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New laws on seeds, pesticides nearly finalised, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan indicates that the proposed legislations are likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament
The Centre is close to finalising new laws on seeds and pesticides, Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday, indicating that the proposed legislations were likely to be tabled in the next session of Parliament.
Chouhan said the new legal framework aimed to ensure quality farm inputs and curb the menace of spurious seeds and pesticides that often lead to crop losses.
He was replying to a question while addressing a press conference on the sidelines of a zonal agricultural conference of northern states in Lucknow.
The conference was attended by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, horticulture minister Dinesh Singh and representatives from nine states. It is expected to come out with a detailed agricultural roadmap for the upcoming rabi and kharif seasons.
Chouhan said the Centre had moved away from holding a single national conference for crop planning to region-specific consultations in view of India’s diverse agro-climatic conditions.
“India is vast, with varying soil and climate conditions. We have divided the country into five zones for the purpose of a region-wise planning for a more effective agricultural roadmap,” he said, adding, “It was the second such regional conference.”
Highlighting the country’s farm sector performance, the minister said India now had sufficient foodgrain stocks and was no longer dependent on imports.
“India is the world’s largest rice producer, ahead of China, and has also emerged as a major wheat exporter,” he said.
He outlined three key priorities—ensuring food security, enhancing farmers’ income and providing nutritious food — adding that a six-point strategy had been drawn up. This includes boosting production, reducing input costs, ensuring remunerative prices, compensating crop losses and promoting diversification.
“At today’s conference, we will work out an agricultural roadmap to be implemented by the states,” he said.
Raising concern over rising fertiliser use by farmers, Chouhan cautioned against indiscriminate use, saying it could adversely affect soil health. He pitched for natural and organic farming practices along with crop diversification into horticulture and medicinal plants.
The minister stressed the importance of quality seeds, noting that thousands of improved varieties had been developed in recent years, and called for better availability and utilisation.
Referring to forecasts of below-normal rainfall due to El Niño conditions, he said planning must factor in possible water shortages.
Chouhan also highlighted key initiatives such as ‘Farmer ID’ registration to streamline access to services and urged states to speed up enrolment. On institutional credit, he said around 7.5 crore Kisan Credit Cards had been issued against an estimated 13.5 crore farmers, calling for wider coverage to enable more farmers to access low-interest loans.
