With the right science, policy, and market support, even arid land can become a great strength: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan

About 30 % of India’s agricultural land lies in dry and semi‑dry areas, where water scarcity, uneven rainfall and insufficient infrastructure have long limited production. In this context, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that with sound science, robust policy and active market support, dry land can be transformed into a major economic force. He noted that drought‑tolerant crop varieties, micro‑irrigation techniques and precision farming tools developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‑Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are now being widely implemented in dry regions. Alongside these scientific measures, the government has accelerated the construction of water‑storage ponds, water‑collection structures and water‑management training under the Dryland Development Programme, thereby providing farmers with water security.

At the policy level, the central government has specifically increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for dry crops and strengthened the Farmer Empowerment Scheme to give farmers easier access to seeds, fertilizers and insurance. Additionally, direct market access via digital platforms, e‑marketing and private‑sector procurement are being promoted, ensuring farmers receive fair prices and reducing dependence on intermediaries.

As a result of these coordinated efforts, crop production in dry areas has shown significant improvement, not only raising farmers’ incomes but also positively contributing to national food security and rural employment creation. Minister Chouhan assured that research, policy reforms and market integration would be accelerated further in this direction, enabling dry land to become a key pillar of India’s economic growth.