Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the government will establish a committee to address the stark disparity between farm-gate prices and retail costs of horticulture produce.
Addressing an agricultural conference in New Delhi, he said, while farmers sell vegetables at 5 rupees a kilo, consumers end up paying 50 rupees and this gulf needs to narrow. Mr Chouhan also unveiled plans to launch ‘Krishi Chaupal’ next month, an initiative aimed at bridging the lab-to-land gap in agricultural research. He emphasised upon the need to optimise the functioning of over 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across India, highlighting concerns about their fragmented management under various authorities, including ICAR, universities, and state governments. The minister called upon states to develop model farms spanning 2 to 2.5 acres to demonstrate best practices in agriculture. Mr Chouhan said, agriculture is India’s economic backbone and no progress is possible without strengthening this sector.
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