Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Participates in Agriculture Hackathon in Pune
Pune : Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, participated in the first International Agriculture Hackathon held at the College of Agriculture, Shivajinagar, Pune. The event witnessed the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Ajit Pawar, Higher Education Minister Shri Chandrakant Patil, Agriculture Minister Shri Manikrao Kokate, Horticulture Minister Shri Bharat Gogavale, Vice Chancellors of Mahatma Phule and Marathwada Agricultural Universities, and other dignitaries. Shri Chouhan also felicitated the winning participants of the hackathon.
In his address, the Union Minister expressed delight at the enthusiasm shown by the young generation towards the agriculture sector and praised the efforts of the Maharashtra government in organizing the event. He lauded Maharashtra’s achievements in horticulture, calling it a hub of fruits and vegetables like grapes, pomegranates, oranges, and sapotas, which have set an example for the entire nation.
Shri Chouhan announced the upcoming ‘Clean Plant Program’ to provide disease-free planting materials to farmers. He stated that a major issue reported by farmers across states, particularly in the horticulture sector, is the lack of assurance regarding the health of the plants they purchase. Often, plants purchased from nurseries appear promising but turn out to be diseased when they mature and bear fruit. To address this issue, the government will soon launch a national-level Clean Plant Program.
Under this initiative, nine ‘Clean Plant’ centers will be established across the country at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. Out of these, three will be set up in Maharashtra—for grapes in Pune, oranges in Nagpur, and pomegranates in Solapur. Additionally, advanced nurseries will be developed with modern technology. Large nurseries will receive financial support of up to ₹3 crore, while medium-sized nurseries will receive ₹1.5 crore. The program aims to supply eight crore disease-free plants annually to Indian farmers.
Shri Chouhan highlighted that successful global models, such as those from Israel and the Netherlands, have inspired the program’s design. He expressed confidence that the Clean Plant initiative will make Maharashtra’s horticulture sector globally competitive.
The Union Minister emphasized the six essential steps for making agriculture profitable: increasing per-hectare yield, reducing production costs, ensuring fair prices, compensating losses, encouraging diversification, and improving infrastructure. He reiterated that the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to achieving the goal of a ‘Developed India’ by ensuring the prosperity of farmers.
Explaining the ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Developed Agriculture Resolution Campaign), Shri Chouhan said that the government is working to bridge the gap between lab and land by bringing agricultural research directly to the farmers through grassroots interactions. He encouraged collaboration between scientists, government departments, and farmers to bring about a revolution in Indian agriculture.
He expressed joy at the increasing involvement of the youth in agriculture, citing examples of young innovators who are using new technologies and agri-startups to make significant contributions. These youth are not only transforming Indian agriculture but are also expanding to international markets through exports.
In conclusion, Shri Chouhan assured the farming community that both the central and state governments stand firmly with them through all adversities, including crop damage due to unseasonal rains or other disasters.
