Chandigarh: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday drove a tractor in a Patiala field during his day-long visit to Punjab, saying if a minister cannot operate a farming vehicle, then he cannot truly understand the struggles faced by farmers.
Chouhan also recalled the contribution of Punjab farmers in foodgrain production, referring to the green revolution and said he bows to the fertile land, state growers and their zeal and passion.
He assured farmers that the agriculture sector would be taken forward by resolving their issues after holding discussions with them.
The minister’s visit to Punjab comes amid farmer bodies — Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha demanding a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.
Last month, the Centre had deferred the proposed May 4 meeting with the SKM (non-political) and KMM to discuss their demands after they opposed the participation of the state government representatives in the talks.
Speaking about the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ campaign at Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Rauni in Patiala, Chouhan emphasised that it aims to bridge the gap between agricultural research and the farming community by translating scientific knowledge from “lab to land”.
“As part of this initiative, agricultural scientists visit villages with prior knowledge of local conditions and engage with farmers accordingly, offering customised guidance on improving productivity based on soil nutrients, climate, and appropriate crop varieties,” he said.
Farmers are also educated about pest control and the proper use of agrochemicals. The information gathered during these interactions is being used to steer research in directions that meet the actual needs of the field, he added.
The minister told farmers that he himself is a farmer and does farming.
“I did direct seeding of paddy. I tried my hands at a tractor here. If the agriculture minister cannot drive a tractor, then how can he understand the pain of farmers,” he said.
He reiterated that future agricultural policies would be formulated based on the grassroots-level data collected during this campaign.
“Which policy is beneficial or not, which subsidy is important and which is being given, for whom it is necessary and to whom is being given? All these things need to be understood,” he said.
He said he was not a guest here.
“I am a member of the family. I am ‘sewak’ of Punjab,” he said.
“How a Krishi Mantri be a guest? Is it the job of Krishi Mantri to sit in Delhi? He is to be amongst farmers, sit with them, hold discussions with them,” he added.
Under this campaign, Chouhan said he had earlier visited Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.
For him, serving farmers is like worshipping God as they are ‘Annadata’, he noted.
The minister said that Punjab has long served as the food bowl of India.
He recalled the days when India had to depend on low-quality wheat imports under the PL-480 agreement and credited the Green Revolution for ending this dependency.
Discussing modern techniques, Chouhan underlined the benefits of direct seeding of paddy (DSR) as a water- and cost-efficient alternative to traditional transplanting methods.
He shared farmers’ feedback that the yield remains consistent while significantly reducing labour and input costs.
The minister also stressed the importance of balanced pesticide use, noting that excessive application not only raises costs but also adversely affects crop quality.
Chouhan outlined six key objectives for Indian agriculture — enhancing productivity, reducing production costs, ensuring fair prices, compensating for crop losses, encouraging diversification, and preserving natural resources for future generations.
Later addressing a gathering at Amargarh in Patiala, Chouhan said agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy and said still 50 per cent of the population depends on the farming sector.
“We want the country to be the food basket of the world and it is not impossible,” said Chouhan while pointing towards the government’s focus on the agriculture sector.
