17 March 2026, New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, stated in the Lok Sabha that the government has placed farmers’ income and security at the highest priority through a combination of policy measures, including promoting alternative cash crops, ensuring record procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), reforming crop insurance, and strengthening monitoring systems.
Replying to questions from Members of Parliament, Chouhan said the government is not only discouraging tobacco cultivation but also providing viable and profitable alternatives. In regions where tobacco is traditionally grown, crops such as hybrid maize, chilli, sweet potato, cotton, potato, chia, feed beans, cowpea, ragi, red gram, sugarcane, soybean, sorghum, and groundnut have been identified as strong substitutes to safeguard farmers’ income.
Highlighting the challenges of small landholdings, the minister said that relying on a single crop is risky for small farmers. To address this, the government has developed integrated farming models and initiated demonstrations across states. These models enable farmers to combine cereals like wheat and paddy with vegetables, fruits, livestock, fisheries, beekeeping, goat rearing, and agroforestry, ensuring stable and enhanced year-round income.
Chouhan further stated that MSPs for all major crops, including wheat, paddy, pulses, and oilseeds, have been increased to ensure fair prices for farmers. He noted that the current season is witnessing record procurement at MSP. He also emphasized that under the present government, a system has been put in place for pulses such as tur, masur, and urad, ensuring that whatever quantity registered farmers bring for sale is procured, providing significant support to pulse growers.
On crop insurance reforms, the minister said that earlier, farmers had to wait for months to receive compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. However, following major reforms, even individual crop losses are now eligible for compensation. He added that if insurance claims are not settled within 21 days of yield data being finalized, insurance companies and states will be required to pay the amount along with 12% interest, ensuring timely relief to farmers.
Reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, Chouhan said that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment of “neither will I engage in corruption nor allow it,” strict monitoring mechanisms have been put in place. Complaints received through digital platforms, including the Agri Rakshak portal, are being thoroughly investigated, and stringent action is taken wherever irregularities are found. He also noted that in several states, including Rajasthan, thousands of crores of rupees have been directly transferred to farmers’ accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under crop insurance schemes, reflecting the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
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