NITI member Ramesh Chand urges farmers to adopt crops not covered under MSP

New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand on Tuesday urged farmers to adopt crops that are not covered under the government's Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime to achieve self-reliance and support a holistic food system in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Addressing the 'Rural Voice Agriculture Conclave and Awards 2025' here, Chand emphasised that while government support plays a role in agriculture development, true self-reliance would come when farmers themselves take initiative in crop choices and farming practices.

He noted that over the past decade, MSP-linked crops have grown at a rate of 1.8 per cent, while crops without MSP have grown at around 4 per cent, a press statement said.

He said the country's agricultural growth has averaged at 4.6 per cent over the past decade, but domestic demand is growing at just about 2 per cent.

In such a scenario, what should be done with surplus production, he questioned.

A wealthy class with strong purchasing power is growing in the country, he said, and farmers can earn significantly more by cultivating crops that cater to this demand. This will require developing the entire value chain.

He noted that global agricultural planning is now shifting towards a food-system approach, covering the entire value chain from seeds to marketing and distribution. Integration into the value chain, he said, boosts farmers' incomes.

Harveer Singh, Editor-in-Chief of Rural Voice, spoke about the platform's five-year journey. He said Rural Voice was launched to empower farmers through information, and the conclave was organised with this objective.

For India to become self-reliant, farmers must be empowered, which requires innovation, technology, and policy support. Farmers must also be placed at the centre of policy making, he said. PTI SID HVA