Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveils major agriculture reforms to boost ease of doing business and farmer services

New Delhi: The Centre has announced a fresh set of reforms aimed at simplifying regulations and speeding up approvals across the agriculture sector, with a focus on reducing paperwork, improving digital access and making agri-related services more farmer-friendly.

Reviewing the reform agenda on Monday, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government is working to accelerate changes in agricultural governance through technology-driven systems and simplified procedures under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reform push.

Among the key changes announced is the simplification of licensing rules for the sale and storage of household pesticides. Officials said the licence application form has now been reduced from three pages to a single-page format, while printed product leaflets are being replaced with QR-code based digital information systems.

The move is expected to benefit more than 40 lakh retailers and shopkeepers dealing in products such as mosquito repellents, liquid vaporisers and household insect-control products.

The ministry also reviewed reforms in the fertiliser approval process under the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985. Earlier, new fertilisers required clearance from two separate committees before approval. The dual-layer system has now been removed, allowing approvals through a single committee process to reduce delays and improve ease of doing business for       fertiliser manufacturers.

Officials said 19 fertiliser companies and applicants have already benefited from the streamlined mechanism.

In another major development, the government has digitally integrated all 649 customs ports with agricultural import systems to simplify the import process for agricultural commodities. Importers will now be able to submit applications directly through the ICEGATE (Indian Customs Electronic Gateway) platform, eliminating multiple approvals and reducing clearance time.

The Centre has also eased rules related to the import and export of seeds and planting materials by removing the mandatory “Prior Recommendation” system and abolishing the EXIM Committee requirement, a move expected to speed up trade approvals for the seed sector.

A major focus of the review meeting was also on technology adoption in agriculture. Officials presented updates on the AI-powered “Bharat-VISTAAR” platform, which is designed to provide farmers with agriculture-related information through a single digital interface.

According to ministry officials, the platform has already received over 44 lakh queries since its launch in February this year. The system aims to reduce farmers’ dependence on multiple portals by bringing various agriculture services and information under one platform.

The government is also considering further reforms to fast-track approval of new fertiliser technologies. Under the proposed system, certain inorganic fertilisers meeting predefined safety and quality standards may no longer require mandatory field trials before approval.

Agriculture experts believe the reforms could help reduce compliance burdens, encourage agri-sector investments and improve access to modern farm inputs and technologies.

Industry observers say faster approvals, digital integration and simplified procedures may particularly benefit agri-startups, fertiliser firms, seed companies and importers operating in India’s rapidly evolving agricultural ecosystem.

Officials said consultations with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), industry stakeholders and state governments are currently underway before final implementation of some of the proposed reforms.