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Chouhan releases agricultural roadmap for four districts
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Tuesday, 14 April, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan presented a major initiative for farmers at the Advanced Agriculture Festival being held in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, by releasing a comprehensive agricultural roadmap for four districts — Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, and Dewas.
On this occasion, he also inspected an Integrated Farming Model with the objective of promoting modern agriculture practices. At the same time, during special sessions organised at the Festival on the Crop Insurance Scheme and Integrated Farming, the Union Minister directly interacted with farmers, listened to their problems in detail, and held extensive discussions with scientists and experts to find practical solutions.
During his address, he emphasised that in order to make agriculture more profitable, it is extremely essential to adopt new technologies, diversify crops, and implement integrated farming systems. He stated that farmers should not limit themselves to traditional farming practices alone but should also incorporate activities such as animal husbandry, horticulture, beekeeping, and organic farming into their agricultural systems. By doing so, farmers will be able to achieve higher returns at lower costs. He further stated that continuous efforts are being made at every level to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last farmer in the most remote areas.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Advanced Agriculture Festival is not merely a formal or ceremonial event, but rather a serious and structured effort aimed at bringing meaningful improvements in the country’s agricultural system. He stated that a well-defined agricultural development roadmap has now been prepared for the districts of Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, and Dewas. In the coming time, similar plans will be developed for all districts of Madhya Pradesh.
He clearly stated that these plans will not remain confined to paper or administrative files but will be implemented effectively on the ground. Through the convergence and coordination of various schemes of the central and state governments, the benefits of these plans will be delivered directly to farmers. The aim is to make agriculture not only more profitable but also more sustainable in the long run.
He further said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, continuous efforts are being made to transform the direction of agriculture and to make farming more profitable and resilient. At the Festival, farmers are being provided with practical, field-level, and scientific knowledge. Through different sessions, attempts are being made to explain various aspects of farming in a simple and accessible manner so that farmers can improve their crop systems and overall production practices.
The Union Minister emphasised that the need of the hour is for farmers to adopt scientific methods of cultivation based on their specific soil conditions, local climate, availability of water, and existing resources. He stressed that instead of focusing solely on increasing production, equal attention must be given to selecting the right crops and ensuring sustainable farming practices.
Keeping in view the climatic conditions, soil characteristics, and temperature variations of these four districts, a comprehensive agricultural roadmap has been prepared. The primary objective of this roadmap is to make agriculture more profitable, promote efficient use of water, and increase production through better utilisation of available resources.
He stated that the plan focuses on promoting climate-resilient agriculture, increasing productivity, enhancing farmers’ incomes, conserving water resources, encouraging crop diversification, and strengthening farmers’ linkage with markets. Under this initiative, efforts have been made to prepare location-specific action plans at the block level so that agricultural development can be aligned with local needs and conditions.
At the same time, he emphasised that dependence on traditional crops such as wheat, paddy, and soybean needs to be reduced, and there is a need to promote alternative crops. He highlighted that equal importance must be given to value addition and the development of a market-oriented agricultural system.
Chouhan also pointed out that in districts such as Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, and Dewas, a large portion of irrigation depends on groundwater, and in several areas, groundwater levels have reached critical levels. Along with this, declining soil health and lack of value addition have emerged as major challenges for farmers in these regions.
Taking these issues into account, efforts have been made to explore possibilities beyond wheat cultivation. The Union Minister said that there is significant potential in the cultivation of vegetables such as tomato, onion, garlic, okra, and capsicum. In addition, fruits like pomegranate have good prospects in the region. He further mentioned that high-value crops such as dragon fruit and avocado can also be adopted by farmers to increase profitability.
He emphasised that if proper scientific planning is undertaken and crop diversification is implemented along with efficient use of resources, then there is a strong possibility of significantly increasing the income of farmers in these districts.
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