Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane on Tuesday, 29 September 2026 urged the Centre for special financial interventions during the National Agriculture Conference, Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi, citing widespread crop stress from deficient and erratic rainfall across the state. The appeal, made before Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, underscores the scale of agrarian distress threatening the upcoming Rabi season.

Maharashtra's Key Demands

Minister Bharane formally requested ₹500 crore to scale up distribution of Broad Bed Furrow (BBF) machinery, which enables efficient planting under low-moisture soil conditions. A further ₹500 crore allocation was sought to expand drip irrigation and sprinkler systems in water-stressed regions across the state.

To offset anticipated yield losses in gram, wheat, safflower, and oilseeds, Maharashtra also requested 10 lakh sorghum (jowar) seed kits to secure both grain production and fodder availability for livestock ahead of the lean season.

Crop Insurance Assessment Under Scrutiny

A pointed demand from Maharashtra concerns the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) — the national crop insurance scheme. Bharane urged the Centre not to rely solely on satellite imagery for loss calculations, arguing that prolonged dry spells have left crops appearing visually green despite severely reduced yields. He called for mandatory physical ground assessments and yield-testing experiments to ensure farmers receive fair compensation.

This concern is not new: agricultural experts have long flagged that remote-sensing data can mask ground-level crop stress, particularly in rain-shadow zones. Maharashtra's formal objection at a national forum adds institutional weight to the demand for reform.

Centre's Response: 'Team Agriculture' Approach

Responding to the states, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called for a unified 'Team Agriculture' approach between the Centre and states to ensure national food security. He announced multi-tiered review mechanisms, including monthly virtual coordination meetings at both state and district levels, involving state ministers, agricultural universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and exporters.

The Centre also reiterated its commitment to 100% 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 — a timeline that, if implemented at scale, would represent a significant improvement over past disbursement delays.

Agricultural Growth and the Rabi Outlook

Chouhan highlighted that India's agricultural growth rate had risen from 3% post-2015 to 4.5%, and that Rabi foodgrain production had climbed by 205 lakh tonnes during the 2023–2026 period. He also announced a nationwide soil health campaign to promote balanced fertiliser use based on Soil Health Cards, improve pest management, and preserve long-term soil fertility.

The conference concluded with directions to states to finalise Rabi sowing schedules strictly based on local water availability and soil moisture data — an instruction that carries added urgency for Maharashtra, where depleted soil moisture levels now define the ground reality. The Centre's field visit sought by Bharane is yet to be confirmed.