India to become global food basket, says union agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
(Press Release) Bengaluru: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced that India is being actively positioned to become the world’s food basket. Speaking at the ICAR-IIHR campus in Bengaluru during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the Minister underscored the Centre’s commitment to transforming the agricultural landscape of the country.
Chouhan emphasized that India’s food production potential extends beyond feeding its 145 crore citizens. A collaborative roadmap will be drawn up with support from State Governments, Agricultural Universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), farmers, and scientists to realize this ambitious vision. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, and the campaign is aptly themed “Viksit Agricultural India.”
A major component of the Abhiyan is the “Lab to Land” initiative, under which over 16,000 scientists are working closely with farmers nationwide to transfer scientific knowledge and technological solutions. In just ten days, 1,896 teams have reached out to nearly nine lakh farmers across 8,188 villages, strengthening the link between research and grassroots agriculture.
In Karnataka alone, more than 70 interdisciplinary teams, comprising scientists and officials from agriculture and allied sectors, have been actively engaging with farmers on their fields. So far, 639 such teams have visited 2,495 villages, interacting with 2,77,264 farmers and collecting critical feedback to shape demand-driven, problem-solving agricultural research programs.
Highlighting the campaign’s vision of “One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team,” the Minister assured farmers of the government’s full support in securing fair prices. He announced that the Centre would bear transportation costs under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), easing market access and reducing farmers’ burden.
Chouhan also issued a strict warning against the sale of adulterated pesticides, promising severe action against offenders to safeguard the interests of farmers and the integrity of agricultural practices.
At the event, the Minister felicitated seven exemplary farmers from Karnataka, Ratnamma, Gopal Gowda, Padmini Gowda, H.K. Raghu, Mangalamma, Mahesh H.N., and Sreenivas, or their outstanding contributions to agriculture and rural development.
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Karnataka to witness heavy rain for next 10 days
Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the southwest monsoon will cause heavy rainfall likely this weekend and will drench Karnataka over the next 10 days.
The monsoon has begun retreating from northwestern India. Conditions remain active over the south, with an upper air trough extending up to 1.5 km over North Interior Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu, combined with weakening monsoon winds across the peninsula, is driving the current spell. N. Puviarasan, head of the IMD’s meteorological centre in Bengaluru, said in a conversation with Deccan Herald, “As a result, the whole of Karnataka will see rain over the next week to 10 days."
With a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean along with a low-pressure system over the north Bay of Bengal, the monsoon is expected to intensify during the next four days. IMD has predicted heavy rains across South Interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, throughout the weekend.
Bengaluru, recorded widespread moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday. Between 8.30 am and 8.30 pm, Bengaluru city logged 45.9 mm of rain accompanied by thunderstorms. HAL airport registered 6 mm and the Bengaluru Urban automatic station recorded 47.5 mm. Doddathoguru, near Electronics City, reported 55 mm.
According to IMD forecast heavy rainfall will occur at isolated places in Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Yadgir, Koppal, Raichur, Ramanagara and Mandya districts in the next few days.
The southwest monsoon is now expected to extend until mid-October and with little or no break in between, the northeast monsoon is likely to follow immediately. These are expected to last until December. “There may be no break in between,” Puviarasan said.
