Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday, 19 May called on the eastern states to prioritise pulses, oilseeds, and crop diversification during the ongoing kharif season, with a specific focus on the welfare of small and marginal farmers. His remarks came at the Eastern Regional Kharif Agriculture Zonal Conference in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key Developments at the Zonal Conference

Chouhan told reporters that a subject-specific, region-specific, and state-specific roadmap — developed jointly by the Centre and the states — could take Eastern India's agriculture sector to new heights. The conference, the third in the zonal series, brought together five states: Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

The minister noted that while India holds a strong position in paddy and wheat production, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds remains an unfinished agenda. He described crop diversification not merely as expanding acreage under other crops, but as a means of actively protecting soil health — pointing out that repeated cultivation of the same crop depletes soil fertility, whereas pulses restore it through nitrogen fixation.

'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' to Launch June 1

Chouhan announced that a nationwide 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' will be launched from 1 June to 15 June, centred on balanced fertiliser use, soil health awareness, and farmer education. He cautioned that excessive fertiliser application — without understanding soil conditions — raises input costs while damaging soil, crop quality, and human health.

This campaign signals a broader policy push toward sustainable input management, at a time when India's fertiliser subsidy bill remains a significant fiscal pressure point.

Integrated Farming and Multiple Income Streams

The minister placed special emphasis on integrated farming as a model suited to the needs of small and marginal farmers across Eastern India. Models combining grains with horticulture, vegetables, animal husbandry, fisheries, beekeeping, and agroforestry have been developed to create multiple income streams. Chouhan said integrated farming holds 'immense potential' to substantially raise farmer incomes in the region.

He also highlighted the introduction of a Farmer ID system, alongside discussions on natural farming, horticulture, and agricultural infrastructure as part of the conference agenda.

Government's Six-Point Agriculture Strategy

Framing the conference within the broader policy context, Chouhan outlined the Centre's six-point agriculture strategy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi: increasing production and productivity, reducing input costs, ensuring remunerative prices, providing compensation for crop losses, and accelerating agricultural diversification. He said the government's three overarching goals in agriculture are food security, nutritional availability, and stronger farmer livelihoods.

The minister also defended the zonal conference format — replacing a single national conference — as more effective for addressing India's diverse agro-climatic conditions and state-specific challenges. With the kharif sowing window approaching, the decisions taken at Bhubaneswar are expected to shape ground-level implementation across the five eastern states in the coming weeks.