New Delhi, Sep 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Citing widespread stress caused by deficient and erratic rainfall across Maharashtra, State Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane on Tuesday urged the Centre for special interventions during the National Agriculture Conference, Rabi Campaign 2026.
Speaking on the second day of the conference chaired by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the minister highlighted the severe challenges facing rain-fed farmers ahead of the upcoming Rabi season due to depleted soil moisture levels.
Minister Bharane formally requested Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to undertake a field visit to assess crop conditions directly and facilitate targeted relief measures.
He also sought an additional grant of Rs 500 crore to scale up the distribution of Broad Bed Furrow (BBF) machinery to facilitate efficient planting under low-moisture conditions.
Maharashtra also requested a further allocation of Rs 500 crore to expand drip irrigation and sprinkler systems in water-stressed regions.
To offset possible yield losses in gram, wheat, safflower and oilseeds, Maharashtra requested 10 lakh sorghum (jowar) seed kits to secure grain production and ensure fodder availability for livestock.
Minister Bharane strongly urged the Centre not to rely solely on satellite imagery for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) insurance loss calculations.
Pointing out that prolonged dry spells have left crops appearing green despite reduced yields, he called for physical ground assessments and yield-testing experiments.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, farmer-centric support, Bharane said farmers' survival and prosperity were essential to village development and, ultimately, the nation.
Responding to the states, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged the Centre and states to function with a unified “Team Agriculture” approach to ensure national food security.
Chouhan announced that the Centre would establish multi-tiered review mechanisms, including monthly virtual state-level coordination meetings involving state ministers, agricultural universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and exporters.
Similar monthly coordination meetings will also be conducted at the district level.
A nationwide soil health campaign will be launched to promote balanced fertiliser use based on Soil Health Cards, preserve soil fertility and improve pest management practices.
The Centre also reiterated its commitment to 100 per cent procurement of arhar (pigeon pea), urad (black gram) and masoor (lentil) at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), with payments to be cleared within 48 hours.
Highlighting agricultural growth, Chouhan said India’s agricultural growth rate had increased from 3 per cent after 2015 to 4.5 per cent, while Rabi foodgrain production had risen by 205 lakh tonnes during the 2023-2026 period.
The conference concluded with directions to finalise state- and district-level Rabi sowing schedules strictly based on local water availability and soil moisture conditions, according to an official government release.
Source: IANS
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