Agro Perspectiva

Proposal under consideration for a targeted ‘Crop War’ on sugarcane and other key crops: Agri Minister

26.06.2025 08:10 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired a high-level review meeting on the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ at the ICAR Pusa Campus in New Delhi on June 24. The meeting assessed the outcomes of the campaign held between May 29 and June 12 and discussed the strategic path forward.

During the meeting, Chouhan also proposed the launch of a ‘Crop War’ a mission-mode approach for key crops such as pulses, oilseeds, soybean, cotton, and sugarcane. This would involve crop- and state-specific strategies, research prioritization, stricter regulation against substandard inputs, and and the formation of special teams to enforce compliance.

More than 2,170 nodal officers, attending both physically and virtually, shared key findings, field-level experiences, and practical insights gained from the campaign. Chouhan hailed the initiative as a historic movement in independent India, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Lab to Land’ vision, which facilitated connections between scientists and over 60,000 villages.

The Minister reiterated that the campaign would continue with a sharper focus on boosting farmer incomes, ensuring food security, and establishing India as a global leader in food production. He underlined the importance of promoting biofortified crops, sustainable farming methods, mechanization, and efforts to improve soil health, coastal agriculture, and animal husbandry.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) through the appointment of dedicated nodal officers and mandatory field involvement by scientists. A two-day conference for the Rabi season has been scheduled-one day for officials and another for agriculture ministers-to finalize the action plan for the upcoming season.

The campaign aimed to evaluate on-ground agricultural practices, foster knowledge sharing among ICAR institutions, enhance collaboration with state departments and KVKs, and align research-extension efforts with the vision of a developed India.

Notable attendees included Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana; Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare; Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) and Director General, ICAR; Dr. Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR; Dr. D. K. Yadava, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR; along with senior officials, scientists, and vice-chancellors.

Several state agriculture ministers and ICAR nodal officers also participated virtually.