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Rajnath Singh & Shivraj Singh Chouhan attend Unnat Krishi Mahotsav in Raisen as MP spotlights farm technology
Three-day event brings together scientists, officials and farmers around crop practices, irrigation, mechanisation and scheme delivery.
At the Unnat Krishi Mahotsav 2026 in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district on Friday, senior Union and state leaders pitched the event as a platform to connect farmers with scientific knowledge, government schemes and market access.
Held at Dussehra Maidan, the programme was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, along with other public representatives. The event, which will continue till April 13, features exhibitions, interactions between scientists and farmers, and information counters on seeds, fertilisers, horticulture, irrigation management, banking services and farm machinery.
The state government said an “e-Forms” app was also launched during the event, while beneficiaries of several schemes were handed assistance on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the state had declared 2026 as a year dedicated to farmer welfare and said the government was focusing on procurement, irrigation and power supply for agriculture. He said wheat was being procured this year at ₹2,625 per quintal, including a ₹40 bonus. He also said irrigation coverage in the state had expanded and that farmers were now receiving electricity for irrigation during the daytime as well.
The chief minister said Raisen district had emerged as a significant contributor to the state’s agricultural economy, adding that basmati rice from the district was being exported to dozens of countries. He presented the event as part of the state’s effort to improve farm productivity and link cultivation more closely with value addition and markets.
Rajnath Singh said the festival could prove useful for farmers by bringing together information on government schemes, new agricultural practices and options for reducing dependence on intermediaries. He said agriculture remained central to the country’s economy and described farmers as a key pillar of national development.
He also referred to measures such as soil health cards and higher minimum support prices, and said public investment for farmer welfare would continue. Singh said the agriculture sector also offered opportunities for youth-led enterprises and start-ups that could support farmers and improve access to markets.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the event had brought together “knowledge, science, research and farmers” on one platform. He said discussions would be held on 20 subjects, including integrated farming and more remunerative cultivation methods. Chouhan said the Centre was preparing agriculture roadmaps for states and was working on measures spanning cultivation, horticulture and food processing.
He said the government wanted to develop the region as a horticulture hub and added that plans were underway to strengthen processing infrastructure. Chouhan also said 55 dal mills would be opened in Madhya Pradesh and that pulses would be procured at the minimum support price.
The event comes as both the Centre and the state continue to emphasise technology adoption, crop diversification and post-harvest value chains in agriculture. By combining exhibitions, policy messaging and on-ground outreach, the Raisen programme sought to present farming not only as cultivation, but as a wider ecosystem linking inputs, knowledge, finance and markets.
