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Eastern India’s agriculture sector can achieve new heights: Chouhan
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Friday, 22 May, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while addressing a press conference during the Eastern Regional Kharif Agriculture Zonal Conference in Bhubaneswar, said, “Eastern India’s agriculture sector can achieve new heights through a subject-specific, region-specific and state-specific roadmap developed jointly by the Centre and the States.” He said the zonal conference, comprising Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal, emerged as a meaningful platform for detailed deliberations on food security, nutrition, farmers’ income, crop diversification, integrated farming, balanced fertiliser use, Farmer ID, pulses and oilseeds, natural farming, horticulture and agricultural infrastructure.
Interacting with the media, Chouhan said that India is a vast country with diverse agro-climatic conditions, varying soil characteristics and different agricultural challenges across states. Therefore, instead of holding only one national conference, the system of zonal conferences is proving to be more effective. He informed that this was the third zonal conference, aimed at enabling detailed discussions and concrete decisions tailored to the specific needs of Eastern India.
Chouhan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Government of India has three clear objectives in the agriculture sector — ensuring the country’s food security, improving nutritional availability in addition to grain production, and strengthening farmers’ income and livelihoods. Keeping these goals in view, the Government has adopted a six-point strategy focused on increasing production and productivity, reducing input costs, ensuring remunerative prices for farmers, providing compensation in case of losses, and accelerating diversification in agriculture.
Chouhan said that India is in a strong position in the production of paddy and wheat, but self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds is still to be achieved. He clarified that diversification is not merely about expanding other crops, but also about protecting soil health. Repeated cultivation of the same crop adversely impacts soil fertility, whereas pulses improve soil quality through nitrogen fixation. The Union Minister emphasised that integrated farming has been accorded special importance keeping in mind the needs of small and marginal farmers. He said models have been developed in which grains are combined with horticulture, vegetables, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping and agro-forestry to create multiple sources of income for farmers. He added that integrated farming has immense potential to substantially increase farmers’ income in Eastern India.
Chouhan also highlighted the issue of agricultural credit and farmer financing. He said the flow of agricultural loans remains inadequate in several states and districts, despite the growing need for capital to expand modern farming practices, horticulture and integrated farming. He said state-specific models would be developed to ensure more effective credit delivery to farmers. The Union Minister announced that a nationwide 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' would be launched from June 1 to June 15, focusing on balanced fertiliser use, soil health awareness and farmer education. He said excessive use of fertilisers without understanding soil conditions increases costs and adversely affects soil, crop and human health, making balanced application essential.
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