Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 8 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday visited a dragonfruit farm in Karnataka's Bengaluru Rural as part of the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyaan'.

Highlighting dragonfruit's advantages, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said it does not require chemical fertilisers or manure works. He further emphasised that farmers can profit Rs 6-7 lakh every year after the first year of cultivation of dragonfruit.

'As part of the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyaan', I am here in Bengaluru Rural... This is a dragonfruit farm... An advantage of cultivating dragonfruit is that it does not require chemical fertilisers, and manure works. It is an organic fruit. This fruit of the cactus family is less prone to diseases and hence the cost of production is less... Dragonfruit of 'kamalam' plants gives fruits in the first year itself... The farmers can have a profit of Rs 6-7 lakh every year after the first year... We will have to diversify our agricultural practices and move towards easily cultivable fruits and crops,' Chouhan told ANI.

Earlier on Saturday, Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited Ichhawar in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, as part of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA).

During his visit, the Union Minister engaged with local farmers, discussing key agricultural issues and initiatives to enhance farmers' welfare and rural development.

According to a release, this initiative embodies the vision of 'One Nation-One Agriculture-One Team' and aims to connect scientists with farmers nationwide. So far, Chouhan has visited Odisha, Jammu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttarakhand.

Today, he met with farmers in his birthplace, Sehore. Chouhan highlighted the success of schemes like Ladli Behna Yojana and emphasised that under PM Modi's leadership, India is undergoing a transformative development.

He announced that letters of acceptance for around 8 lakh new homes were handed over to the poor under the PM Awas Yojana. Further, the eligibility criteria for the Yojana have been relaxed: people with an income up to Rs 15,000, two-wheelers, and up to 2.5 acres of irrigated, or 5 acres of non-irrigated, land are now eligible, as stated in the release.

The Minister emphasised women's empowerment by highlighting the success of the Lakhpati Didi programme, and promised early completion of pending projects under the PM Gram Sadak Yojana. He also assured that the Narmada water would soon reach Sehore and its nearby villages.

Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, outlined six major goals of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA). These include increasing agricultural production to boost output, reducing input costs to enhance farmers' profitability, and ensuring fair prices to provide economic stability. (ANI)