Hyderabad, September 18: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told southern states to complete their agricultural targets and commitments within the stipulated timelines, speaking at the Southern Regional Agriculture Conference in Hyderabad on Friday. At the concluding session he said the conference must lead to concrete action and measurable results, and that states should act seriously on the points agreed during the day’s discussions.
“If we come for a day, eat, meet and sit, and do nothing beyond that, it would amount to cheating the people. That is not what we want. We have to deliver results,” Chouhan said. He described the Centre, states, scientists and farmers as “one agriculture team”.
The conference discussed the impact of El Niño, crop diversification and the steps needed for the coming Rabi season.
Farmer ID and AgriStack
Chouhan asked states to finish Farmer ID work by their deadlines, saying several agricultural systems in the coming years will depend on it. A state that has promised to complete Farmer ID generation by December, he said, must meet that date. Telangana and Karnataka have crossed 75 per cent completion, and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana have made good progress in georeferencing. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have completed the Digital Crop Survey. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands still need to speed up Farmer ID generation, he said.
He asked states that have not yet linked land parcels to do so quickly, naming Tamil Nadu and Kerala in particular. Kerala also needs to coordinate its land record data with the Farmer Registry. Chouhan called for Standard Operating Procedures for tenant farmers, including sharecroppers, to be prepared and notified in the southern states, and said Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands need to take up this work. Puducherry and Lakshadweep were asked to georeference village maps.
Bharat Vistar in 13 languages
Chouhan said Bharat Vistar has been developed so that farmers can get advice on a mobile phone instead of travelling to different offices. It is now available in Hindi and English and will be extended to 13 regional languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Farmers will be able to ask questions in their own language and get answers in the same language. He also directed that state government schemes be integrated with Bharat Vistar as soon as possible.
On research, he said states can schedule agricultural campaigns of 15 or 20 days, and scientists from the Government of India will visit during them. “We have 16,000 scientists,” he said, referring to ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and agricultural universities. “Research must move from lab to land.”
Rabi conference on September 28–29
The Rabi Conference will be held at the Pusa Institute in Delhi on September 28 and 29, Chouhan announced. Agriculture ministers and officials from all states will attend with detailed plans for the Rabi season. The conference will decide which crops are sown and how much area each crop gets, and the availability of seeds, fertilisers and other resources will then be assessed.
Chouhan said the Rabi conference has been expanded from one day to two so that each state has more time to raise its concerns. India has different agro-climatic zones, resources, water availability and soil conditions, he said, so one common Rabi or Kharif plan for the whole country is not workable. That is why regional conferences matter.
Coconut, cashew and cocoa
Chouhan said coconut exports rose from ₹4,349 crore to ₹7,038 crore in one year, a growth of 62 per cent. A new scheme to promote coconut, announced in the Budget, is about to become operational, and he asked southern states, the country’s leading coconut producers, to prepare to take full advantage of it. He also called for a strategy to replace coconut trees that are 60 to 70 years old, in phases, since they often yield fewer and poorer nuts. States were urged to prepare in advance for the promotion schemes for cashew and cocoa as well.
He said the free trade agreements India has signed have made it easier to sell fruits, vegetables and grains abroad. He asked for a detailed study of these agreements to see which products are in demand, and for production to be matched to international quality standards.
Centre and states
Chouhan named three objectives for Indian agriculture: food security for a population of more than 140 crore, secure livelihoods for farmers, and nutritional security. He said southern India has large horticulture potential, including spices, coffee, cashew, cocoa and sandalwood.
He urged states to review old Acts and procedures. “Rules are meant for people; people are not meant for rules,” he said. Where a change needs the Government of India, states should say so openly, and the Centre will make the reforms it can at its level.
Chouhan also said the first instalment from the Government of India for 2 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) has been handed to the Telangana Chief Minister and construction will now begin. Beneficiaries with kutcha houses who were identified in the survey will be covered in later phases, he said.
Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur and Bhagirath Choudhary attended, along with the agriculture ministers of Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry. Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra and ICAR Director General Dr M. L. Jat, who is also Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, were among the senior officials present.
Source: Press Information Bureau releases, 18 September 2026: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses Southern States Regional Agriculture Conference in Hyderabad and Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan calls for time-bound action on state commitments.