Press Conference by Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the National Kharif Conference in Delhi

1. At a Glance

Annual pre-Kharif strategy conclave convened by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare with states to finalise input availability, credit, insurance and contingency plans for the Kharif (monsoon) sowing season [S1][S2].
Held on 28-29 May 2026 at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi; presided over by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan [S2].
Examinable for UPSC as it touches food security, PM-KISAN/Farmer ID (Agri-Stack), PMFBY crop insurance, natural farming, fertiliser policy, and cooperative federalism in agriculture.

Centre declared the country "fully prepared for Kharif 2026" with seed surplus, a national seed reserve, and a month-long Khet Bachao Abhiyan (1–30 June 2026) [S1][S2].
Conference rolled out a state-specific agro-climatic roadmap model and progress benchmark on 9.76 crore Farmer IDs under the Agri-Stack [S1].

National Kharif Conferences are held annually (April–May) by DA&FW to coordinate Centre-State input planning before the southwest monsoon (June onwards).
Agri-Stack / Farmer ID (Digital Agriculture Mission) approved by Cabinet, Sept 2024; targets unique digital identity for ~11 crore farmers.
Khet Bachao Abhiyan launched as a village-level outreach campaign on agronomy, balanced fertiliser use and natural farming [S1].
Predecessor frameworks: National Food Security Mission (NFSM, 2007), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), PM Fasal Bima Yojana (2016).

Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare; Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) [S1].
Venue/Date: NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, 28–29 May 2026 [S2].
Seed requirement vs availability (Kharif 2026): requirement 173 lakh quintals; availability 192 lakh quintals → ~11% surplus [S2].
National Seed Reserve: 1.74 lakh quintals for contingency (delayed rainfall/dry spells/re-sowing) [S1].
Farmer IDs created: 9.76 crore under Agri-Stack [S1].
Natural Farming: 20 lakh farmers registered; coverage ~8 lakh hectares [S2].
Khet Bachao Abhiyan: 1 June – 30 June 2026, joint Centre-State outreach to every village [S1].
Policy thrust: crop insurance, agri-credit, seed quality, balanced fertiliser use, integrated farming, state-wise agro-climatic roadmaps [S1].

Economic
Surplus seed availability cushions against price spikes in inputs; reserve mitigates re-sowing risk under erratic monsoon [S1][S2].
9.76 crore Farmer IDs enable DBT efficiency for PM-KISAN, PMFBY, KCC interest subvention [S1].
Administrative / Federal
Centre-State concrete roadmap on credit, insurance, quality is a cooperative-federalism exercise — Agriculture is a State List (Entry 14) subject [S1].
State-specific agro-climatic plans acknowledge India's 15 agro-climatic zones (ICAR).
Environmental
Explicit push for natural farming, balanced fertiliser use (reducing urea overuse), integrated farming systems [S1].
Aligns with National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) approved Nov 2024.
Scientific / Technological
Agri-Stack Farmer ID is the digital public infrastructure (DPI) backbone for targeted scheme delivery [S1].
Social
Village-level Khet Bachao Abhiyan aims at last-mile awareness for small and marginal farmers (~86% of holdings, Agri Census 2015-16) [S1].

28-29 May 2026: National Kharif Conference; figures above announced [S1][S2].
Apr 2026: Northern Region Agriculture Conference, Lucknow (jointly with UP CM) [S2].
2026 NBS: Cabinet approved Nutrient-Based Subsidy rates for Kharif 2026 (1 Apr–30 Sep 2026) for P&K fertilisers [S2].
MSP (KMS 2025-26) for Kharif crops approved earlier by CCEA [S2].

National Kharif Conference 2026 was held at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi, on 28–29 May 2026 [S2].
Seed availability for Kharif 2026: 192 lakh quintals vs requirement of 173 lakh quintals — surplus of about 11% [S2].
National Seed Reserve: 1.74 lakh quintals for Kharif 2026 [S1].
Farmer IDs generated: 9.76 crore [S1].
Khet Bachao Abhiyan duration: 1 June – 30 June 2026 [S1].
Natural farming registrations: 20 lakh farmers / 8 lakh hectares [S2].
Nodal ministry: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (not Ministry of Rural Development) [S1].
Agriculture is in the State List (Entry 14, Seventh Schedule) — hence Centre-State coordination via such conferences.
NBS rates for Kharif 2026 cover the period 1 April – 30 September 2026 [S2].
Farmer ID is part of the Digital Agriculture Mission / Agri-Stack approved by Union Cabinet in 2024.

GS-III: Agriculture — Major crops, cropping patterns; e-technology in aid of farmers; issues of buffer stocks and food security; farm subsidies and MSP.
GS-II: Government policies and interventions; Centre-State relations.
Plausible question stems: 1. "Digital Public Infrastructure such as Agri-Stack and Farmer ID can transform delivery of agricultural welfare schemes. Discuss." (GS-III) 2. "Examine the rationale and limitations of natural farming as a pathway to sustainable Indian agriculture." (GS-III) 3. "Given that agriculture is a State subject, evaluate the role of national-level conferences and joint roadmaps in achieving cooperative federalism in the farm sector." (GS-II)

Conflating Khet Bachao Abhiyan (Jun 2026) with the older "Bachat Khet" or with Per Drop More Crop — different schemes.
Mistaking Farmer ID as part of PM-KISAN; it is under the Agri-Stack / Digital Agriculture Mission.
Assuming agriculture is a Union/Concurrent subject — it is State List (Entry 14).
Confusing national seed reserve (1.74 lakh quintals) with total seed availability (192 lakh quintals).
Attributing natural farming push to MoEFCC; it is the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare.

[S1] Press Conference by Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the National Kharif Conference in Delhi — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2266794&reg=3&lang=1 — (tier: 1)
[S2] Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Leads States in Kharif Campaign 2026 Strategy Meet / related PIB releases (PRID 2266598, 2266377, 2266270, 2250032) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2266598&reg=3&lang=1 — (tier: 1)