New Delhi, June 18, 2025 : Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, lauded the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan as a highly impactful initiative that has achieved widespread success across the country. He emphasized that the campaign is not a one-time effort, it marks the beginning of a sustained movement to modernize Indian agriculture and enhance farmers’ prosperity through direct field-level engagement. As part of the campaign, 2,170 teams comprising scientists, officials, and agricultural experts visited over 1.42 lakh villages, directly interacting with more than 1.34 crore farmers. The initiative witnessed active participation from Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, State Ministers, Members of Parliament, MLAs, and a large number of grassroots representatives.
The campaign emphasized inclusive outreach, with special focus on underserved regions:
- In 177 tribal districts, over 8,000 programs were conducted across 1,024 blocks, reaching around 18 lakh farmers.
- In 112 aspirational districts, teams visited approximately 6,800 villages and engaged with 15 lakh farmers.
- Nearly 100 border districts and vibrant villages were also covered to ensure outreach to remote and strategic regions.
A key highlight of the campaign was the Kisan Chaupals, which facilitated direct and meaningful dialogues between scientists and farmers. Discussions included agro-climatic suitability of crops, seed varieties, soil health, and pest management. Two significant insights emerged:
- Localized research is critical—research priorities must be informed by ground realities, not just central directives.
- Farmers as innovators—many farmers demonstrated indigenous innovations tailored to local needs, surprising even seasoned scientists.
Several farmers also raised policy-related concerns, such as:
- The need for an integrated climate change action plan.
- Simplifying organic farming certification.
- Formulating a comprehensive fodder policy.
- Making Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) more practical and effective.
Highlighting the importance of farmer-driven policymaking and demand-driven research, Shri Chouhan stated that these recommendations will be integral for future policy development. He also said that ‘the field is the most authentic laboratory, and the farmer’s voice must guide our path.’ The press conference was also attended by Shri Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary (MoA&FW) and Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR).
