Shivraj Singh Chouhan visits farm mechanization factory in Patiala

Shivraj Singh Chouhan met farmers in Punjab today as part of the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’. He visited farmlands to review crops and their production, and also toured a factory that manufactures agricultural machines in Amargarh, Patiala, where he inspected various farming tools and equipment.

Present at the event were Punjab Agriculture Minister Shri Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Dr. M.L. Jat, Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, Secretary of Punjab agriculture department Dr. Basant Garg, and other scientists and officials.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Chouhan said, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision is for a Viksit Bharat, and we are working tirelessly with that goal in mind. Our mission is to build a glorious, prosperous, and powerful India. Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. In the fourth quarter of last financial year, the country achieved a growth rate of 7.5%, with agriculture contributing to 5.4% of it. Agriculture still accounts for over 18% of the Indian economy, and remains the source of livelihood for 50% of our population.”

Outlining the key objectives for agriculture, he said:

• Ensuring food security for 1.45 billion people
• Providing nutritious food along with food security
• Making farming profitable for farmers
• Establishing India as a global food basket

“I bow again and again before the soil of Punjab. The farmers of Punjab have played a major role in filling the nation’s food reserves. There was a time when we were forced to consume low-quality wheat from the U.S., but today, we not only produce high-quality wheat and rice, but also export them. Indian basmati rice is in high demand abroad. However, we must move even further – our aim is to make our farmers prosperous and achieve complete development in the agriculture sector,” Shri Chouhan said.