National Conference on Agriculture – Rabi Campaign 2024 Inaugurated

New Delhi- The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare organized the National Conference on Agriculture – Rabi Campaign 2024 at the NASC Complex, New Delhi, with a focus on reviewing past crop performance and setting crop-specific targets for the upcoming rabi season. Union Minister of Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, inaugurated the conference, which sought to foster dialogue among stakeholders regarding innovative agricultural practices, digital initiatives, and ensuring a smooth supply of essential agricultural inputs to boost crop production and productivity.

In his address, Chouhan emphasized the need to move towards organic and natural farming to improve productivity, reduce reliance on chemicals, and lower production costs. He stated that the national target for food grain production in 2024-25 is set at 341.55 million tonnes. He also highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts between the central and state governments to enhance crop production, particularly by focusing on agro-climatic conditions. A committee has been established to reduce transportation costs and address the gap between procurement and sale prices.

Ramnath Thakur, Minister of State (Agriculture), urged states to take immediate action to assist farmers affected by floods and cyclones, while Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, also a Minister of State, expressed gratitude to research organizations for their efforts in making India self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds production.

The conference featured panel discussions with representatives from state governments, focusing on topics such as enhancing the productivity of oilseeds and pulses, digital platforms like the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) and Integrated Pesticide Management System (IPMS), and the Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI) portal. A key goal discussed was to boost oilseeds production from 39.2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 2022-23 to 69.7 MMT by 2030-31, while increasing the area under cultivation and improving yields.