Some countries pressured us to open agriculture market; but India now stands tall: Agri minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said some countries had earlier pressured India to open its agricultural market, but the nation stands tall today and engages on the global stage with confidence. Without naming the United States, he drew a contrast between India’s past dependence on imported wheat and its current record harvests.“Some countries were pressuring us to fully open the agricultural market, but today we can proudly say India is in a position to speak to the world with its chin up (in an assertive manner),” PTI quoted him as saying while addressing a symposium on advanced farming in Vidisha, his Lok Sabha constituency.The minister recalled that there was a time when India was “forced to consume low-quality PL-480 wheat from the United States.” He added: “But today, our food reserves are abundant. India achieved record 3.7 per cent growth in agriculture this year, resulting in record production of wheat, rice and maize, which has filled the nation’s food reserves to the brim.”Chouhan said attempts to impose tariffs on India were expected to disrupt the economy, but the country registered the highest GDP growth in just three months, with agriculture as the largest contributor. India’s GDP grew 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal, the highest in five quarters before the imposition of heavy tariff by the United States, he noted.He emphasised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance that “national interest is paramount” and that farmers’ interests would not be compromised. Chouhan also underlined the need to increase output while reducing costs.Outlining a six-pronged strategy for farmers, he listed higher production, lower costs, fair pricing, loss compensation, crop diversification, and promotion of natural farming. He urged farmers to adopt diversification practices rooted in traditional methods.Chouhan said the government has deployed 2,170 scientific teams directly to farmers’ fields. “For the upcoming Rabi season, scientific teams will visit farms from October 3 to share knowledge on new techniques and advanced cultivation methods, aiming to raise productivity and lower costs,” he said.He flagged concerns over the misuse of agricultural inputs, noting that dealers earlier forced farmers to buy pesticides or fertilisers without proper checks. He pointed out that nearly 30,000 bio-stimulant products were once sold without scientific testing.“But now only those validated by ICAR or agricultural universities will be available. Selling ineffective or fake products will lead to FIRs, licence cancellations for companies and compensation to farmers,” Chouhan said.Urging citizens to adopt swadeshi practices, he appealed to people to buy domestically produced clothing, food and daily essentials to support local employment and commerce rather than spend on foreign products.