Andalib Akhter
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the creation of a national seed reserve of 1.74 lakh quintals to guarantee consistent seed availability for farmers across the country.
Speaking on the second day of the National Conference on Agriculture for the 2026 Kharif campaign in New Delhi, the Minister revealed that 9.76 lakh unique farmer IDs have already been generated. This digital initiative aims to streamline governance, ensuring that farmers no longer need to produce separate documentation to access various welfare schemes.
Addressing supply chain integrity, the Minister called for absolute transparency in fertilizer distribution, demanding strict measures to eliminate black marketing and guarantee that supplies reach genuine farmers exclusively for agricultural use. To support financial stability in the sector, he announced upcoming discussions with banks to expand credit access and urged state governments to review pending Kisan Credit Card cases, tailoring loan systems to the actual onground needs of individual farmers.
The Minister also celebrated India’s historic agricultural output, noting that total foodgrain production has reached an unprecedented, record breaking high of over 376 million tonnes. The strategy was finalized following extensive consultations with state agriculture ministers, senior officials, scientists, and progressive farmers focused on the holistic development of the nation’s agricultural sector.