Eastern India gets focused agri roadmap; centre plans ‘khet bachao abhiyan’ and crackdown on fake seeds

Bhubaneswar : The Centre has drawn up a region-specific agriculture roadmap for Eastern India with a sharper focus on pulses, oilseeds, crop diversification and integrated farming, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday during the Eastern Regional Kharif Agriculture Zonal Conference in Bhubaneswar.

The conference brought together Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal to discuss strategies aimed at improving farm productivity, strengthening food security and increasing farmers’ incomes in the region.

Addressing the media, Chouhan said the Centre is moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” agriculture approach and instead preparing state-specific and crop-specific plans suited to local soil, climate and farming conditions.

A major highlight of the announcement was the launch of a nationwide “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” from June 1 to June 15. The campaign will focus on balanced fertiliser use, soil health awareness and farmer education to reduce excessive and unscientific fertiliser application.

The Union Minister also signalled stricter regulation of farm inputs, stating that the government is preparing a new Pesticide Act and Seed Act to crack down on fake pesticides and poor-quality seeds. According to him, the current legal provisions are not stringent enough to deter offenders.

Eastern India, which has large stretches of rice fallow land after paddy harvest, is being seen as a key region for expanding pulses and oilseed cultivation. The government plans to support farmers in these areas through quality seeds, demonstrations, incentives and procurement support under the PM-AASHA scheme.

Chouhan said the Centre will also promote local processing infrastructure by providing subsidies for dal mills and oil mills, helping farmers benefit from value addition closer to production centres.

The minister stressed that integrated farming models combining crops with horticulture, fisheries, livestock, beekeeping and agro-forestry could significantly improve incomes, especially for small and marginal farmers who dominate the region.

On digital agriculture, Chouhan described Farmer ID as a “transformative initiative” that would link landholding, crop and family details into a unified digital system. He said the platform would improve transparency in DBT transfers, agricultural credit and fertiliser distribution while reducing leakages.

The government also acknowledged gaps in agricultural credit flow in several districts and said state-specific financing models would be developed to improve access to farm loans for modern farming and horticulture activities.

Highlighting the horticulture potential of Eastern India, especially fruits like mango, the minister said the Centre would work on expanding cold storage and cold chain infrastructure through schemes such as MIDH, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and PM Kisan Sampada Yojana.

The conference is part of a series of zonal consultations being conducted by the Centre ahead of the Kharif season to prepare region-focused agricultural strategies.