New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) in order to attain the vision of a “Viksit Bharat”, agriculture must be advanced and farmers must be empowered, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday.

The Union Minister further stated that science-based agricultural transformation is our focus, and integrating traditional farming is also our goal.

Speaking at the annual conference of vice chancellors of agricultural universities and directors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) here, the minister urged them to participate actively in the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, along with their academic responsibilities.

He stressed that the real-time implementation of the “Lab to Land” initiative is the need of the hour.

Outlining a six-point strategy of the Ministry for achieving the goals of a developed India, he listed increasing productivity, reducing the cost of production, ensuring fair prices for produce, compensating losses due to natural disasters, promoting agricultural diversification, and enhancing value addition and food processing.

The minister also emphasised the need to promote natural and organic farming practices, saying that agricultural diversification and protecting Mother Earth “are among our greatest collective responsibilities”.

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, he said, is a historic initiative in the agriculture sector, dedicated to empowering farmers, improving their livelihoods, and providing direct solutions to their problems at the grassroots level.

Chouhan announced that he would undertake a foot march on May 25–26 to connect directly with farmers and gain firsthand understanding of their issues.

He emphasised that India’s goals include ensuring food security, replenishing national grain reserves, and establishing India as the food basket of the world.

“We are one team,” he said, “and our mantra is One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team.”

Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Bhagirath Choudhary, stated that agriculture is the backbone of the country and farmers are its soul.

He called for collective action to address climate change to ensure the sustainability and progress of agriculture, stressing that agriculture must become innovation-driven and research-oriented in order for India to become a developed nation.

–IANS

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