Govt targets 3.5% farm growth with kharif outreach to 13 million farmers

New Delhi: The Centre has launched a massive outreach campaign aimed at equipping farmers with information, tools, and technology ahead of the kharif sowing season, targeting over 3.5% growth in agricultural production in 2025-26. 

Agriculture and farmers welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday announced the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a countrywide initiative running from 29 May to 12 June across all states and union territories.

The campaign aims to directly engage more than 13 million farmers, raising awareness of region-specific kharif crops, improved agronomic practices, and modern techniques in animal husbandry, poultry, and fisheries to boost income diversification. The drive will also educate farmers about central schemes offering financial assistance, insurance, subsidies, and support services, according to the minister.

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Kharif crops, which account for around 60% of India’s total crop production, include paddy, maize, soybean, tur, and cotton - all heavily reliant on monsoon rainfall.

Banking on the Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast of an 'above normal' monsoon at 105% of the long period average, the government has set a record food grain production target of 354.64 million tonnes (MT) for 2025-26, up 3.8% from 341.55 MT in 2024-25. 

Paddy output is projected to rise to 147.35 MT from 136.30 MT, while wheat is estimated at 117.40 MT, up from 115 MT. Maize output is expected to increase to 42.68 MT from 40 MT.

However, the target for pulses has been revised lower to 26.47 MT for 2025-26 from 29.90 MT last year, after actual production fell to 23.02 MT. The target for oilseeds remains nearly unchanged at 44.75 MT.

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Chouhan expressed confidence that the momentum from record production in 2024-25 would continue. “Having achieved record production last year, we are confident of sustaining over 3.5% growth in agricultural output, well above the global average of 1-1.5%,” he said.

Nearly half of India’s farmland is rain-fed, making a strong monsoon crucial for crop success. Even irrigated lands depend on reservoir levels, which are replenished during the rainy season.

The 2024 monsoon season was the best in four years, with overall rainfall during the period 8% above normal, as per IMD data.

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As part of efforts to optimize kharif output, special emphasis will be placed on training farmers to interpret Soil Health Cards for better crop and fertilizer decisions. 

Additionally, the government plans to introduce handheld digital tools for on-the-spot soil testing, allowing farmers to assess properties like texture, organic matter, pH, and nutrient levels in seconds, Mint had reported earlier. 

This will enable precision farming and quick decision-making, said M.L. Jat, secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education.

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The campaign will also document grassroots innovations and gather feedback to inform policy and research. All 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras will lead the drive, coordinating with 113 ICAR institutes, agricultural universities, and state departments. Each district will deploy three teams comprising scientists, officials, and progressive farmers to visit three gram panchayats per day, interacting with 500-600 farmers daily.