Indore

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday called upon BRICS nations to work together to empower small and marginal cultivators, ensure food security and promote sustainable agricultural development.

He stressed that challenges confronting the agriculture sector, including climate change and growing pressure on natural resources, could be effectively addressed only through collective efforts.

Chouhan was chairing the inaugural session of a two-day meeting of agriculture ministers of BRICS countries in Indore.

He also led the ministerial dialogue on the theme "Smallholder Farmers, Women and Youth: Securing the Future of Food".

"If small farmers become stronger, global food security will automatically become stronger," he said at the meeting being held under India's presidency of the grouping.

Chouhan insisted India has always stood for global unity, peace and cooperation.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's approach is based on the principle of 'peace, not war; coordination, not conflict'. This can serve as a guiding philosophy for global agricultural partnerships," the Union minister affirmed.

Chouhan said the BRICS platform provided an important opportunity to deliberate on the challenges facing small and marginal farmers and exchange experiences among member countries.

He maintained policy cooperation and partnerships among BRICS nations could provide a new direction to global agriculture.

The minister said the ongoing dialogue was particularly significant in finding collective solutions to issues such as climate change, pressure on natural resources and market uncertainties confronting small farmers.

"We should jointly work towards empowering small farmers, ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development," he told the gathering.

Expressing confidence that the discussions would strengthen cooperation among member nations, Chouhan opined the exchange of experiences and best practices would benefit the agriculture sector globally.

Highlighting India's achievements, he said the country's agriculture sector had recorded notable growth over the past decade, with steady increases in foodgrain, horticulture and fisheries production.

India runs the world's largest food security programme and the agriculture sector supports the livelihoods of nearly 43 per cent of the country's workforce, Chouhan highlighted.

The minister said nearly 87 per cent of India's farmers were small and marginal and empowering them remained key to inclusive development.

Referring to schemes such as the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Card and crop insurance programmes, he said these initiatives were providing economic support and security to farmers.

The minister highlighted the role of women in agriculture, saying millions of them were leading farm and allied activities through self-help groups.

Initiatives such as 'Drone Didi' reflected both technological and social transformation in rural India, he said.

Chouhan stressed the importance of natural farming and soil health conservation, adding increasing participation of young people through innovation, start-ups and digital technologies was making agriculture more modern and sustainable.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur was also present at the meeting.

A three-day meeting of officials under the BRICS Agriculture Working Group concluded in Indore on Thursday ahead of the ministerial deliberations.

Officials said the 'Indore Declaration' is expected to be adopted on Saturday based on the consensus reached during the five-day discussions.

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BRICS is an intergovernmental organization comprising 11 countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.