Chandigarh, September 16 – Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, said that despite being a small state, Haryana is making a significant contribution to the country’s food security.
Addressing the National Agriculture Conference–Rabi Campaign 2025 held in New Delhi today, Sh. Shyam Rana stated that crop diversification and sustainable farming are the most effective ways to increase the income of the farmers’and reduce agricultural risks in the future.
Notably, the ‘National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Abhiyan 2025’, is being organised by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The conference began in the presence of Union Agriculture Minister, Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Agriculture Ministers of various states, scientists, policymakers, and senior agriculture officials from across the country also remained present.
During the conference, Sh. Shyam Rana shared Haryana’s achievements and its future agricultural roadmap. Highlighting the state’s contribution, he said Haryana’s total geographical area is just 44.21 lakh hectares, only 1.4 percent of the country’s landmass, yet the state contributes more than 15 percent of India’s foodgrain production.
Sh. Shyam Rana further shared that the foodgrain output has risen from 153.54 lakh tonnes in 2014–15 to 208.80 lakh tonnes in 2023–24, a result of farmers’ hard work and the successful use of modern technology. He informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers in Haryana have so far received compensation worth around Rs. 9,025 crore. To promote direct seeding of rice, the state government is providing an incentive of Rs. 4,500 per acre this year. Haryana has also started procuring 24 crops at MSP and has enforced strict laws to curb the sale of spurious fertilizers and pesticides, shared Sh. Shyam Rana.
The Minister said that all farmers are being registered on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, ensuring fertilizer distribution strictly on landholding basis and preventing misuse by industries. He urged the Centre to provide dryers in mandis for grain drying, so farmers can sell their produce at MSP without deductions. He also emphasized the need to clean rivers and drains to ensure proper drainage of rainwater and prevent waterlogging.
Talking about horticulture, Sh. Shyam Rana said that the sector has made remarkable progress. The area under horticulture has grown from just 1.15 percent in the 1990s to 6.35 percent today, covering 10.46 lakh acres. Between 2014–15 and 2024–25 alone, the area increased by 2.59 lakh acres, a growth of nearly 120 percent. Along with fruit orchards, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants, the state is promoting technologies like greenhouses, mushroom units, and solar panels, said Sh. Shyam Singh Rana. He stressed that the conference should focus on tackling climate change, improving soil health, ensuring quality seeds and fertilizers, promoting pulses and oilseeds, strengthening horticulture and agricultural exports, and empowering Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
Sh. Shyam Singh Rana underlined that effective implementation of schemes is only possible with better coordination between the Centre and states.
For the upcoming Rabi season 2025–26, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana has urged the central government to ensure timely and adequate supply of urea and DAP. He reiterated Haryana’s commitment to moving farmers from mono-cropping to multi-cropping, thereby enhancing incomes and making farming more sustainable. Thanking the Centre, he said such conferences guide policy-making and agricultural innovations that ultimately work towards farmers’ prosperity.
Responding to Sh. Shyam Singh Rana’s demands, Union Agriculture Minister, Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan appreciated Haryana’s efforts, particularly the cash incentive scheme for Direct Seeded Rice, which he termed crucial for groundwater conservation. He assured that the Centre would seriously consider all the suggestions made by the Haryana Agriculture Minister in the interest of farmers.
