From Illegal Tagging to Biostimulant Crackdown, First Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan Made Its Mark Across India; Second Phase to Begin October 3

16 September 2025, New Delhi: After the unprecedented success of the first phase of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the government is preparing to launch the second phase under the leadership of Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from October 3, 2025.

The first Sankalp Yatra campaign, which began on 29 May 2025, saw 2,170 teams comprising scientists, agriculture officers and experts visiting more than 1.42 lakh villages and directly interacting with over 1.34 crore farmers. The scale of the outreach was historic and received strong support from chief ministers, union and state ministers, members of parliament, MLAs and thousands of local representatives. Beyond knowledge transfer, the campaign also triggered stronger vigilance on the spurious pesticide. Farmers took the opportunity to raise concerns regarding the tagging of nano, biological and biostimulant products along with fertilisers. Following this, 9,352 provisional registration certificates for biostimulant products were neither renewed nor granted permanent approval and therefore lapsed on 16 June 2025, making these products no longer valid for sale in the market.

Second phase to begin on October 3 with focus on Rabi crops

Building on this momentum, the second phase will now focus on Rabi crops and begin on October 3. Agricultural scientists from across the country will once again travel to villages, meet farmers, provide critical information and listen to their concerns in an effort to deliver practical solutions aligned with the government’s Lab to Land vision. To set the stage for this, a two-day National Agricultural Conference — Rabi Abhiyan 2025 — is being held at the Pusa Campus in New Delhi on 15–16 September.

For the first time, the Rabi Conference is being extended to two full days. It will bring together agriculture ministers from several states, the union secretary of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, the director general of ICAR and senior representatives from both central and state governments. In addition, Krishi Vigyan Kendra scientists have also been invited to contribute regional insights and help chart strategies for the season ahead.

The deliberations will cover a wide spectrum of issues that are critical for the upcoming Rabi season, including soil health, balanced use of fertilisers, quality seeds and pesticides, diversification of horticulture, the strengthening of extension services, coordination of centrally sponsored schemes and promotion of natural farming practices. Special attention will also be given to crop diversification with emphasis on pulses and oilseeds, the availability and distribution of fertilisers, and integrated farming systems. Presentations from experts and state representatives will provide practical solutions, while discussions will also address weather forecasting, fertiliser management and technological interventions.

The outcome of the conference is expected to shape the roadmap for Rabi 2025–26, offering direction on production strategies and farmer support. By consolidating best practices from different states and encouraging wider adoption of innovative approaches, the government hopes to improve farm productivity, strengthen national food security and enhance farmer incomes.

Farmers across the country have expressed enthusiasm for the next phase of the campaign. Like the first, the second phase is expected not only to remain a platform for dialogue but to result in concrete measures that directly benefit cultivators, reaffirming the government’s commitment to building a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.

Also Read: Two Rows of Grapes, Two Different Futures: How Biostimulants Are Reshaping Farming

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