Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the 96th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) today at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium, National Agricultural Science Complex, New Delhi.

More than 18 Union and State Ministers participated in the meeting. Attendees included Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Bhagirath Choudhary; Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh; Union Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri S.P. Baghel and Shri George Kurian; Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Horticulture Shri Gabriel D. Wangsu; Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Shri Vijay Kumar Sinha; Bihar Minister for Animal and Fisheries Resources Smt. Renu Devi; Madhya Pradesh Minister for Horticulture and Food Processing Shri Narayan Singh Kushwah; Mizoram Agriculture Minister Shri P.C. Vanlalruata; Haryana Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Minister Shri Shyam Singh Rana; Uttar Pradesh Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Shri Dharampal Singh; Karnataka Agriculture Minister Shri N. Cheluvaraya Swamy; Uttar Pradesh Minister for Agriculture, Education and Research Shri Surya Pratap Shahi; Odisha Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Shri Gokulananda Mallik; Madhya Pradesh Minister for Farmers’ Welfare and Agriculture Development Shri Adal Singh Kansana; and Union Agriculture Secretary Shri Devesh Chaturvedi.

Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) presented the achievements of ICAR. He also presented the ICAR Annual Report 2024–2025 and read out a resolution to adopt it.

Shri Puneet Agarwal, Additional Secretary (DARE) & Financial Advisor (ICAR), presented the annual accounts along with the Auditor's Report for the year 2023–24, followed by the resolution for its adoption.

4 ICAR publications were released during the occasion.

Ministers expressed satisfaction over the growth in food grain production and the overall progress in the agriculture sector. They unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to work together for the prosperity of farmers and advancement in agriculture.

The Union Minister also emphasized the idea of establishing Crop Medicine Centres, akin to Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged the State Ministers to share suggestions on continuing impactful schemes, phasing out outdated ones, and introducing new initiatives. He emphasized the need to evaluate whether these schemes are genuinely benefiting the farmers.

He highlighted that since agriculture is a State subject, progress is not possible without the cooperation of State Governments. He emphasized the need for Centre-State collaboration to strengthen the agricultural sector. He added that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has seen remarkable increases in food grain production. Once dependent on low-quality wheat imports from the U.S., India is now setting records in grain production and even exporting to other countries.

Congratulating scientists and the ICAR team for their achievements, the Minister also acknowledged existing challenges that must be addressed. He emphasized that the future course of action should be based on insights gathered from the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. He called for demand-driven, state-specific research that addresses the real needs of farmers rather than being mere bureaucratic formality.

The Minister underscored the urgent need to intensify research efforts not only in major cereals like wheat, rice, and maize but also in soybean, pulses, and oilseeds. Referring to a recent visit to soybean fields in Madhya Pradesh, he highlighted concerns over seed quality, where poor germination was traced to substandard seeds. He recommended that the issue be investigated without delay and stressed the importance of enforcing strict regulations to curb the use of inferior seeds, fertilizers, and agro-chemicals. Additionally, he called for a thorough review and revision of fertilizer pricing policies.

Shri Shivraj Singh stated that the series of crop-specific meetings has already begun. A comprehensive meeting on soybean was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Special meetings will also be organized on cotton, sugarcane, and other crops. A conference on cotton will be held in Coimbatore on July 11, where discussions will focus on making the Cotton Mission more effective.

Calling upon scientists to enhance the practical application of technology, Shri Chouhan cited an example where a farmer requested a device to assess fertilizer quality and efficacy. Such real-world feedback, he said, should shape future research agendas. Theoretical knowledge from labs must translate into field-level benefits for farmers.

He also announced a two-day Rabi Conference before the next sowing season under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, where the first day will be for planning and the second for finalizing the implementation roadmap with State Agriculture Ministers.

The fertility of India's soil is unmatched. I am confident that India will not only produce food for itself but also for the world, and will become the food basket of the world.

He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the nation is committed to building a Viksit Bharat, which is not possible without modern agriculture and prosperous farmers. “I am personally visiting farms across the country from apples and saffron in Kashmir to sugarcane in Uttar Pradesh and areca nut in Karnataka to gain ground-level understanding for strategic planning.”

He concluded by saying that agriculture is not just a business, but a service to the nation. “We must ensure food and nutritional security for our 1.44 billion population, preserve our soil for future generations, and contribute to global food availability. While many countries are pursuing material progress at the cost of nature, India must choose a path of sustainable development that protects nature.”

Finally, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan lauded agricultural scientists as modern-day sages and encouraged them to align their research with real-world challenges and solutions. He urged them to keep progressing and continue achieving new milestones in Indian agriculture.

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RC/PSF/KSR/AR

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