campaign as a landmark initiative aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, empowering farmers through innovation, and ensuring long-term food security for the nation. “This is our land, our soil, and our farmers,” Shri Chouhan declared, emphasizing the need to make agriculture profitable, sustainable, and nutrition-focused.

He called upon states to reach as many farmers as possible during the campaign to ensure wide dissemination of technological advancements and agricultural research. The Minister lauded the states’ contributions to the country’s record agricultural output this year, including significant growth in rice, maize, pulses, and oilseed production, and extended congratulations to all state agriculture ministers.

Describing agriculture as the backbone of India’s economy, which supports nearly half the population, Shri Chouhan stressed the importance of conserving natural resources while securing the future of farming communities. He also underlined the potential of better coordination among institutions, universities, departments, and governments to unlock new opportunities in the sector. “Working in a coordinated and unified manner can create miracles in farming,” he said.

The Minister highlighted the campaign’s alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Lab to Land’ vision, stating that it aims to bridge the gap between research and real-life agricultural challenges. “The ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ is not just a campaign—it is a movement towards building a developed agriculture system for a developed India,” he remarked.

The initiative will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). As part of the campaign, 2,170 teams of agricultural scientists will be deployed to villages across the country. These teams will engage in two-way communication—disseminating research-based knowledge to farmers while collecting insights on local farming challenges to guide future innovations.

In his concluding remarks, Chouhan made a clarion call to all states to approach the campaign with the spirit of “One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team”, especially ahead of the upcoming Kharif sowing season. He encouraged collective ownership, stating that only through shared commitment and ground-level action can Indian agriculture achieve the transformation it urgently needs.