Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ in Odisha
The VKSA-2025 campaign will continue nationwide from May 29 to June 12, 2025, engaging farmers across all districts in a mission to build a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agricultural sector.
Bhubaneswar: In a landmark initiative aimed at transforming Indian agriculture, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, launched the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA-2025) at the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The campaign aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a self-reliant and sustainable India, and seeks to promote the widespread adoption of advanced agricultural and fisheries technologies across the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted the campaign’s ambitious goal to reach over 1.5 crore farmers across India through technology dissemination, capacity building, and grassroots engagement. He emphasized that fisheries is an integral pillar of India’s food security and a viable pathway for livelihood development, and stressed that all technologies developed by ICAR-CIFA must effectively reach farmers to enhance their income and build a developed and resilient fisheries sector.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by several eminent dignitaries, including Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment & Energy, Government of Odisha; Gokulananda Mallik, Minister of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Government of Odisha; Babu Singh, MLA, Ekamra; and Ashrit Pattanayak, MLA, Pipili.
From the ICAR leadership, the event witnessed the presence of Dr. M. L. Jat, Director General, ICAR & Secretary (DARE); Dr. J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science); Dr. Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension); and Dr. Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata. The dignitaries were formally welcomed by Dr. J.K. Jena.
More than 600 farmers and farm women from Self Help Groups participated in the scientist-farmer interaction session, gaining insights into sustainable practices, improved technologies, and integrated approaches to agriculture and aquaculture.
The VKSA-2025 campaign will continue nationwide from May 29 to June 12, 2025, engaging farmers across all districts in a mission to build a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agricultural sector.
