Government to bear agricultural product transport costs, says Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Chouhan said, farmers in Shivamogga transporting their produce to the Delhi market will receive transportation cost coverage, with 50 per cent funded by the central government and the remaining 50 per cent by respective state government.

Shivamogga: Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers' Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that the government has decided to bear the transportation costs for farmers to bring their agricultural produce to the market to ensure fair price.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Malnad Startup Summit–2025 organised by the Anveshana, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Forum at the Prerana Engineering College auditorium on Saturday, he said that farmers are hesitant to transport their produce to markets offering higher prices due to transportation costs. Instead, they are selling locally at available prices, resulting in a larger share of profits going to middlemen. To prevent this, the government will cover the transportation costs.

He said, farmers in Shivamogga transporting their produce to the Delhi market will receive transportation cost coverage, with 50 per cent funded by the central government and the remaining 50 per cent by respective state government. This programme will also cover Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) transporting crops to the market, he added.

FPOs are significantly contributing to the growth of the agricultural sector by creating brands and adding value to products, helping farmers receive scientific price for their crops. They (FPOs) can create a new revolution in the country's agricultural sector, emphasised Shivraj Singh Chouhan, stressing the need to increase the number of FPOs in the country.

Reducing production costs, focusing on high-quality seed production, decreasing dependency on fertilisers, and strengthening organic farming are Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visions. The central government aims to increase the agricultural sector's GDP from 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent this year, he stated.

MP BY Raghavendra, MLAs S N Channabasappa, Sharada Pooryanaik, D S Arun, Dr Dhananjay Sarji, BJP district unit president T D Meghraj, and Anveshana Institute's Managing Director CM Patil were present.

'Central Grant Not Fully Utilised'

Shivraj Singh Chouhan criticised that the state has not fully utilised the Central government's grant for agricultural development. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, farmers across the country receive Rs 10,000 annually. However, after the Congress government came to power in Karnataka, the state's contribution to the scheme has stopped. In contrast, farmers in Madhya Pradesh benefit from it as the BJP government is in power, he said.