Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday inaugurated a three-day national level exhibition and conference - Unnat Krishi Mela -- at Raisen, under Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to join Monday, the concluding day of the event.
Addressing the gathering of thousands of farmers from surrounding districts, Singh narrated the performance of Chouhan in Parliament, particularly appreciating his “smart way” of answering questions. He said that under Chouhan the agriculture ministry would also succeed the way he successfully led development works in Madhya Pradesh as chief minister. He also said that the current chief minister Mohan Singh Yadav will get benefit of long experiences of Chouhan and hoped that the union agriculture minister would guide Yadav.
Singh also informed that the defence forces have been instructed to buy chemical-free fruits and vegetables directly from farmers in the vicinity of their bases so that growers do not have to travel long distance in search of buyers.
stresses relevance
As the turnout of farmers was more than expectation, many farmers even could not enter the meeting venue due to space constraint. A large number of grassroot BJP leaders were seen coming in groups of 10-15 farmers. each.
When asked about the number of farmers to attend, Chouhan a day earlier tried to downplay it saying it is more relevant what farmers take away from the conference. He appealed farmers to attend different sessions planned along with the exhibition asarrangements have been made to guide and help them with expert advice from agriculture scientists from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). All the queries of the farmers will be answered by ICAR’s scientists so that they know how to raise income by adopting new technologies and methods of practices, he said.
Later speaking to media on sideline, Chouhan said that a five-year agricultural roadmap will be prepared in each state for which states like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are already at an advanced stage to complete. He also said as there is same agro climatic zones in four districts of MP in Raisen and 3 other districts, a road map would be unveiled on April 12. Similar roadmaps at district levels in each state will also be prepared if the States want, he added.
Shivraj, while defending the move to hold the conference at Raisen, said that farmers from distant places are not able to reach Pusa Krishi Mela, a premier annual exhibition held in Delhi by ICAR’s Indian Agriculture Research Institute. He also said such events can take place in other states, too.
This exhibition also assumes significance as it is being held after Chouhan’s own Viksit Krishi Sankalp Yatra was discontinued from last Rabi season even after dates were announced at a state ministers’ conference. The only Viksit Krishi Sankalp Yatra was held on the eve of Kharif 2025 sowing season when thousands of teams comprising agriculture scientists and experts visited villages directly on a fortnight-long yatra.
The event is happening at a time when the country has seen Rabi season’s crop damage in 2.49 lakh hectares (as of April 8) due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms, according to latest compiled estimates by states, according to Chouhan. This area may further increase as and when states finalise the assessment of damage.
“The Modi government stands firmly with farmers in this crisis,” Chouhan said adding he has also consulted the agriculture ministers of impacted states.
Hailstorms had hit Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh during March and April.
The union agriculture minister on Friday said that the government is ensuring smooth nutrient supply to shield against global price swings from West Asia tensions, as farmers are gearing up for the Kharif sowing, slated to begin from June with the arrival of south west monsoon.
Chouhan also said that the pilot scheme on distribution of fertilisers on the basis of land records has shown good results and it will be scaled up for a nationwide roll out once the targetted 13-crore Farmers’ IDs are created. So far, 9.29 crore Farmers’ IDs have been generated where all information such as land holdings, crops pattern, yield, inputs usage are recorded.
He also said that state-specific agriculture roadmaps based on agro-climate zones are in the works, with five zonal Kharif conferences planned this year, one at Jaipur already held last week.
Published on April 11, 2026