Shivraj’s farmer-first mission to revolutionize soybean farming

 

Indore(Team Newsbuddy): In a bold move to transform Indian agriculture, Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, spearheaded a brainstorming session at the Indian Institute of Soybean Research in Indore, to revolutionize soybean farming. Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the minister pledged to elevate farmers’ prosperity by boosting soybean yields, ensuring fair prices, and bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and on-ground realities.
The high-energy gathering saw scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), farmers, agricultural university leaders, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) experts, senior officials from major soybean-producing states, the Union Agriculture Secretary, ICAR’s Director General, and soybean industry representatives. Together, they tackled pressing challenges and laid the groundwork for a sustainable, farmer-centric soybean ecosystem.
“Indian farmers are the soul of our economy, toiling on small plots of one to five acres, unlike the sprawling farms of Brazil or the USA,” Chouhan said, underscoring the unique challenges of Indian agriculture. “Since becoming Agriculture Minister, my sole mission has been to uplift farmers and strengthen agriculture.” Inspired by PM Modi’s call to launch new seed varieties directly in the fields, he emphasized making farmers active partners in agricultural progress.
Chouhan highlighted the urgent need to connect laboratory research with field realities. “We have 16,000 brilliant scientists, but their work often stays in labs. Farmers face real challenges in their fields. It’s time to bring the lab to the land,” he declared. The recently launched ‘Developed Agriculture Mission’ saw 2,170 teams engage with farmers across villages, uncovering over 300 farmer-led innovations, such as a glucose-based solution to extend litchi’s shelf life, which scientists are now adopting.
The minister announced, further research will be driven by farmers’ on-ground challenges, not top-down directives from Delhi. Key issues like substandard seeds and pesticides were raised, prompting Chouhan to vow strict action. “Those supplying poor-quality inputs will face consequences. We’ll also develop tools to help farmers identify reliable seeds,” he assured. He stressed the need for resilient seed varieties to withstand drought, excess water, and diseases like yellow mosaic, leveraging advanced techniques like genome editing.
A key focus was increasing soybean yields and ensuring better returns for farmers. With soybean’s high protein content but only 18% oil yield, Chouhan emphasized value addition through innovative products. “We’ll revamp schemes to maximize farmer profits and create diverse soybean products to boost their value,” he said. Addressing India’s ₹1.33 lakh crore edible oil imports, he pledged policies to enhance domestic soybean production and streamline procurement for fair prices.
“Farmers’ welfare is non-negotiable,” Chouhan asserted. “Serving them is akin to serving God. With PM Modi’s vision guiding us, we’ll ensure soybean farmers thrive.” A transformative roadmap to uplift agriculture and farmers’ lives will be unveiled soon, he added.
To deepen field-level engagement, Chouhan directed KVK scientists to spend three days a week with farmers, while committing to join them in the fields two days a week himself. “Scientists, officials, and industry must work shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers to truly understand and solve their challenges,” he urged. The minister also outlined plans to extend this model to cotton, sugarcane, and pulses after soybean.
During the visit, Chouhan inspected a state-of-the-art seed treatment machine, participated in tractor-based soybean sowing, laid the foundation for a field resource complex, and discussed innovations with the institute’s director, Dr. Kunwar Harendra Singh, and scientists. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, and Indore MP Shankar Lalwani were present.