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Shivraj Singh Chouhan
A five-day meeting of the BRICS grouping will commence in Indore on Tuesday to discuss food security, smart farming, global agricultural trade and farmer welfare, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. The discussions under India's presidency will include a three-day agriculture working group meeting from June 9 and a two-day BRICS ministerial meeting from June 12, he said. BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising eleven major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. Highlighting the significance of the meeting, Chouhan said BRICS is a very strong voice of the developing countries in the world. "Around half of the world's population dwells in BRICS countries. It has 42 per cent of the global agricultural land and accounts for more than 42 per cent of the produce. Of the 58 crore farmers across the world, 70 per cent small cultivators live in BR
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday reviewed the progress of southwest monsoon and directed officials to provide timely farm advisories and maintain better coordination with states to tackle the potential impact of El Nino on kharif crops. The government is on "alert mode", Chouhan said, asking officials to maintain constant check on monsoon status. "Ensure better coordination with states and take prompt action," Chouhan told officials in the meeting. He also asked them to provide timely advisories and essential assistance to farmers, an official statement said. Measures to safeguard farmers' interests and mitigate the impact on kharif crops were discussed in detail, it said. Officials from all departments and agencies concerned were present in the meeting. The southwest monsoon is expected to onset over Kerala around June 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. Typically, rains arrive in Kerala around June 1, marking the beginning o
The Centre is fully prepared to mitigate any adverse impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon on this year's kharif crop, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday, as he called for integrated farming and greater self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds. "Rather than worrying, preparation is required. Contingency plans will be made for affected districts and crop changes will be considered wherever necessary," Chouhan told reporters on the sidelines of the two-day National Kharif Conference here. The Ministry is in the process of identifying districts for alternative crops and ensuring seed availability in the event of an El Nino impact, he said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had, in its first-stage forecast on April 13, projected a below-normal southwest monsoon for 2026, with rainfall likely to be around 92 per cent of the long-period average. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated a probable return of El Nino conditions as early
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday reduced his convoy to three vehicles and directed officials to work from home as part of measures to implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "seven appeals" for responsible fuel consumption amid the West Asia crisis. Chairing a meeting of officials from the Agriculture and Rural Development ministries, Chouhan asked departments to submit an action plan on work-from-home policy within two days and urged staff to adopt carpooling. He said foreign travel would be undertaken only when absolutely essential and most meetings would be held virtually, an official statement said. Officers and staff were asked to refrain from purchasing non-essential gold and encourage at least five other individuals to do the same. On the agriculture front, the minister announced setting up of a committee in every village to promote balanced use of fertilisers and natural farming on a large scale. Chouhan said edible oils should be used judiciou
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the country's wheat production in the ongoing 2025-26 crop year (July-June) is likely to surpass last year's 117.94 million tonne despite localised damage caused due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms. "We believe wheat production to be better than last year," Chouhan told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. The crop is good and there would be a record procurement, he added. Harvesting of wheat -- the main rabi (winter) crop - is almost completed in major growing states. Its procurement is in full swing. The agriculture ministry had projected a wheat production of 120.21 million tonnes in 2025-26 prior to unseasonal rains, higher than last year's actual output. However, the Roller Flour Millers' Federation of India (RFFI) projected on April 14 that output would decline marginally, factoring in recent weather damage. Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra sought to bridge the gap between the two estimates. "While the ...
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said laws related to seeds and pesticides are nearly ready and are likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament for passage. Addressing a regional agriculture conference for northern states here, Chouhan said the proposed Seed Act and Pesticide Act have been circulated for feedback and aim to curb the sale of spurious and substandard inputs. "If anyone supplies fake or poor-quality seeds or pesticides, stringent action will be taken. The existing penalties are too low and ineffective," he said, adding that a nationwide campaign against such malpractices would be launched with support from states. The conference was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Horticulture Minister Dinesh Singh and representatives from nine states. Chouhan said that the Centre has shifted from a single national conference on rabi and kharif crops to region-specific ...
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said unseasonal rains and hailstorms have damaged standing rabi crops across 2.49 lakh hectares so far, with wheat bearing the brunt and assessments still underway. Speaking to reporters ahead of the "Unnat Krishi Mela" launch in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan said three departments are conducting the survey. The reported damage till April 8 covers wheat most severely, followed by horticulture crops like mango and litchi. "The Modi government stands firmly with farmers in this crisis," he assured. On April 5, Chouhan had directed officials to review losses in affected states and coordinate with state governments. He has also consulted the agriculture ministers of impacted regions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported heavy rain in northeast, central, south and northwest India from April 2-8, affecting Arunachal Pradesh, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tam
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms have damaged standing rabi crops, particularly wheat, across approximately 2.49 lakh hectares so far across several states, with the full extent of losses still being assessed by multiple agencies. "The assessment of the crop damage is still underway. The assessment is being done by three different departments," Chouhan told reporters ahead of the launch of "Unnat Krishi Mela" in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. He noted that the wheat crop has suffered the maximum damage, followed by horticulture crops. The figure of 2.49 lakh hectares pertains to damage reported till April 8. Chouhan assured farmers that the Narendra Modi government stands with them in this hour of crisis. On April 5, Chouhan had directed ministry officials to conduct a comprehensive review of crop losses in the affected states and coordinate with state governments to gather ground-level information. The Minister also