Agriculture Ministry's 'Chintan Shivirs' Will Offer Solutions To Farming Issues
Minister Shivraj Chouhan said the concerned departments will listen to the common issues faced by farmers at such camps and will try to address them.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 4:07 PM IST
New Delhi: The Ministry of Agriculture will host 'Chitan Shivirs' across the country to provide solutions to issues faced by farmers through discussions and address them properly. The initiative will help identify the grassroots issues and shape solutions that truly reflect the needs and aspirations of the farming community.
"Farmers across the country continue to grapple with region-specific challenges that threaten their livelihoods. To listen to such issues and find solutions, the ministry will hold Agriculture Chintan Shivirs, bringing together farmers and their representatives to freely discuss problems they encounter every day," Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
"In South India, coconut growers are struggling with multiple diseases across plantations, damaging trees and affecting the0 produce. Similarly, in Northeastern states, vegetable and flower growers face a different but equally pressing hurdle due to a lack of transportation facilities. Poor connectivity and high logistics costs make it difficult for them to send their produce to markets in other parts of the country," he added.
According to Chouhan, these concerns will be directly shared by farmers at the 'Chintan Shivirs', where concerned departments will try to provide solutions to ease their burdens and strengthen agriculture at the grassroots level.
Last year, the ministry launched the 'Vikshit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' to reach out to farmers and understand their concerns at the grassroots level. During the campaign, farmers from different regions shared detailed feedback on the challenges affecting crops, incomes and daily farming practices. It was organised as a pre-Kharif campaign with the objectives to create awareness on improved agricultural technologies of the Kharif season, various schemes and policies of the government on agricultural development, document farmer-led innovations and get feedback from farmers. During the campaign, 2,170 teams of scientists interacted with over 1.35 crore farmers at 61,000 programs in 728 districts.
Based on these inputs, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has constituted 52 teams of scientists to take up the issues raised by farmers. These teams will study the problems in depth and carry out targeted research to develop scientific solutions, ensuring that farmers receive long-term support. "These 52 teams will work to provide scientific solutions to help farmers improve their farming practices. We have received feedback that produce such as litchi and tomato cannot be stored for 15-20 days, forcing farmers to sell at low prices. Sugarcane farmers are also facing serious problems due to red rot disease, which needs scientific intervention. Similarly, cotton farmers are struggling with insect infections," Chouhan stated.
The "Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign" will be relaunched. ICAR has formed teams to implement suggestions received last year, with the goal of increasing production by providing scientific support to farmers. The objective is to augment productivity by ensuring that scientific knowledge and innovations reach the fields in a practical and timely manner.
Work is underway to create 'Farmer IDs' to simplify paperwork. Under the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme, if the claim amount is not paid within 22 days, farmers will be paid 12% interest. In addition, the ministry is also working to include crop damage by wild animals or floods in the scheme. This would provide much-needed relief to farmers facing repeated natural challenges.
To deal with selling substandard pesticides and seeds, the government is likely to introduce the Pesticide Act and Seed Bill in the upcoming Parliament session, further tightening punitive provisions, including fines of up to Rs 30 lakh. "Fake fertilisers, seeds and pesticides are the biggest challenges for farmers. The government is trying to get strict laws passed in Parliament on these issues," Chouhan added.
To increase agricultural production, reduce costs and ensure farmers receive a fair price for their produce, the government will strive to procure the entire production of tur, masoor and urad at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
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