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As the government sharpens its focus on making agriculture a profitable enterprise and boosting India's presence in global markets, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday urged scientists and institutions to concentrate research efforts on the sector's most pressing challenges.
Speaking at the Agri Business Summit 2025 here, Chouhan stressed that agricultural research must directly strengthen productivity, resilience, and farm incomes. "Research should be done where it is required. Don't waste resources in unwanted research," he said, highlighting urgent priorities such as tackling pink bollworm disease in cotton and red rot infection in sugarcane. Underscoring the government's broader strategy to enhance agricultural output and competitiveness, Chouhan noted that India's foodgrain production has risen 44 per cent since 2014, supported by scientific innovation and climate-resilient farming. "We developed 3,300 climate-resilient seed varieties," he said, adding that improved seeds, robust agri inputs, and mechanisation remain essential to driving further gains. At the core of the government's agricultural roadmap, the minister reiterated, is the commitment to ensure farming becomes economically rewarding. "Input cost should be lower than selling price for a better profit to farmers," he stated. As part of efforts to stabilise farmer earnings, Chouhan announced a new approach under which the Centre will cover the gap between market prices and minimum support prices for select horticulture crops--an initiative states may co-fund up to 50 per cent. Calling for responsible use of fertilisers and pesticides, he urged industry leaders to protect soil health and ensure product quality. He further emphasised the need for stringent regulatory oversight, noting that amendments to the Seed Act and the Pesticide Management Act are underway to strengthen quality assurance. Chouhan also reiterated a ban on "tagging" in agri-input sales and pressed for limits on middlemen margins to ensure farmers receive fair prices. The minister announced a national brainstorming session on December 22 with scientists, industry, and value-chain partners to chart strategies for raising agriculture's contribution to GDP. Highlighting the government's push to make Indian agriculture globally competitive, Chouhan said that with most farmers operating small landholdings, boosting profitability requires both higher productivity and expanded access to international markets. "We are planning to export wheat. Now we are exporting rice," he said, signalling a broader export-oriented outlook aimed at transforming Indian agriculture into a stronger driver of economic growth. (ANI)
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