Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday called for simplifying agricultural governance and removing unnecessary procedural hurdles while chairing the National Agriculture Conference – Kharif Campaign 2026 at Pusa in New Delhi.
Addressing agriculture ministers, senior officials, scientists and progressive farmers from across the country, Chouhan said rules and procedures should work in the interest of farmers rather than becoming a burden on them.
“Farmers are not meant to serve rules; rules must serve farmers,” he said, stressing the need for faster, result-oriented and farmer-centric implementation of agricultural policies and schemes.
The conference, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, witnessed participation from several state agriculture ministers and senior officials, turning the event into what Chouhan described as a “Team India” platform for agricultural growth.
Highlighting India’s agricultural progress, the Union Minister said the country had achieved record food-grain production of nearly 376.56 million tonnes, according to the third advance estimates. He credited the achievement to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the hard work of farmers, scientific research and cooperation from states.
He said India had emerged as a global leader in rice production while making significant gains in wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds.
At the same time, Chouhan cautioned that the country could not afford complacency and must continue strengthening food security, nutritional security and farmers’ incomes.
“Agriculture is not just about production. It is the lifeline of the nation,” he said.
The Union Minister urged states to closely monitor the implementation of major schemes such as the Pulses Mission, Oilseeds Mission and Cotton Mission. He also called upon scientists to focus on practical and demand-driven research, particularly for short-duration crop varieties suited to changing agricultural conditions.
Raising concerns over delays in seed distribution, Chouhan said farmers often fail to receive quality seeds on time despite sufficient national availability. He directed states to strengthen seed distribution systems, ensure timely lifting of breeder seeds and prevent the circulation of poor-quality seeds in the market.
He also informed that a national-level seed reserve mechanism had been established to tackle emergency situations and supply seeds quickly to affected areas.
The Minister placed special emphasis on Soil Health Cards, balanced fertiliser usage and Farmer IDs, saying these initiatives must be effectively implemented at the grassroots level rather than remaining limited to paperwork.
He said that the “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” would be conducted from June 1 to June 30, during which public representatives, scientists, officials and farmers would jointly carry out awareness campaigns on soil health, balanced fertiliser use, quality seeds, pesticides, Kisan Credit Cards and modern farming technologies.
Chouhan also stressed the need for transparency in fertiliser distribution and warned against black marketing and misuse of subsidised fertilisers.
On agricultural credit, he said timely access to loans remains crucial for profitable farming and noted that eastern and northeastern states continue to lag behind in agricultural credit flow. He said the Centre would soon hold discussions with banks to improve access to farm credit and strengthen Kisan Credit Card coverage.
The Union Minister further called for strict action against fake seeds, substandard pesticides and defective agricultural inputs, describing such practices as “national damage.”
“Those selling counterfeit agricultural products are not merely committing economic offences, but harming the nation’s farmers,” he said, urging states to intensify inspections, improve laboratory testing and ensure legal action against offenders.
On crop insurance, Chouhan stressed that farmers must receive compensation without delays and said accountability would be fixed in cases where banks, insurance companies or state authorities fail to process claims on time.
He also highlighted the importance of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and agricultural universities in taking research and innovation directly to farmers.
Calling for state-specific agricultural roadmaps, Chouhan said every state should prepare strategies based on local agro-climatic conditions and available resources. He assured that the Centre and scientific institutions would provide full support to states in achieving agricultural growth targets.
Concluding the conference, the Union Minister expressed confidence that under PM Modi’s leadership, India would emerge as a global example in food-grain, fruit, vegetable, pulse and oilseed production while ensuring better prosperity for farmers.
