Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses key press conference in New Delhi

Shivraj Singh Chouhan today addressed an important press conference in New Delhi, elaborating on the ambitious schemes to be launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 11, 2025. The Union Minister stated that as India enters the Rabi sowing season, the Prime Minister will launch historic initiatives dedicated to the prosperity and welfare of farmers.

Chouhan said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s agriculture sector is achieving remarkable milestones and is on track to become the world’s food basket. The Union Minister said that the country’s development journey has reached new heights, and now India’s progress will be measured not against previous governments but against global standards.

The Union Minister said that ensuring food security, enhancing farmers’ incomes, and promoting nutritious grains remain the key priorities of the Central government. Since 2014, food grain production in India has increased by 40%, with record yields in wheat, rice, maize, groundnut, and soybean. “Today, India is completely self-reliant in wheat and rice, and we have exported over 4 crore tonnes of agricultural produce. However, in the case of pulses, we still have ground to cover,” he noted.

Highlighting the need for self-reliance in pulses, Shri Chouhan said that though India is both the largest producer and consumer of pulses, it continues to be the biggest importer. Hence, the government has launched the Pulse Self-Reliance Mission to boost production, productivity, and cultivated area. The aim is to expand the total pulse cultivation area from 27.5 million hectares to 31 million hectares by 2030-31, and to raise production from 24.2 million tonnes to 35 million tonnes. Productivity is targeted to increase from 880 kg per hectare to 1,130 kg per hectare.