BENGALURU: The future of farming lies in moving away from chemical pesticides and adopting sustainable, science-driven alternatives, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday.
He was speaking during his visit to the ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (NBAIR) and ICAR – National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI), where he reviewed research activities and interacted with farmers.
Chouhan reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is not only to make India self-reliant in food production but also to ensure that farming becomes a profitable profession.
“We are already Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in wheat and rice, and our basmati exports are strong. The challenge now is to increase farmers’ incomes while safeguarding their health and the environment. We cannot compromise on anything that harms farmers,” he said.
Highlighting the struggles of cultivators, the Union minister pointed out that crops like sugarcane suffer from red rot and stem borer infestations, while cotton farmers in Coimbatore are battling pests such as the pink bollworm, leading to less than 50% production in Bt cotton.
The minister also asked the institute to prepare a white paper on alternatives to pesticides, including the use of bio-pesticides, microbial solutions, and RNA-based technologies, which could both protect crops and ensure higher yields without harming beneficial organisms. “If we adopt these methods, the cost of cultivation will come down and farmers’ profits will increase,” he added.
During the visit, Dr SN Sushil, Director of ICAR-NBAIR, briefed the minister on ongoing research, including projects on double-stranded RNA for virus resistance, and the development of biopesticides to reduce pest load.
The director acknowledged that while central laboratories and state units are engaged in bio-pesticide work, maintaining quality remains a challenge. To address this, he proposed agricultural universities should establish bio-resource centres to provide farmers with “nucleus cultures”, training, and technical guidance.