ICAR Reviews Future Agri Roadmap as Shivraj Singh Chouhan Pushes for Profitable and Climate-Resilient Farming

19 May 2026, New Delhi: A high-level meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) related to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was held under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, at his office at 12 Safdarjung Road, New Delhi.

The meeting focused on reviewing the functioning, priorities and future direction of Indian Council of Agricultural Research as the country looks to strengthen agricultural productivity, sustainability and climate resilience.

During the meeting, Director General of ICAR and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), M. L. Jat, briefed the Union Minister on the ongoing programmes, research initiatives and institutional activities being undertaken by ICAR across the country. He also presented the organisation’s future roadmap and highlighted efforts aimed at delivering greater benefits to Indian farmers and the agriculture sector.

Reviewing the progress and priorities of ICAR, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said agriculture continues to be the backbone of livelihoods for a large section of India’s population and remains a strong pillar of the national economy. He directed officials to focus their efforts on making Indian agriculture more productive, cost-effective and profitable for farmers.

The Union Minister also laid special emphasis on expanding integrated farming systems across the country. He said farmers should be encouraged to adopt integrated farming practices in a practical and scalable manner, noting that such models can help improve farm incomes while strengthening sustainable agriculture.

Highlighting the growing impact of climate change on agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said scientific and climate-resilient farming practices are now essential for the future of Indian agriculture. He directed officials to accelerate work on preparing state-specific agricultural roadmaps aligned with the agro-climatic conditions of each state, in consultation with state governments.

Officials informed the Minister that the process has already begun following requests from states including Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan, and that dedicated agricultural development roadmaps for these states are expected to be prepared soon.

Expressing satisfaction over ICAR’s action plan and progress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan urged officials to work with greater speed, commitment and innovation so that key agricultural development targets can be achieved ahead of schedule. Senior officials of ICAR were also present during the meeting.

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