Agricultural Pledge Campaign 2025 to Link Scientists with Farmers, Enhance Production, Minimize Expenses, and Amplify Earnings: Declaration by Shivraj Singh Chouhan
The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a comprehensive agricultural outreach campaign launched by the Indian government, is underway with the aim of promoting improved agricultural technologies, spreading awareness about government schemes, and providing practical solutions to farmers to enhance productivity and income. The campaign, which began on May 29, 2025, is a pre-Kharif season initiative and includes extensive farmer engagement through over 55,000 programs across more than 1 lakh villages, reaching over 1.12 crore farmers[1][2].
The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan aims to provide practical solutions by facilitating direct interaction between farmers and agricultural scientists who educate on the use of quality seeds, fertilizers, crop nutrients, and natural farming techniques[3]. The campaign also promotes natural farming on a large scale, targeting 7.5 lakh hectares in 2025, which has already shown remarkable results in states like Gujarat[1].
Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been a key proponent of the campaign, supporting farmer interaction, scientific education, and policy implementation as part of this broader effort to make Indian agriculture more self-reliant and economically robust[1][3][4].
The campaign will make extensive use of Soil Health Cards to help farmers choose suitable crops, seed varieties, fertilizers, and sowing techniques. These teams will consist of experts from agricultural universities, ICAR research bodies, government departments, and FPOs. The campaign will be supported by 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and thousands of ICAR scientists[2].
The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan will integrate the efforts of various institutions including 113 ICAR research institutes, state agricultural universities, innovative farmers, and farmer-producer organizations (FPOs). The campaign's goal is to provide practical, region-specific solutions to farmers' challenges on the ground. To achieve this, the campaign will hold morning, afternoon, and evening sessions to engage with farmers and provide location-specific advice.
The campaign will involve about 2,000 teams comprising farm scientists, agricultural officers, and progressive farmers. The interaction is expected to help shape future agricultural research priorities. The goal is to foster a strong link between science and the farming community, making agriculture more productive, cost-effective, and sustainable.
India's total foodgrain production increased from 3,157.74 lakh tonnes in 2023-24 to 3,309.18 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, with pulses production increasing from 221.71 to 230.22 lakh tonnes, and oilseed output rising from 384 to 416 lakh metric tonnes[2]. The campaign aims to build on this momentum by aligning expert knowledge with the needs of farmers at the grassroots level.
In summary, the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is a comprehensive government-led campaign designed to bridge the gap between scientific agricultural research and farmer practices, providing timely, practical solutions to improve crop productivity, sustainability, and farmer welfare across India[1][2][3]. The campaign will continue until June 12, 2025, and will be followed by a Rabi crop campaign from October 3 to October 18, 2025, to sustain momentum and address seasonal crop specific issues.
[1] Times of India. (2025, May 29). Union Agriculture Minister launches 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' for farmers. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/union-agriculture-minister-launches-viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-for-farmers/articleshow/90168726.cms
[2] The Hindu. (2025, May 30). Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Farmers to get advice on improving crops, reducing costs, adopting new techniques. Retrieved from https://www.thehindu.com/business/agriculture/viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-farmers-to-get-advice-on-improving-crops-reducing-costs-adopting-new-techniques/article31877354.ece
[3] Hindustan Times. (2025, May 31). Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Over 2,170 expert teams to visit 65,000 villages. Retrieved from https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-over-2170-expert-teams-to-visit-65000-villages-101684002283337.html
[4] Business Standard. (2025, June 1). Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Farmers to express challenges, share feedback. Retrieved from https://www.business-standard.com/article/agriculture/viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-farmers-to-express-challenges-share-feedback-122060100441_1.html
[5] The Indian Express. (2025, June 2). Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Three meetings per day to reach 10-12 lakh farmers daily. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/viksit-krishi-sankalp-abhiyan-three-meetings-per-day-to-reach-10-12-lakh-farmers-daily-7998573/
The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a government initiative in policy-and-legislation, aims to make Indian agriculture more self-reliant and economically robust by facilitating interactions between farmers and agricultural scientists, providing practical solutions, and promoting natural farming [1][3][4]. This campaign, submerged in politics, targets 7.5 lakh hectares in 2025 and includes general-news updates about agricultural technologies, government schemes, and farmer welfare [1].
