Farmer ID & scientific farming models will give agriculture new direction: Chouhan
Published: Apr 25, 2026
By TIOLCorplaws News Service
NEW DELHI, APR 25, 2026: UNION Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on the occasion of the Northern Regional Agriculture Conference organised with the objective of giving a new direction to agriculture and farming in northern India, said that the future path of agricultural development would no longer be determined through a uniform policy for all regions. He said that agriculture planning must now move according to regional requirements, climatic conditions, water availability and local crop situations.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, he spoke in detail on the strategy for kharif and rabi crops, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds, diversification in agriculture, integrated farming for small farmers, Kisan Credit Card, Farmer ID, natural farming, fertiliser subsidy, relief for potato farmers and the preparation of strict laws against fake agricultural inputs. He said the Centre and the states would jointly prepare a concrete roadmap to make agriculture more profitable, sustainable and farmer-centric.
The Northern Regional Agriculture Conference held in Lucknow has been presented by the Central Government as a broad platform for regional coordination. Speaking to the media, Chouhan said that climate, water resources, land conditions and crop patterns differ across various parts of the country. Therefore, it was felt that one single national conference would not be sufficient to address all agricultural realities.
With this thinking, the country has been divided into five regions and a decision was taken to organise five regional agriculture conferences. The conference being held in Lucknow is the second phase of that series.
He said the Government of India has schemes for agricultural development, officers, research institutions and significant scientific capacity. However, agriculture is a state subject, and therefore the actual implementation of schemes is possible only with the cooperation of state governments. For this reason, a complete roadmap for kharif and rabi seasons is being prepared jointly with the states. At the same time, pressing issues that directly affect farmers' income, production and markets are also being brought to the discussion table.
The Union Minister said that the scope of discussion would no longer remain limited only to kharif and rabi crops. Important questions such as how agriculture can be diversified, how farming can be made more profitable, how India can become self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds, and how horticulture and processing can be encouraged are central to the conference.
He said India has created new records in foodgrain production and remarkable progress has been made in wheat and paddy output. The country has reached a leading position in rice production, and due to improved wheat production, the government has also allowed the export of 50 lakh metric tonnes of wheat.
However, he made it clear that despite achievements in foodgrain production, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds remains extremely important. He said it is the responsibility of the government to ensure sufficient foodgrain and nutritious food for 140 crore Indians. Therefore, three major objectives have been fixed for agricultural policy - ensuring national food security, improving farmers' income and livelihood, and making nutritious foodgrain available to the people.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government's strategy is moving forward on six major pillars. These include increasing production, reducing cost of cultivation, ensuring farmers get full value for their hard work, guaranteeing compensation when losses occur, promoting agricultural diversification and connecting farming with markets. He said that merely depending on wheat-paddy based agriculture would not be sufficient for the future. Therefore, strengthening pulses, oilseeds, horticulture, fruits and vegetables, food processing and value addition has become the need of the time.
He made special mention of the condition of small farmers and said that in states such as Uttar Pradesh a very large number of farmers possess small holdings. In such circumstances, farming models that generate higher income from limited land are essential. Chouhan said integrated farming systems such as intercropping, combining grains with fruits and vegetables, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping and tree-based farming can prove highly useful for small farmers. The Central Government has prepared several such models which will be shared with the states so they may be implemented according to local requirements.
During the press conference, the Union Minister also strongly emphasised the Kisan Credit Card scheme. He said crores of farmers still do not have complete access to affordable formal agricultural credit. Therefore, a special campaign will be launched to ensure that every eligible farmer receives a Kisan Credit Card. He said if a farmer receives timely credit at low interest rates, he will be able to use better seeds, fertilisers, machinery and other resources. This, in turn, will increase both productivity and income.
He described Farmer ID as a major reform in agricultural governance. According to him, after the creation of Farmer ID, details such as land records, khasra number, livestock and other necessary information relating to a farmer would be available on a single platform. This would mean that farmers would no longer need to repeatedly run from office to office carrying documents in order to receive benefits under different schemes. Government benefits could be delivered more quickly, transparently and in a targeted manner. He said crores of Farmer IDs have already been created and states have been instructed to complete the remaining process rapidly.
