On the second day of the National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a session attended by Agriculture Ministers and senior officials from various states. Addressing the gathering, Shri Chouhan said that under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Centre and states must rise above party politics and work in the spirit of ‘Team Agriculture’ to ensure the country’s food security and improve farmers’ livelihoods. “Governments and political parties come and go; parties are formed and dissolved, but the country and its farmers are eternal,” he said, stressing that the platform was not about politics but about finding practical ways to improve agriculture and advance the interests of farmers. Shri Chouhan also highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, farmers’ interests have been accorded the highest priority in every major policy decision and international agreement. At the conference, Shri Chouhan handed over financial sanction letters worth more than ₹1200 crore to Agriculture Ministers of 10 states under the Prime Minister Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY). Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ram Nath Thakur and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Secretary Shri Atish Chandra, ICAR Director General Dr. M. L. Jat, along with senior officials from the Centre and states, scientists and representatives of various agricultural institutions, were present at the conference.
More than ₹ 1200 crore sanctioned to 10 states under PM-RKVY
Under PM-RKVY, sanction letters were distributed to 10 states, including ₹290 crore for West Bengal, ₹198 crore for Haryana, ₹181 crore for Chhattisgarh, ₹154 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, ₹114 crore for Bihar, ₹104 crore for Karnataka, ₹75 crore for Mizoram, ₹64 crore for Himachal Pradesh, ₹58 crore for Jharkhand and ₹43 crore for Punjab.
Shri Chouhan said the Union Government was not limiting itself to policy formulation, but was also ensuring timely availability of resources to states so that implementation of schemes could begin on the ground without delay.
Agriculture growth rate rises to 4.5 per cent
Highlighting the country’s agricultural performance, Shri Chouhan said that since 2015, the agriculture growth rate has increased from 3 per cent to 4.5 per cent. The average annual increase in foodgrain production has also more than doubled, rising from around 40 lakh tonnes earlier to 84 lakh tonnes per year. He further noted that in just two years, from 2023-24 to 2025-26, rabi foodgrain production recorded an unprecedented increase of 205 lakh tonnes. He attributed this historic growth to the collective efforts of state agriculture departments, scientists and farmers.
