ITANAGAR, 16 Sep: Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu stressed the need for state-specific policy interventions for Himalayan and hilly states, keeping in view their unique physio-geographic and agro-climatic conditions.
Speaking at a national conference on ‘Agriculture – Rabi Campaign 2025’ in New Delhi on Tuesday, Wangsu urged the Centre to support the land terracing initiatives for soil and water conservation and expansion of cropped area, pointing out that no dedicated efforts have been made in this regard so far.
The minister also reiterated the need for establishing agricultural science schools across the country to train educated unemployed youths in professional farming practices.
He said that formal agricultural education would play a key role in attracting the young generation to farming.
Wangsu also advocated creating a separate cadre, “Indian Agriculture & Allied Services,” to streamline, standardize, and recognize the services of agricultural scientists.
Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who chaired the conference, assured that the Centre would extend all support to flood-affected states and UTs and ensure timely disbursal of insurance benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
He informed also that a team of central officers will be deputed to the states to work out modalities for implementation of key agricultural reforms, while considering the concerns of all stakeholders.
The conference brought together agriculture ministers, senior officials, scientists, and stakeholders from across the country to deliberate on strategies for a successful rabi season.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, the union agriculture minister announced that the production target for 2025-26 has been set at 362.50 million tonnes. He emphasized that there is adequate seed availability, with nearly 25 million metric tonnes available against the projected requirement of 22.9 million metric tonnes for rabi sowing.
On fertiliser and nutrient supply, he assured that timely coordination with the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers would ensure smooth distribution based on the states’ demands.
Chouhan further announced that a ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ for rabi crops will be launched on 3 October, with over 2,000 teams of scientists and officials visiting villages to provide farmers with timely knowledge and guidance, thereby strengthening the ‘Lab to Land’ initiative envisioned by the prime minister.
He underlined the need to focus on enhancing productivity of pulses and oilseeds, in addition to maintaining India’s strong performance in rice and wheat production.
“Special roadmaps will be prepared with states and UTs through dedicated workshops,” he said. The minister also highlighted the steps being taken to curb the menace of counterfeit agro-inputs, citing successful enforcement actions in states such as Rajasthan.
The conference also witnessed special group deliberations on six key issues for agricultural growth, covering seeds, fertilisers, pulses and oilseeds productivity, risk management, crop diversification, and farmer outreach strategies.
The event concluded with a collective resolve towards achieving national food security, with the theme ‘One Nation – One Agriculture – One Team’.
