ICAR’s 97th AGM outlines roadmap for farmer-centric, resilient and self-reliant agriculture

What happened: ICAR’s 97th AGM sets a farmer-centric research roadmap

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society held its 97th Annual General Meeting at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and it included participation by Union and State Ministers and other agricultural stakeholders.

Union Ministers used the platform to outline priorities for agricultural transformation: moving beyond higher production to farm incomes, building resilience for small and marginal farmers, linking research to market and consumer needs, and strengthening the ability of Indian agriculture to compete in global markets.

Background and earlier focus: agriculture transformation through science and partnerships

The meeting connects agricultural progress to scientific research, technology, and coordinated efforts of scientists, farmers, and Central and State Governments. Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri S. P. Singh Baghel linked India’s gains to the legacy of the Green and White Revolutions and urged integration across agriculture, livestock, dairy, fisheries, and poultry to improve rural incomes and strengthen the rural economy.

ICAR’s own reporting in the AGM also presented agriculture transformation as a science-led process and highlighted its work on crop varieties, genomics and related areas, and the translation of research into field applications.