Shivraj Singh Chouhan mentioned strong growth in Agriculture and Rural Development, citing an economic survey.

New Delhi, January 29, 2026: Reacting to the Economic Survey presented on Thursday, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, said the data clearly demonstrates that India has achieved unprecedented rural development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Union Minister said that over the last five years, the agriculture and allied sectors have recorded an average annual growth rate of 4.4 percent at constant prices, surpassing the global average.

He noted that the decadal growth rate from FY 2016 to FY 2025 stands at 4.45 percent, the highest among previous decades.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan further highlighted that the sector registered a 3.5 percent growth in the second quarter of DY 2025-26, underlining its resilience and stability despite global economic challenges.

According to the Survey, India’s food grain production reached a record 357.73 million tonnes in FY 2024-25, driven by higher yields of rice, wheat, maize, and coarse cereals.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that India has achieved self-sufficiency in food grain production and now plays a leading role globally in several crops.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan says horticulture emerges as a key growth driver:

The Union Minister described the horticulture sector as the brightest spot in agricultural growth, contributing nearly 33 percent to agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA).

 Horticulture production is projected to rise from 280.70 million tonnes in FY 2013-14 to 367.72 million tonnes in FY 2024-25.

During this period, fruit production stood at 114.51 million tonnes, vegetables at 219.67 million tonnes, and other horticultural crops at 33.54 million tonnes.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said India has become the world’s largest producer of onions, contributing about 25 percent of global output, and ranks second globally in vegetables, fruits, and potatoes, accounting for 12-13 percent of worldwide production in each category.

Highlighting achievements in rural development, the Minister said that substantial progress has been made in rural roads, housing, drinking water supply, and digital connectivity.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), over 99.6 percent of eligible habitations have been connected with all-weather roads.

He added that more than 10,000 km of road projects have been approved under PMGSY-IV, benefiting approximately 3,270 unconnected habitations across Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh.

Housing digital reforms, and livelihoods:

Under the Housing for All initiative, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said 37 million pucca houses have been constructed in rural areas over the past 11 years.

A total target of 41.4 million houses has been set under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana—Gramin. Most of which have already received approval.

On digital empowerment, he informed that under the SVAMITVA scheme, drone surveys have been completed in 32.8 million villages, with 27.6 million property card issues.

Under the Digital Land Records Modernization Program, 99.8 percent of rural land records have been digitized.

Referring to livelihood generation, Chouhan said that over 100 million rural women are now associated with more than 9 million self-help groups under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

He added that the number of ‘Lakhpati Didis’ has crossed 25 million, marking a significant milestone in women’s economic empowerment.

Also Read: Shivraj Singh Chouhan lauds Bihar’s rural development and announced 15 Lakh new homes for the poor.

EOM.