**Executive Summary**
The Northern Regional Agriculture Conference is scheduled for April 24, 2026, in Lucknow to formulate a robust action plan for agricultural development and farmers' welfare. Under the leadership of Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the conference aims to modernize the agriculture sector through multi-stakeholder dialogue and comprehensive reforms. This event serves as a critical preparatory milestone for the National Kharif Conference, which will take place in Delhi on May 28–29, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Conference Objectives and Regional Participation**
* The event focuses on making agriculture more modern, inclusive, and farmer-oriented.
* Participating states and Union Territories include Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
* The conference adopts a model of "shared responsibility and shared solutions" between the central and state governments.
**Priority Schemes and Missions**
* Detailed discussions will cover agricultural credit, the Kisan Credit Card, and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
* The agenda includes the Pulses Mission under Atmanirbhar Bharat, the National Edible Oil-Oilseeds Mission, and the Digital Agriculture Mission.
* Focus will be placed on the establishment of a Farmer Registry and optimizing horticulture potentials.
**Operational and Resource Management**
* Sessions are dedicated to fertilizer availability, promoting balanced fertilizer use, and establishing strict control over black marketing.
* Emphasis is placed on cost reduction, productivity enhancement, and digital empowerment.
**Knowledge Sharing and State Initiatives**
* States will present successful initiatives, such as Punjab's crop diversification from paddy and Haryana’s ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ land records.
* Uttar Pradesh will share insights on sugarcane intercropping and Direct Seeding of Rice.
* Best practices in horticulture from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be showcased to encourage regional adoption.
**Pathway to National Strategy**
* This regional meeting is part of a series of zonal conferences (Jaipur, Lucknow, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and Bhubaneswar).
* Regional experiences and action points will be synthesized into a national agricultural strategy during the upcoming National Kharif Conference in May.
**Impact Analysis**
**Northern State and UT Governments**
**Impact:** These entities are integrated into a coordinated framework for agricultural administration and policy implementation.
**Action Required:** Share successful regional practices, participate in multi-stakeholder dialogues, and implement the emerging action plan for the Kharif season.
**Farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)**
**Impact:** Progressive farmers and FPOs, particularly women-led organizations, gain a platform to influence policy with ground-level experiences.
**Action Required:** Engage in sessions regarding market needs and adopt new technological and diversification models to enhance profitability.
**Scientists and Academic Institutions (ICAR/KVKs)**
**Impact:** Experts are positioned as central guides for technological innovation and scientific guidance in the sector.
**Action Required:** Provide research-backed insights and exchange best practices to bridge the gap between scientific research and field application.
**Financial and Procurement Institutions (NABARD, NAFED, NCCF, NSC)**
**Impact:** These organizations are tasked with supporting the infrastructure and credit requirements of the proposed reforms.
**Action Required:** Align institutional strategies with the new missions for pulses, oilseeds, and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to ensure seamless credit and marketing support.
Key Entities Referenced
Northern Regional Agriculture Conference: A multi-stakeholder dialogue platform established to formulate regional action plans for agricultural development, modernization, and farmers' welfare in North India.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare leading the strategic shift toward comprehensive agricultural reforms and result-oriented development.
National Kharif Conference: The overarching national policy forum where regional findings from zonal conferences are integrated into a comprehensive national agricultural strategy.
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: The central location for the northern regional conference, serving as the hub for policy coordination among nine northern states and union territories.
Digital Agriculture Mission: A major government initiative discussed at the conference focused on technological modernization, including the creation of a Farmer Registry.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Northern Regional Conference to infuse new
momentum into agricultural development under
leadership of Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
Chouhan
Agricultural leadership of North India to converge in Lucknow
on April 24, robust action plan to be formulated for farmers’
welfare
Focus on comprehensive reforms from farm to market,
deliberations on new models for farmers’ prosperity: Shri
Shivraj Singh
Decisive dialogue under the chairmanship of Shri Shivraj
Singh on credit, horticulture, pulses, oilseeds, and digital
agriculture
Ministers along with Centre, states, scientists, FPOs on one
platform; decisive steps towards developed agriculture
Posted On: 22 APR 2026 6:44PM by PIB Delhi
On the initiative of Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Minister Shri
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Northern Regional Agriculture Conference scheduled for April 24, Friday, in
Lucknow marks a significant step towards farmer-centric, result-oriented, and coordinated agricultural
development. Through participation of agriculture ministers, senior officials, scientists, progressive
farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), startups, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), financial
institutions, and procurement agencies from northern states, a concrete action plan will be prepared on
issues related to farming, farmers’ income, technology, marketing, and agricultural infrastructure.
Regarding preparations for the conference, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Chouhan today held a meeting
with senior officials at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, and issued directions.
Under the leadership of Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Northern Regional
Agriculture Conference is being organised on April 24 in Lucknow with the objective of making the
agriculture sector more modern, inclusive, and farmer-oriented. This conference is an important milestone
in the series of zonal conferences being held across the country, followed by conferences in the South,
North-East, East, and ultimately the National Kharif Conference. States and Union Territories of the
northern region including Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh,Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will participate. This extensive participation signals that the
central government is advancing agricultural development on the model of shared responsibility and
shared solutions.
The programme will commence with lamp lighting, tree plantation, Vande Mataram, and a welcome
session, followed by an inaugural address by Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath will also address the conference. This is expected to
provide strong direction to the conference at the levels of policy, administration, and implementation. The
biggest feature of the conference is that it includes not only formal reviews but also detailed subject-wise
discussions on major agricultural schemes and future strategies. The programme covers important issues
such as agricultural credit, Kisan Credit Card, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, horticulture potentials,
Pulses Mission under Atmanirbhar Bharat, National Edible Oil-Oilseeds Mission, Digital Agriculture
Mission, Farmer Registry, fertiliser availability, balanced use, and control over black marketing.
Special emphasis is also being given to sharing successful initiatives from various states. Uttar Pradesh’s
intercropping with sugarcane and Direct Seeding of Rice, Haryana’s land records and ‘Meri Fasal Mera
Byora’, Punjab’s crop diversification from paddy, and best practices in horticulture from Himachal
Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be presented at the conference. The format of the conference is that of
multi-stakeholder dialogue, where along with central and state governments, ICAR scientists,
representatives of agricultural universities, KVK experts, progressive farmers, women farmer producer
organisations, startups, millers, agri-tech companies, value chain partners, NABARD (National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development), NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
of India), NCCF (Network for Certification and Conservation of Forests), NSC (National Seeds
Corporation), and other institutions will be present on one platform. Thus, this conference will serve as a
strong bridge between policy-making and ground-level experiences.
Along with Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Ministers of State Shri
Ramnath Thakur and Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Secretary Shri Atish Chandra, Additional
Secretaries, Joint Secretaries, Agriculture Commissioner, ICAR Director General Dr. Mangilal Jat, and
leading scientists and experts from various subjects will participate in the conference. This high-level
presence will make the conference result-oriented.
Sessions focused on pulses, oilseeds, horticulture, digital agriculture, and fertiliser management, along
with participation of farmers and FPOs, clearly indicate that the government wants to link agricultural
policy with the real needs of fields, farmers, and markets. Especially, the presence of women farmer
producer organisations and progressive farmers adds a more inclusive and motivational dimension to
agricultural development. This initiative of Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan strengthens the vision that
progress in the agriculture sector is possible not just through announcement of schemes, but through active
coordination with states, exchange of best experiences, scientific guidance, technological innovation, and
direct participation of farmers. The Northern Regional Conference in Lucknow is set to become a living
example of this thinking, from where new resolutions will emerge towards farmers’ welfare, productivity
enhancement, cost reduction, diversification, digital empowerment, and rural prosperity.
This conference will also provide a strong foundation for preparations of the upcoming National Kharif
Conference. This series of zonal conferences, after Jaipur, Lucknow, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, and
Bhubaneswar, will culminate in the National Kharif Conference in Delhi on May 28-29, helping to
transform regional experiences into a national agricultural strategy.
Under the leadership of Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the central government’s clear message is that
farmers’ welfare, agricultural profitability, technological modernisation, and strong partnership with states
will strengthen the foundation of agriculture for a Developed India (Viksit Bharat). The suggestions andaction points emerging from the Lucknow conference will infuse new energy, clarity, and direction into
agricultural administration for the upcoming Kharif season.
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