Centre has no plan to bring back farm laws: Shivraj Chouhan at BS Manthan

At BS Manthan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Centre has no plan to revive farm laws and is preparing a national and crop-wise roadmap to raise output, ensure fair prices and boost farmer incomes

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday stated that there is no proposal currently to bring back the farm laws that were repealed earlier.

 

Speaking at a discussion on the topic “New realities of the farm sector” at BS Manthan, Business Standard’s flagship event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the minister outlined a broad roadmap for the welfare of farmers.

 

No proposal to reintroduce farm laws

 

Making the Centre’s position clear, Chouhan said there is currently no proposal to reintroduce the farm laws. He focused instead on strengthening the agricultural sector through structural reforms and targeted interventions.

 

Chouhan detailed a multi-pronged roadmap aimed at improving farmers’ incomes and ensuring long-term sustainability. The key pillars of this roadmap include increasing production, reducing production costs, ensuring accurate pricing of produce, providing compensation where necessary, promoting diversification and value addition, and protecting agricultural land for future generations.

 

He noted that while nearly 70 per cent of India’s population was dependent on agriculture in the past, that number has now come down to 48 per cent. This shift, he indicated, reflects broader economic changes, but also shows the need to make agriculture more viable for those who continue to depend on it.

 

The government, he said, is working towards ensuring that farmers receive the best possible price for their produce.

 

National and state-level roadmaps

 

The minister said, “We are working on a National Agricultural Roadmap,” adding that each state will also have its own unique roadmap based on local conditions and requirements.

 

In addition, there will be “separate roadmaps for different crops” to address crop-specific challenges and opportunities, he added.

 

Chouhan emphasised that while agriculture is a national priority, implementation largely rests with the states. The main difference between agriculture at the national and state levels, he said, lies in implementation. At the state level, effective execution at the grassroots is essential, and micro-monitoring is required to ensure that schemes achieve their intended outcomes.

 

Technology push and farmer IDs

 

Highlighting the role of technology, Chouhan said the government has created farmer IDs for 500,000 farmers. These IDs include details such as land records, maps, size of the landholding, family members and animals owned. The aim is to build a comprehensive database that can help in the targeted delivery of benefits and better policy planning.

 

On rural employment scheme

 

Referring to the Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM-G), Chouhan said it continues to be a demand-led scheme, with no change in that aspect compared to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

 

On challenges of food security, Chouhan said, “Keeping in mind the growing population, we need to make sure it does not burden agriculture.”

 

He stressed that future planning must ensure that rising population pressures do not place excessive strain on the farm sector and that agricultural growth remains sustainable while meeting the country’s food and livelihood needs.