Next round of talks with protesting farmers on May 22, says Chouhan

Chouhan also said farmers are the food providers, serving the farmers is like worshipping God for us, this is the view of the BJP

A day after the Punjab police vacated protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khannauri borders and arrested the top leadership, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said the government has spoken thrice with the farmers and the next round of discussions will be held on May 22.

  Replying to a discussion on the demand for grants for the agriculture ministry, Chouhan said that before Lok Sabha polls, the Congress was hand in hand with the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, but now it does not want to be seen with it.

 

The minister said farmers are food providers and serving them is like worshipping God for us. “This is the view of the BJP,” he added.

 

Chouhan thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising agriculture and farmers welfare. “The policy of the Modi government is to empower the farmers. If farmers are strong then the country will prosper,” he said.

 

He also dismissed the Opposition’s claims that the Maize Research Institute will be shifted from Begusarai in Bihar and said that the Institute will remain where it is while a separate institute will be opened for Karnataka.

 

Chouhan said investment in agriculture increased during the tenure of Modi and the disbursal of short-term loans has also increased. He said that schemes, such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi have changed the lives of small farmers, adding that the government is committed to not letting farmers buy expensive fertilizers at any cost. “For this, whatever subsidy is required to be given will be disbursed from the central coffers,” Chouhan said.

 

The minister said record purchases of soybean and other crops have been made under Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan this year. The government has made arrangements to bear the cost of transportation of farmers who want to sell their perishable produce in cities through Nafed and NCCF. 

“The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been simplified. Earlier a block was considered as a unit for insurance but the NDA government has made the village the unit,” Chouhan said.

 

Govt relaxes wheat procurement norms for FY26

 

Centre has relaxed the quality norms for wheat procurement from Rajasthan for the 2025-26 marketing season that started in April. As per the new norms, the permissible limit for shrunken or broken grains has been raised from 6 per cent to 20 per cent, while lustre loss wheat of up to 10 per cent will now be accepted by Central agencies.