Formal Conclusion of the 15-Day ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan interacted with farmers through visits across various states

On the final day of the campaign, the Union Agriculture Minister addressed farmers in Bardoli, Gujarat

Over 55,000 programmes conducted, outreach extended to more than 1 lakh villages, and interaction with nearly 1.12 crore farmers

Rapid agricultural progress in Gujarat through food processing and value addition – Shri Chouhan

Commendable efforts in natural farming across Gujarat; farmers are achieving remarkable results – Shri Shivraj Singh

Gujarat ranks first in the production of unique agricultural products such as castor, cumin, fennel, and dates – Union Agriculture Minister

Target set to promote natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares of land this year – Shri Shivraj Singh

Union Agriculture Minister congratulated scientists for their commendable contribution to the campaign

The process of connecting and engaging with farmers will continue – Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

12 June 2025

On the 15th and final day of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressed a Kisan Sammelan (Farmer Conference) in Bardoli, Gujarat. While officially announcing the campaign’s conclusion, the Minister emphasized that the spirit of engagement and dialogue with farmers would continue unabated.

Honoring the Legacy of Bardoli

Addressing the gathering, Shri Chouhan expressed his deep reverence for Bardoli, the land of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He stated that it was on 12th June 1928 that Sardar Patel convened a historic meeting during the Bardoli Satyagraha a landmark movement against a 22% tax hike imposed by the British on farmers. Women played a pivotal role in the movement, and it was here that Vallabhbhai Patel earned the title ‘Sardar’. Shri Chouhan remarked that Sardar Patel’s unmatched contribution in unifying over 550 princely states laid the foundation for a united India.

He further praised Gujarat as the birthplace of several iconic leaders saints, sages, revolutionaries, and visionaries like Mahatma Gandhi. He acknowledged Gujarat’s immense contribution to the nation, particularly in providing a transformative leader in Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India is emerging as a prosperous, powerful, and globally respected nation, marked by a new political culture and rapid development across sectors.

Vision Behind the Campaign

Shri Chouhan stated that the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was launched to realize Prime Minister Modi’s vision of "Lab to Land". With agriculture being the backbone of the Indian economy contributing 18% to the GDP and sustaining nearly half of the population the campaign aimed to bridge the gap between scientific research and farming practices.

As part of the campaign:

•    2,170 teams of 16,000 agricultural scientists were constituted.
•    These teams reached villages to directly engage with farmers, sharing the latest research and practical knowledge.
•    Advice was given based on local climatic conditions and soil requirements.
•    Farmers were educated on balanced use of fertilizers and pesticides, and their feedback was also used to guide future research directions.

Praising the efforts of the Gujarat Government, Shri Chouhan said the state has made commendable progress in natural farming, with farmers achieving extraordinary results. There is also large-scale adoption of technology in agriculture, which has brought significant benefits.

Gujarat is a leading producer of Rice, wheat, groundnut, maize, and soybean. The State ranks first in castor, cumin, fennel, and date production.

The state accounts for:

•    77% of castor,
•    44.5% of groundnut,
•    24% of cotton, and
•    15% of chickpea production in India.

Through food processing and value addition, Gujarat’s agricultural sector is growing rapidly. Gujarat’s farmers are setting examples for the entire country. Many of the state’s products are being exported, and even in horticulture, Gujarat is making great strides.

Shri Chouhan shared that many farmers personally told him about the benefits of natural farming, emphasizing that it reduces input costs, does not compromise yield, and ensures high-quality produce.

He outlined six key principles for advancing agriculture including increasing productivity, reducing the cost of cultivation, ensuring fair prices for farmers, providing compensation during losses, diversifying crops, preserving soil fertility for future generations.

He reiterated that although the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ formally concludes today, the spirit of the campaign will live on. With the vision of "One Nation – One Agriculture – One Team", continuous farmer engagement and support will be ensured.

He stressed the need to adopt high-yield varieties, mechanization, micro-irrigation (more crop per drop), efficient water use, and new seeds as the way forward.

This year, a target has been set to bring 7.5 lakh hectares under natural farming, and 18 lakh farmers have already committed to this initiative. He concluded by saying, "Our aim is to create a prosperous agricultural ecosystem where farmers smile with pride."

In his closing remarks, Shri Chouhan formally announced the conclusion of the campaign and congratulated all participating scientists for their exceptional contributions.

He shared the campaign’s significant achievements:

•    Interaction with over 1.12 crore farmers
•    Outreach to more than 1 lakh villages
•    Over 55,000 farmer engagement programmes conducted

He also mentioned inspiring encounters with innovative farmers who have leveraged new technologies and schemes to increase their incomes tenfold. These farmers are living examples of grassroots scientists, whose insights will help shape future agricultural policies and innovations.

The event was attended by Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister, Gujarat; Raghavjibhai Patel, Agriculture Minister, Gujarat; Kunwarji Halpati, Minister of Labour and Employment; Member of Parliamnets, Prabhubhai Vasava and Mukesh Kumar Chandrakant Dalal; Local MLAs, Zilla Panchayat leaders; Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary (DARE) & Director General, ICAR; and Senior officials from ICAR and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).

All 2,170 teams of scientists participated virtually in the closing ceremony.

Campaign Journey

The nationwide campaign began on 29th May 2025 in Odisha. Over the 15-day period, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan conducted extensive farmer outreach through Kisan Chaupals, conferences, and padyatras across Odisha, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, and Gujarat.

(Source: Press Information Bureau, Release ID: 2135928)