13 June 2024, New Delhi: Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan discussed in detail with senior officials of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare regarding the agricultural research plan.
Union Minister on 113 Research Institutes said, “We should assess that this important network of research institutes has been able to give the expected results. We must also assess whether is it working properly or not as per the purpose for which it was created and if there are gaps, a detailed report to be submitted.”
He further said, “If we set targets and are successful in achieving them, then we can bring about a new revolution, without this we cannot move ahead. You must be reviewing what our targets were, how much we achieved, and if we were able to achieve less then what were the gaps that need to be filled. By doing this, we will achieve the targets we have set by 2047. If we have set a target for 2047, then we should also set what our targets are for 2026, how much was achieved in 2026, how much was achieved in 2027”.
Union Minister further said that there is a need to work on how productivity in irrigated and non-irrigated areas is less in Jharkhand compared to the rest of the country. A campaign should be run to balance the productivity.
Union Minister, while understanding all the aspects of the departmental plan gave directions to focus on the researches that increase the productivity and income of farmers and to decrease the production cost. He said that the efforts to be taken to promote the bio-fortified varieties of crops in different segments of the farmers. The minister said that effort is to be taken so that there will be balance in the productivity of crops in all regions.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Mr. Ram Nath Thakur and Mr. Bhagirath Chaudhary, Agriculture Secretary Mr. Manoj Ahuja and Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Dr. Himanshu Pathak were also present in the meeting.
