Agriculture Minister Outlines Big Sector Reforms, R&D Efforts To Be Synergised

Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chauhan has announced big plans to synergise research and development (R&D) in the sector. Addressing a press briefing on the record production of rice and wheat in 2024-25, the former MP Chief Minister announced the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ to boost agricultural production further. He said the 113 institutions under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICRA) were currently not working in tandem and this would be fixed in the coming days. He also emphasised that the coordination between the Centre, States, Universities and the ICAR will be increased in the future and the 16,000 scientists across the country will soon be divided into 2,170 teams which will tour the villages and farming centres of the country. He said the government will in the future focus on ‘demand-driven research’.