Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today held a meeting in New Delhi to review the nationwide status of the agriculture sector. In the high-level meeting, Shri Shivraj Singh reviewed the rainfall situation across various states and held detailed discussions with officials regarding the floods in parts of Punjab and their impact on crops. During the meeting, Shri Shivraj Singh said that the farmers of Punjab, who were affected by floods, should not worry as the Central Government stands firmly with the affected farmers in this hour of natural calamity. He informed that he will visit the flood-affected areas of Punjab soon to take stock of the situation on the ground and personally meet the distressed farmers to ensure all possible assistance.

The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi along with other senior officials, who gave a detailed briefing to the Union Minister about the agriculture sector across the country. It was informed that the Kharif sowing area has shown encouraging growth compared to last year.

The Minister also reviewed progress in horticulture along with food grain crops. He specifically sought details on the production and prices of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Officials briefed him on rainfall across states and the status of reservoirs, informing that many states received above-average rainfall this year, which is beneficial for crops.

Shri Shivraj Singh directed officials to encourage farmers to adopt integrated farming, including horticulture along with food grain crops, so that they can earn higher incomes. He said that keeping in view future demands, the agriculture sector must achieve holistic growth through alternative measures along with grain production in fields. Horticulture and integrated farming are effective means in this direction. He also instructed that the ‘Integrated Farming Systems’ should be widely promoted among farmers.

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RC/KSR/AR/MK