Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan will undertake a two-day visit to West Bengal on July 13 and 14 to review key agriculture and rural development programmes, hold high-level discussions with the state government, and interact directly with jute farmers, agricultural scientists and women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Chouhan will arrive in Kolkata on the evening of July 13 and hold a dinner meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at his residence. The discussions are expected to focus on strengthening Centre-State cooperation in agriculture, farmers’ welfare, rural infrastructure, housing, employment and other development initiatives.
A high-level review meeting will be held on July 14 at the New Secretariat Building in Kolkata. The meeting will be attended by the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary, senior officials of the state government and representatives of the Government of India. The Union Minister will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, the Ministry of Rural Development and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The review will assess the implementation of major flagship schemes, including PM-KISAN, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations, Viksit Bharat–G RAM G, rural roads and housing programmes, as well as funds allocated to Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Centre and the state government are also expected to discuss a roadmap for accelerating agricultural growth and rural development in West Bengal.
Later in the day, Chouhan will visit the ICAR–Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres (CRIJAF) at Barrackpore, where he will interact with jute farmers and women members of Self-Help Groups.
During the interaction, the Union Minister will hear directly from farmers about challenges related to jute cultivation, including retting, water availability, pest and disease management, production costs and market prices. Discussions will also focus on measures to improve farmers’ returns from the jute value chain.
Scientists at ICAR-CRIJAF will demonstrate improved jute varieties along with modern retting techniques, water conservation methods and simplified processing and marketing technologies. Women from Self-Help Groups will also be introduced to opportunities in jute-based products and value addition, aimed at promoting rural entrepreneurship, enhancing household incomes and generating sustainable employment in villages.
The two-day visit combines policy-level consultations with field interactions, reflecting the Centre’s focus on strengthening agriculture and rural development in West Bengal through closer coordination with the state government and direct engagement with farmers and rural communities.
