Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented a major initiative for farmers on the second day of the Advanced Agriculture Festival being held in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, by releasing a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for four districts — Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, and Dewas. On this occasion, he also inspected an Integrated Farming Model with the objective of promoting modern agriculture practices. At the same time, during special sessions organised at the Festival on the Crop Insurance Scheme and Integrated Farming, the Union Minister directly interacted with farmers, listened to their problems in detail, and held extensive discussions with scientists and experts to find practical solutions.

During his address, he emphasised that in order to make agriculture more profitable, it is extremely essential to adopt new technologies, diversify crops, and implement integrated farming systems. He stated that farmers should not limit themselves to traditional farming practices alone but should also incorporate activities such as animal husbandry, horticulture, beekeeping, and organic farming into their agricultural systems. By doing so, farmers will be able to achieve higher returns at lower costs. He further stated that continuous efforts are being made at every level to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last farmer in the most remote areas.

 

Agricultural roadmap for Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore and Dewas

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Advanced Agriculture Festival is not merely a formal or ceremonial event, but rather a serious and structured effort aimed at bringing meaningful improvements in the country’s agricultural system. He stated that a well-defined agricultural development roadmap has now been prepared for the districts of Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, and Dewas. In the coming time, similar plans will be developed for all districts of Madhya Pradesh.

He clearly stated that these plans will not remain confined to paper or administrative files but will be implemented effectively on the ground. Through the convergence and coordination of various schemes of the central and state governments, the benefits of these plans will be delivered directly to farmers. The aim is to make agriculture not only more profitable but also more sustainable in the long run.

He further said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, continuous efforts are being made to transform the direction of agriculture and to make farming more profitable and resilient. At the Festival, farmers are being provided with practical, field-level, and scientific knowledge. Through different sessions, attempts are being made to explain various aspects of farming in a simple and accessible manner so that farmers can improve their crop systems and overall production practices.

The Union Minister emphasised that the need of the hour is for farmers to adopt scientific methods of cultivation based on their specific soil conditions, local climate, availability of water, and existing resources. He stressed that instead of focusing solely on increasing production, equal attention must be given to selecting the right crops and ensuring sustainable farming practices.

 

Focus on water management, crop diversification and value addition in the agricultural roadmap

Keeping in view the climatic conditions, soil characteristics, and temperature variations of these four districts, a comprehensive agricultural roadmap has been prepared. The primary objective of this roadmap is to make agriculture more profitable, promote efficient use of water, and increase production through better utilisation of available resources.

He stated that the plan focuses on promoting climate-resilient agriculture, increasing productivity, enhancing farmers’ incomes, conserving water resources, encouraging crop diversification, and strengthening farmers’ linkage with markets. Under this initiative, efforts have been made to prepare location-specific action plans at the block level so that agricultural development can be aligned with local needs and conditions.

At the same time, he emphasised that dependence on traditional crops such as wheat, paddy, and soybean needs to be reduced, and there is a need to promote alternative crops. He highlighted that equal importance must be given to value addition and the development of a market-oriented agricultural system.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also pointed out that in districts such as Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, and Dewas, a large portion of irrigation depends on groundwater, and in several areas, groundwater levels have reached critical levels. Along with this, declining soil health and lack of value addition have emerged as major challenges for farmers in these regions.

Taking these issues into account, efforts have been made to explore possibilities beyond wheat cultivation. The Union Minister said that there is significant potential in the cultivation of vegetables such as tomato, onion, garlic, okra, and capsicum. In addition, fruits like pomegranate have good prospects in the region. He further mentioned that high-value crops such as dragon fruit and avocado can also be adopted by farmers to increase profitability.

He emphasised that if proper scientific planning is undertaken and crop diversification is implemented along with efficient use of resources, then there is a strong possibility of significantly increasing the income of farmers in these districts.

 

Soil Mobile App launched for scientific farming

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan advised farmers to adopt scientific farming practices and stated that general information at the regional level is not sufficient. Instead, every farmer must have accurate knowledge about the condition of the soil in his or her own field.

He explained that although general soil-related information is provided at the district and block levels, real benefits can only be achieved when farmers conduct soil testing for their individual fields and obtain Soil Health Cards. This will clearly indicate which nutrients are required for specific crops and in what quantities.

He further stated that to facilitate farmers, a new mobile application has been launched, making farming easier and more accessible. Farmers can download the app on their mobile phones and, while standing in their fields, can determine the appropriate quantity of fertilisers and nutrients required for different crops.

He warned that indiscriminate and uninformed use of fertilisers can be harmful. Such practices not only increase input costs for farmers but also negatively affect soil quality over time. He emphasised that using fertilisers in scientifically determined quantities will reduce financial losses for farmers and help maintain soil fertility.

For this purpose, he stressed the importance of greater use of Soil Health Cards and modern technologies.

 

Seed villages to be developed in every block

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that high-quality seeds are the most critical factor in increasing agricultural production. The roadmap includes not only traditional crops, fruits, and vegetables but also emerging high-potential crops such as dragon fruit, avocado, and blueberry.

He said that farmers will be informed about these new crops through social media platforms and will also be provided with necessary training. He clarified that this initiative will not remain limited to the duration of the Festival but will continue in the form of ongoing guidance and training programmes so that farmers can adopt new technologies and crops effectively.

He further proposed that certain villages in every block should be developed as ‘Seed Villages’, where high-quality seeds can be produced locally. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will provide full support in this effort and will supply breeder seeds.

He explained that if approximately 10 villages in each block are developed as seed villages and farmers are provided access to quality seeds locally, then agricultural production can increase by nearly 20 per cent.

He also stated that central and state government schemes will be utilised for developing seed villages, and financial assistance will be provided under the ‘Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material’, with joint support from the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

He directed officials to prepare the necessary action plans under this scheme and implement them on the ground at the earliest so that farmers can benefit from better seed availability and increased income.

Clean Plant Centres and Machine Banks to support farmers

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that to increase farmers’ income and make agriculture more efficient, the central government is establishing ‘Clean Plant Centres’ to provide high-quality, disease-free planting material to farmers. One such centre may also be established in Madhya Pradesh.

Along with this, nurseries will be developed to provide certified and tested plants to farmers so that they do not face any fraud or losses due to poor-quality planting material.

The Union Minister also highlighted that the availability of agricultural machinery is a major challenge. Not every farmer is financially capable of purchasing expensive machines, which often affects timely agricultural operations.

To address this issue, he proposed promoting the model of ‘Machine Banks’ and ‘Custom Hiring Centres’. He cited the example of Punjab, where machine banks have been established at the panchayat levels, allowing farmers to rent equipment at affordable rates.

He stated that similar efforts will be made in Madhya Pradesh to establish Machine Banks at the panchayat levels and to set up at least five Custom Hiring Centres in every block.

He also appealed to sarpanches to take initiative in this direction and said that panchayat institutions can play a crucial role in establishing machine banks and ensuring affordable and timely access to machinery for farmers.

 

Strengthening systems through coordination between agricultural institutions

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised the need to expand cold chain infrastructure and pack houses to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables. He pointed out that perishable produce often results in farmers not receiving fair prices, leading to significant losses.

To address this issue, he stated that cold storage facilities, pack houses, and cold chain infrastructure will be developed in Madhya Pradesh using central government agricultural infrastructure schemes, in coordination with the state government. He also stressed the importance of encouraging private sector participation in this area.

The Union Minister highlighted that Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) must be strengthened in mission mode. He said that individual farming often creates challenges, whereas collective efforts can lead to better prices and improved access to resources and facilities.

He pointed out that farmers often incur losses when market prices fall, but such losses can be mitigated through processing and value addition. Technologies developed by ICAR can enable the production of value-added products such as tomato sauce, puree, and even tomato powder, thereby creating additional income opportunities for farmers.

He further stated that a strong institutional system will be developed by linking ICAR institutions in and around Bhopal with agricultural colleges and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). This will ensure that scientists work directly with farmers and provide continuous guidance, enabling the adoption of modern and scientific agricultural practices.

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