Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses at the ‘Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026’ at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to farmers not to rely only on wheat, rice, and sugarcane, and to move to other crops that will bring them prosperity. He also urged farmers to abandon chemical use in farming and adopt natural farming to protect the soil. The prime minister also asked entrepreneurs in the MSME sector to start using solar power in all farm machinery.
Modi urges farmers to diversify crops and adopt natural farming
Speaking at an agriculture conference organised by the India Today Group, Modi also said that because the media is least interested in farming topics and more in controversies, he would provide them with “some headlines”.
Then, he took a swipe at the Congress party and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, though he refrained from naming them. He alleged: “Some leaders are taking out the Constitution from their pockets as if ‘democracy and constitution’ are in their pocket.” He added that they display a sense of entitlement even when out of power, as if the Constitution is their personal property. “Even when they are not in power, they behave this way. It is a strange kind of intoxication with power,” he said.
Gandhi and other Opposition leaders have alleged that Modi is destroying the Constitution of India and democratic institutions.
Takes swipe at Opposition over Constitution
Modi narrated an incident from his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, alleging that the then UPA government at the Centre had asked a research institute to seek its approval before publishing any economic rankings after Gujarat was ranked at the top among all the States. Saying the audience would find out the institute’s name, he hinted it is named after a former Prime Minister.
Credits agricultural growth and poverty reduction to his government
The prime minister also credited the Green and White Revolutions, but said self-sufficiency was not enough, as successive governments did not respond to the changing needs of people and farmers. He credited his tenure, saying India recorded over 4 per cent annual agricultural growth in the past decade, a record.
Modi also said that 50 crore people have “defeated poverty” over the past 12 years, with a rapid reduction in rural poverty. He said small farmers and agricultural labourers were among those who had moved out of poverty.
Highlights farm exports and fertiliser subsidies
He told the audience that India exports over Rs 4 lakh crore of agricultural products annually, which has helped raise farmers’ incomes. He also said the government has spent ₹16 lakh crore on fertiliser subsidies in the last 12 years to ensure cheaper fertilisers for farmers, who are getting Urea at less than ₹300 per bag and DAP at ₹1,300/bag, compared with global prices of ₹3,000 and ₹5,000, respectively.
Claims limited diesel price hike despite crude surge
He also claimed that after the war against Iran, when crude prices moved from $70 to $122, the government did not pass on the entire burden to farmers and hiked diesel prices by only ₹ 7/litre, whereas it warranted ₹50/litre. Since then, the government has been losing ₹14,000 crore every month.
Published on November 12, 2026
