Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the National Agriculture-Renewable Energy Conference 2025 organised by the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) in New Delhi today. On this occasion, he released the federation’s report and annual reference book on agriculture and renewable energy. The conference was organised to push for dialogue and collaboration among policymakers, experts, and farmers regarding the integration of renewable energy in the agriculture sector.

While addressing the event, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The Hon’ble Prime Minister has entrusted me with the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development. I try to fulfill every duty given to me with dedication. A 15-day ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ has been ongoing since May 29. As part of it, I have visited Odisha, Jammu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Patna, and Maharashtra, and I will continue to travel across the country to meet our farmer brothers and sisters.”

He added that six effective measures are being focused on to ensure prosperity of farmers: Increasing production, Reducing cost of production, Ensuring fair prices for produce, Providing compensation in case of losses, Diversification and Balanced use of fertilizers to preserve the land for future generations. He also emphasised the importance of organic farming to retain fertility of the soil.

Shri Chouhan stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, there has been a notable increase in agricultural production since 2014-15, with overall production increasing by 40%. While there has been growth in the production of wheat, rice, maize, and groundnut, there is now a need to enhance the production of pulses and oilseeds.

“India cannot function without agriculture,” he emphasised, noting that 50% of the country’s population still relies on agriculture for employment. He said that integrated farming systems must be adopted to compete with the changing times. Through these systems, marginal farmers can make optimal use of every part of their land and advance toward prosperity.

Shri Chouhan said that solar panels can be a major source of providing electricity to farmers, and that the PM-KUSUM scheme is working in this direction to ensure energy security for them.

He also proposed the model of installing elevated solar panels in fields with crops growing beneath them, stating that such models could transform small and medium-scale farmers into both food and energy providers. He urged for more serious consideration and development of this model and assured that if effective and modern versions of it are brought forward, the government will certainly support its implementation.

Concluding his address, Shri Chouhan called upon everyone to give a meaningful significance to World Environment Day on June 5, and said that solar energy can become a milestone in environmental conservation.

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PSF/ AR/AK