The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has asked senior officials to “motivate” private sector fertiliser, seed, and pesticide companies to participate in a three-day farm fair starting April 11 in Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, The Indian Express has learnt.
The Agriculture Ministry is hosting the Krishi Mahotsav Pradarshani evam Prashikshan at Raisen, which falls under Chouhan’s parliamentary constituency, Vidisha, from April 11 to 13. Sources said ministry officials have begun preparations, and all participating divisions have been asked to nominate their nodal officers for the fair.
It is learnt that the Agriculture Ministry has directed its senior officials to pursue the respective private sector stakeholders across fertiliser, pesticides, seeds, information and technology, micro irrigation, horticulture, and NAFED, and “motivate” them to participate in the Raisen fair. They confirmed that the officials have been asked to compile a list of companies participating in the fair, and that instructions were issued at a March 2 meeting chaired by new Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra.
The Agriculture Ministry did not respond to emails seeking comments. However, an official said, “The purpose of all such fairs is to give an opportunity to private companies to showcase their products and sponsor the event so that funds can be arranged for meeting the expenditure of the exhibition. The Department [of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare] does multiple things to reduce the cost of such events.”
While the ministry plans to have 335 stalls at the fair, at least 70 have been reserved for private companies.
Sources confirmed that the Agriculture Ministry has also approached the Ministry of Finance for approval to fund the fair.
Some key ministers in the Union Cabinet are also expected to attend the inauguration and conclusion of the event.
‘Extraordinary and unprecedented event’
On March 26, Union Agriculture Minister Chouhan performed the bhoomi pujan (ground-breaking ceremony) for the upcoming agriculture fair in Raisen and reviewed the preparations.
According to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau, Bhopal, “He [Chouhan] also issued directives to the concerned officials regarding the arrangements for the event. Speaking at the occasion, the Union Agriculture Minister stated that India’s largest agriculture fair is set to take place in Raisen. He described it as an “extraordinary and unprecedented” event that will boost farmers’ incomes and provide a new direction to the agricultural sector.”
“Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated that concrete efforts are being undertaken to disseminate accurate information and introduce new technologies to farmers within the Raisen and Vidisha parliamentary constituencies,” said the statement issued on March 26.
“He [Chouhan] further mentioned that a team of scientists is currently studying the agro-climatic conditions, climate, and soil composition of the Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, and Dewas districts to determine which crops and technologies would be most suitable for the local farmers. The Union Minister announced that the agricultural roadmap being formulated for these districts will also be unveiled during this very National Agriculture Fair,” it said.
This is the second major programme the ministry has planned in two months. On February 7, Chouhan held a national consultation meeting on pulses, for which he wrote to the agriculture ministers of all states, inviting their participation. Agriculture ministers from several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Punjab, participated in the meeting.
Previous events
The Vidisha Parliamentary constituency comprises 8 Assembly segments of 4 districts — Dewas, Raisen, Sehore and Vidisha. Among these 8 Assembly segments, Bhojpur, Sanchi, and Silvani are in Raisen. The area is the BJP’s stronghold, with Chouhan representing the constituency five times. In 2019, Chouhan won by a margin of over 8 lakh votes.
Earlier, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), which is also headed by Chouhan, approved allocation of Rs 1.59 crore from two Central schemes — the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) — to cover the expenses for a grand event in Budhni Assembly constituency, which is also part of Vidisha parliamentary seat, on October 8, 2024.
The event, Gram Vikas Sammelan, took place just days before the bypolls in the constituency and featured local BJP leaders, including former MP Ramakant Bhargava, who was subsequently announced as the party candidate for the election. The bye-election in Budhni was necessitated following Chouhan’s resignation as an MLA after he won the Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency and became Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development.
On January 15, 2025, Chouhan attended an event in Vidisha, during which Rs 94 lakh was spent on arranging 350 buses and food for 20,000 people. This money was spent under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), implemented by the MoRD.
The Agriculture Ministry is hosting the Krishi Mahotsav Pradarshani evam Prashikshan at Raisen, which falls under Chouhan’s parliamentary constituency, Vidisha. (File Photo) 
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