Chouhan urges farm scientists to focus research on practical solutions

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday urged agricultural scientists to focus research on practical solutions that benefit farmers, ensure livelihood, and promote nutritious food and natural farming.

In his inaugural address at the Sixth International Agronomy Congress (IAC-2025), Chouhan emphasized the need to address challenges like poor seed quality, adulterated inputs, climate change adaptation, pulse and oilseed production increase, virus attacks on pulses, soil's organic carbon depletion, and problems with direct-seeded rice.

He stressed the need to explore advancements like mechanization, carbon credits for farmers, water-efficient farming, drone technology, smart agriculture, AI, and machine learning alongside ensuring farmers receive benefits of these technologies, according to an official statement.

The agriculture minister underlined the need for focussing research on actionable solutions including increasing shelf life of agricultural products.

He also highlighted the cultural importance of environmental conservation, respect for all living beings, and the urgency to reduce chemical fertilizer use for future generations.

The three-day global event focuses on re-envisioning agronomy for sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural systems that secure farmers' livelihoods and environmental protection, with broad participation from national and international agricultural science leaders.

The event aims to position India as a leader in climate-smart and smart agri-food systems, supporting global collaborations such as G20, FAO, CGIAR, and South-South cooperation.

Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Chaudhary, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General Mangilal Jat, and Indian Society of Agronomy President Shanti Kumar Sharma were present at the event.