Open for talks to any farmers’ group, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

NEW DELHI: Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said the answer to farmers’ issues was dialogue, for which he would start an initiative named Samvad Se Samadhan (solution through discussions) to interact with farm organisations directly.
The minister said he would set aside the first half of every Tuesday for meetings with farmers, who can sit across the table with prior notice. Chouhan urged farm groups and organisations to come forward and raise their issues with him.
“Direct talks with farmers…several issues can be resolved through it. So, I am trying to visit fields and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. But I have decided that every Tuesday from morning till lunch will be the time to meet farmers and farmers’ organisations,” Chouhan told reporters.
Once an appointment is fixed, “we will talk to whoever and whichever organisation comes”, the minister said, in what appears to be a gesture also aimed at farmers’ groups protesting for a legal guarantee on floor prices for farm produce.
In 2020, thousands of agriculturists set up camps outside the national capital and staged a year-long protest against three agricultural laws aimed at opening up the sector. In November 2021, the government decided to scrap the three legislation, giving in to the farmers’ demand, which ended the agitation.
Several farmers’ associations in Haryana, where Assembly polls will be held early next month, have been protesting since February for a legal assurance that no crops will be sold below minimum support prices, a federally fixed floor rate.
Recently, the Supreme Court set up a committee chaired by former Punjab and Haryana high court judge, Justice Nawab Singh, to resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers.
The minister said the Digital Krishi Mission launched recently will be transformative for the agriculture sector, which offers livelihoods to nearly half of the population. “We have signed agreements with 19 states so far to create digital public infrastructure in the farm sector,” Chouhan said.
On September 2, the Modi Cabinet approved the digital agriculture initiative with an outlay of ₹2817 crore, including a central government share of ₹1940 crore to digitise land holdings, offer quicker app-based crop solutions and provide online access to markets.
Chouhan also announced a plan to set up Kisan Choupals, which will be centres dedicated to speedy diffusion of technologies to farmers.