Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is continuously reviewing and monitoring the overall development of the Agriculture sector in the country through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), held an important meeting with all the senior officials of ICAR today. During this, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the Horticulture Division of ICAR and directed the officials to work together with the goal of advancing our country to the top in global productivity.

In the meeting, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh shared his broad views in the interest of the development of the horticulture sector and the farmers associated with horticulture and said that in the coming times, as the socio-economic prosperity increases, the consumer demand for horticulture products (various types of fruits and vegetables) will also increase rapidly, keeping this in mind, we will have to work in a better way to ensure better production. He said – A campaign should be run for popularization of research in the horticulture sector.

Union Minister Shri Chauhan, while emphasizing on increasing productivity at the global level, said that full efforts should be made to reach the top level globally, we are better in the case of some products, but we will have to work on more products while adopting high standards of productivity, so move forward with the goal of increasing production-productivity with good quality.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan talked about studying the better practices in horticulture crops as well as making efforts to ensure access to research and information to the farmers. He said that there is a need for extensive publicity to reach the information of research to the farmers, so that the farmers of horticulture can take the right benefit of the schemes and work should be focused on this.

Talking about some crops, especially potato, onion, tomato, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that in the case of these crops, the difference between the price received by the farmers and the amount paid by the consumers should be reduced, so that the direct benefit reaches the farmers.

The Director General of ICAR Dr. M.L. Jat, all Deputy Director Generals and other officers were present in the meeting.