New Delhi: The Union Agriculture Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced on Monday that India’s total foodgrain production increased by over 106 lakh tonnes, reaching 1,663.91 lakh tonnes in the 2024-25 fiscal year. This result marks a 6.83% rise from the previous year’s figure of 1,557.6 lakh tonnes.
According to Chouhan, in the ongoing agricultural year (2024-25), the production of the rabi crop has increased from 1,600.06 lakh tonnes to 1,645.27 lakh tonnes. He noted that the agricultural vision of the ministry focuses on not only meeting India’s food requirements but also positioning the country as a global food basket.
At a farmers convention in Nagpur on Sunday, Chouhan called for "One Nation, One Agriculture, and One Team" to help farmers become self-reliant and increase their incomes. The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry, in a 15-day campaign from May 29 to June 12, will send agricultural scientists to village settings to guide farmers on sustainable farming practices and plan for the Kharif season.
Under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), 16,000 agricultural scientists are deployed. They will travel to villages together with agricultural extension officers to teach farmers about new seed varieties and innovative farming methods. The government is committed to closing the gap between research labs and the farms via this approach.
Chouhan also emphasized the need for cooperation among the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry, state agriculture ministries, ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and all agricultural institutes to achieve their goals. One of his proposals is to set up a national-level lab in Pune specifically designed for research on original plant species.
