VKSA

Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) / வேளாண்மை வளர்ச்சிக்கான பிரச்சார இயக்கம்

Books

An Overview of VKSA Activities in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a progressive state with respect to agriculture and allied sectors activities and growth. The state ranks first in the productivity of finger millet, sugarcane and guava. It ranks second in the productivity of crops like maize, oilseeds, tamarind, tapioca, amla, nutmeg, clove, curry leaves and jasmine and third in groundnut, minor millets, cocoa and marigold. The state may be rightly called as the ‘Horticultural State of India’ as it accounts for nearly 20% of gross cropped area is under horticulture (12 lakh ha). Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of poultry and eggs in India. Namakkal district is called the ‘Egg City of India’ due to its intensive layer farming. Tamil Nadu is a major centre for poultry feed production (maize, soybean meal based) and has many manufacturing units of poultry medicine, vaccine, and equipment, etc. The State has a dedicated Dairy Development Department. Tamil Nadu is rich in marine, brackish water, and inland fisheries resources. It ranks 5^th among Indian states in marine fish production. Fisheries exports earning nearly ₹ 7,000 crore per annum.

Why VKSA campaign?

Despite of all prosperity and good agricultural indicators, there are certain gaps (awareness/technologies) between technologies generated in the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and ICAR institutes in the State and technologies reached farmers field. For example, small and marginal farmers, farmers and farm women residing in hill and remote areas are unaware of improved climate resilient varieties, crop production technologies such as wider row planting, intercropping, high density planting, use of appropriate weedicides, pesticides, soil test-based fertilizer application, etc. Some farmers are unaware of central and state Governments schemes being implemented in the state including the farmers grievances redressal system. Hence, there is need to impart awareness on recent agricultural technologies developed in the SAUs, ICAR Institutes, impart awareness on Government schemes, initiative such as GST reduction and benefits to farmers and stakeholders, recent policy changes/ import -export policy such as enhanced US tariff on Indian goods, European Union restriction in imported spices, etc.

Despite of efforts by the Central and State Governments spurious/adulterated/poor quality farm inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides and seeds are sold in the market. Farmers must be sensitized on these inputs. In the changing global agricultural markets with expanded markets, price competitiveness, quality consciousness, digital dominance, our farmers must be empowered and transformed from traditional cultivators to exporter. This transformation requires imparting knowledge and skill on post-harvest processing and value chain management.

To address these issues particularly to minimize the agro-technological and awarenesses gap, convergence of stakeholders including the Central and State Governments, frequent interactions among the stakeholders of agricultural and allied sector and their joint efforts to address these issues is required. To this endeavour, a pan-India agricultural outreach campaign named as “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) / வேளாண்மை வளர்ச்சிக்கான பிரச்சார இயக்கம்” was formulated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India. The Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the first VKSA Kharif season campaign on 29^th May 2025.

The VKSA campaign aims to ensure critical information related to agriculture and allied sectors, Government Schemes, etc. reaches farmer’s doorstep ahead of the crop season (kharif/rabi/summer), through coordinated and participation of the scientists of ICAR institutes in the respective State, subject matter specialist (SMS) of KVKs in each district, Scientists of the SAUs, officials of the State line Departments (Agri/Hort/Agril. Engg/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries), commodity Boards, NSC, APEDA, MPEDA, NABARD, fertilizers and seed firms, FPOs, NGOs, etc. With better coordination, convergence of the programmes/schemes/activities of the line Departments, ICAR, SAUs, Commodity Boards, etc. and frequent farmers-scientist interaction, the VKSA will ensure that the agricultural technologies are reaching every nook and corner of the country. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi often reiterates the slogan ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, meaning ‘Together, for everyone’s growth, with everyone’s trust‘ which is well reflected in the VKSA campaign.

Objectives of the VKSA

To create awareness among farmers about location-specific modern technologies related to major field crops and horticultural crops grown during kharif, Rabi and Summer season, farm mechanization, livestock management, fisheries and related technologies.
To sensitize farmers about spurious, adulterated seeds, pesticides and fertilizers.
To share knowledge of Scientists with farmers, farm women, rural youth and entrepreneurs on climate-friendly technologies, especially crop residue management, natural farming, agri-drone application, post-harvest management, value addition and export potential of crops and processed products.
To promote sustainable, profitable, and climate-resilient agriculture, strengthen farmers’ knowledge on input use efficiency, soil health, crop diversification, and value addition and bridge the gap between research, extension, and farmer adoption.
To make farmers aware of various Central and State government schemes/ policies, recent declaration of GST benefits, National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) and complaint redressal system to sort out farmers’ problems and grievances.
To collect feedback from farmers to formulate demand-driven research and to make scientific validation of the farmer-led innovations for out-scaling to other farmers.

Campaign period

The VKSA kharif campaign was held from 29^th May 2025 to 12^th June 2025 across India.
Each forthcoming campaign may span over a period of 15 to 16 days.

Focus Areas include

Improved Varieties & Seeds – High-yielding, stress-tolerant crops.
Smart Inputs – Nano-fertilizers, bio-fertilizers, organic farming practices.
Mechanization – Drone spraying, precision farming tools.
Climate-Resilient Farming – Soil health, water-use efficiency, natural farming.
Value Chain Development – Post-harvest management, processing, and export.
Livestock & Fisheries – Productivity improvement, disease management, inland & cage aquaculture.

Team Formation for VKSA Campaign and Roles

P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore, has been nominated as State Nodal Officer to coordinate the forthcoming campaigns in Tamil Nadu.
A. Velmurugan, ADG (S&WM), ICAR, New Delhi, has been nominated as State Co-Nodal Officer for the VKA campaign in the State (Tamil Nadu).
A State Level VKSA Coordination Committee was formed during Oct 2025 to guide and coordinate VKSA activities/ campaign in Tamil Nadu. The Committee members are given below.
1. 1. P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore- State Nodal Officer
  2. A. Velmurugan, ADG (S&WM), ICAR, New Delhi- State Co Nodal Officer
  3. R. Karuppaiyan, Principal Scientist, ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore, Member Secretary
  4. P. P. Murugan, Director of Extension Education, TNAU, Coimbatore
  5. V. Appa Rao, Director of Extension Education, TANUVAS, Chennai
  6. V. Gopalakannan, Director of Extension Education, TNJFU, Nagapattinam
  7. Shri N. Ravichandran, DD (IT & Training), Directorate of Agriculture, Chepauk, Chennai
  8. S. Manamalli, DD (Agri-business), Dept. of Agricultural Marketing, Chennai
  9. Shri C. Ramprasadh, Additional Director of Horticulture (NHM), TANHODA, Chennai
  10. C. Sudha, AD, Dept of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Chennai
  11. A. Bhaskaran, Principal Scientist, ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad
  12. A. H. Prakash, Head, ICAR-CICR Regional Centre, Coimbatore
  13. A. S. Rajendiran, PS & OIC, ICAR-CSWRI Southern RRC, Mannavanur
  14. C. V. Sairam, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIBA, Chennai
  15. Ravindra Naik, PS & i/c, ICAR-CIAE Regional Station, Coimbatore
  16. R. Narayana Kumar, PS & i/c, ICAR-CMFRI Regional Station, Chennai
  17. K. Vinod, PS & Head, ICAR-CMFRI Regional Centre, Mandapam Camp
  18. Loveson Edward L., PS & i/c, ICAR-CMFRI Regional Station, Tuticorin
  19. P. Manivel, PS & Head i/c, ICAR-NIRCA Research Station, Vedasandur
  20. J. Somasundaram, PS & Head, ICAR-IISWC Research Centre, Udhagamandalam
  21. Priyank Mhatre, PS & i/c, ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Udhagamandalam
  22. C. Karpagam, Principal Scientist, ICAR-NRCB, Trichy
  23. J. Nanjundan, Senior Scientist, ICAR-IARI Regional Station, Wellington
  24. P. Jayaprakash, PS & i/c, IARI-Rice Breeding & Genetics Research Centre, Aduthurai
  25. Naveena Kumara K. T., DD & Centre i/c, National Horticultural Board, Chennai
  26. K. Thangaraja, DD (Extension), Coffee Board, Bodinayakanur
  27. Shylaja K. K., Joint Rubber Production Commissioner, Rubber Board, Kottayam
  28. Shri Thirumala Rao C., DDM, NABARD, Coimbatore
  29. D. M. Govinda Reddy, DAMA, Directorate of Marketing & Inspection, RO Chennai
  30. Shri S. Senthil Kumaran, AD, Spices Board Regional Office, Bodinayakanur
  31. Shri Nipun Sarmah, AD- Tea Development, Tea Board, Zonal Office, Coonoor
  32. Shri E. Aravazhi, Director (Development), Coconut Development Board, RO, Coimbatore
  33. Shobana Kumar, AGM & Regional Head, APEDA, Chennai
  34. Shri P. Engan Murugan, Production Officer (Seeds), NSC Ltd, Chennai
  35. S. Abinaya, JFR (Marketing), IFFCO State Office, Chennai
  36. V. Dhananjayan, Expert- Cold Storage, Foodgrain Processing, Ariyalur
  37. G. Ranganathan, Director, Palamalai FPO, Periyanaickanpalayam, Coimbatore-Dt
The Nodal and Co-Nodal Officers nominated by the ICAR in each State are responsible for planning and implementation of VKSA campaigns in the respective States. They will coordinate and mobilize the Scientists of ICAR Institutes for VKSA in the State.
The State Nodal Officers nominated by the DA&FW, New Delhi, will mobilize the State Department Officials of the respective States for support and involvement of district-level officers in the VKSA campaign.
The modus operandi for the VKSA Rabi campaign will be fixed by the ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad, in consultation with the TN State Nodal Officer and will be executed by the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Tamil Nadu with the support of participating institutions.
As followed in the kharif VKSA campaign, the ATARI will arrange logistics, gather farmers and lead the VKSA rabi campaign in the State through KVKs situated in Tamil Nadu. The ATARI will coordinate with State Nodal and Co-Nodal Officers, ICAR Institutes, AUs, and State Departments for the formation of the teams and preparation of the route map, etc.
Tamil Nadu has 38 districts, but has 31 KVKs.
Seven districts in the State, namely, Chennai (fully urban district), Kancheepuram, Mayiladuthurai, Ranipet, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Tirupathur, do not have KVK. The remaining 31 districts have one KVK each.
Each KVK will form 3 teams each, totaling 31 x 3 = 93 teams in the State.

Each team will be led by one SMS (subject matter specialist) of the respective KVK.
Each team will have one SMS of KVK, one scientist of ICAR institute or SAU, one official from the State line Departments, and, wherever possible, one representative from the other participating institutes like the commodity boards, APEDA, IFFCO, FPO, drone operator, etc.
Officials of Agencies like IFFCO, MFL, Commodity Boards, banking / financial institutions like NABARD, FPOs, SHGs, Progressive Farmers, Agriculture/ Horticulture/Agril. Engg- PG students, RAWEP students, etc., will join the campaign depending on the availability of staff and other situations.

Number of Villages to be Visited & Farmers to be Contacted

Each team will visit one (if larger village) to three nearby villages (if villages are small and the number of farmers is lesser) in a district and conduct an awareness meeting in one village every day for 15 or 16 days in the forenoon of the campaign. In total, the entire team in Tamil Nadu will reach a minimum of 1,395 villages in 31 districts, @ three villages per KVK per day x 31 districts or KVKs x 15 days. The maximum number of villages visited in a district during the 15-day campaign shall not exceed 4,000 (if 3 villages are visited by a team).
Each team will reach out to a minimum of 100 and maximum of 400 farmers each day (depending on the weather particularly rain, farmers availability and other factors) covering a minimum of 9,300 farmers per day in Tamil Nadu @ 100 farmers/team x 93 team and maximum number of farmers contacted will be around 37,000 per days in the whole State per day. The total number of farmers to be contacted during the 15-day campaign in the State will range from ~1.39 lakhs (if 100 farmers are contacted per day) to ~5.80 lakhs (if 400 farmers are contacted per day).
In the post-lunch session, each KVK or team will conduct farmers-scientists interaction meetings with selected/progressive farmers, e. focused group discussion (FGDs).
The target w.r.t. the number of Blocks and Villages to be covered in each VKSA Campaign, starting from Rabi 2025 to Kharif / Rabi 2026, is given below. In a nutshell, about 243 Blocks and 1395 to 1438 Villages in 31 districts of Tamil Nadu will be covered during Rabi 2025 campaign; about 311 Blocks and about 1395 to 1774 Villages will be covered during Kharif 2026 campaign.

S.No	District	Rabi 2025		Kharif 2026		Rabi 2026
S.No	District	Blocks	Villages	Blocks	Villages	Blocks	Villages
1	Ariyalur	6	48	6	45	6	48
2	Chengalpattu	5	48			5	48
3	Coimbatore	13	48	13	45	13	48
4	Cuddalore	14	48	5	45	14	48
5	Dharmapuri	8	48	8	45	8	48
6	Dindigul	8	48	12	45	8	48
7	Erode	14	48	14	45	14	48
8	Kallakurichi	5	48	5	45	5	48
9	Kanyakumari	9	48	17	101	9	48
10	Karur	8	48	8	45	8	48
11	Krishnagiri	4	48	8	45	4	48
12	Madurai	5	48	3	45	5	48
13	Nagapattinam	2	45	6	45	2	45
14	Namakkal	6	48	11	90	6	48
15	Perambalur	4	48	4	45	4	48
16	Pudukkottai	17	49	15	80	17	49
17	Ramanathapuram	3	48	41	44	3	48
18	Salem			15	140
19	Sivagangai	11	48	11	45	11	48
20	The Nilgiris	4	48	4	45	4	48
21	Theni	8	48	8	45	8	48
22	Tenkasi	11	48			11	48
23	Thiruvallur	12	48	12	45	12	48
24	Thiruvannamalai	5	48	5	45	5	48
25	Thiruvarur	10	48	10	45	10	48
26	Thoothukudi	5	48	12	135	5	48
27	Tiruchirappalli	14	48	18	133	14	48
28	Tiruppur	9	48	10	135	9	48
29	Vellore	8	48	10		8	48
30	Villupuram	10	48	9	60	10	48
31	Virudhunagar	5	48	11	46	5	48
	Total	243	1438	311	1774	243	1438

The KVK or the team will take care to avoid visiting villages covered in the previous VKSA campaign, so that the VKSA team will visit as many villages as possible in a district during the 5-year campaign period.

Agricultural Research Infrastructure and Scientific Manpower In Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, 3 main ICAR Institutes (SBI, NRCB and CIBA) and 12 Regional Centres/Stations of ICAR Institutes are present. About 189 Scientists are working in these Institutes.
Scientists will be allotted to the VKSA campaign on rotation without affecting their regular research activities. Each scientist will stay in the KVK/ Villages for 7-8 days. The Head of Institutes, Regional Centres and Staff on Medical leave will not be disturbed.
Out of 189 Scientists of ICAR Institutes, 50% of Scientists will be deployed for campaign duty in the first phase (first 7-8 days), and the remaining Scientists will be deployed for campaign duty in the second phase (second 7-8 days).
The ATARI / KVKs in Tamil Nadu have 140 SMS, of which 93 will be on duty at any point in time and will be shared for the campaign @ one SMS per team for 3 teams per KVK in a day. Additional SMS will also be inducted in the campaign so that all the SMS are actively involved in all the campaign days.
The SAUs in the State such as the TNAU, TANUVAS, TNJFU and Gandhi Gram Rural Institute are expected to depute faculty during the first and second phase of the campaigns.
The State Line Departments, such as Agriculture, Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare and Agriculture Marketing have joined in the State Coordination Committee. Their staff is expected to join the campaign in each district.
The Commodity Boards, such as the Spices Board, Tea Board, Coffee Board, Rubber Board, and Coconut Development Board, are willing to join the campaign in one or two districts.
Similarly, the APEDA, National Seed Corporation, Horticulture Development Board, Directorate of Agriculture Marketing and Inspection, also expressed their willingness to join the campaign for one or two days in identified districts.
The NABARD and IFFCO are expected to join the campaign along with their products, like drones/Fertilizers or scheme details.

Data Collection, Reporting, Monitoring, etc.

Reporting to be done through the online portal of ATARI. ATARI, through its KVKs, will facilitate the teams for report submission on the portal
Reporting of data can also be done through the Kisan Sarathi mobile app, which will also facilitate the uploading of videos, photos, and other forms of communication.
Questionnaire for collecting issues or challenges of the farmers, technology requirement and gap, researchable issues, policy changes expected by the end user, etc., may be collected during the campaign, scientists-farmers interaction, etc.
Exhibits, posters, AV aids, method demonstrations, and other extension aids available with the ICAR institutes, SAUs, State Departments, Commodity Boards, etc., that are specific to / suitable for the district may be used in addition to those arranged by the KVKs.
Social media and mass media shall be used extensively to give adequate promotion to the event, to spread the advisories among farmers, to create awareness on Government schemes and to reach the unreached indirectly.
Daily reports on the details of team members, VVIP and VIP participation, number of participants (male and female), FDGs conducted, farmers’ participation in the interaction meetings, newspaper reports, social media usage, photographs of the event, etc., will be uploaded on the VKSA portal by the Team Leader, i.e. SMS of the respective KVK.
The ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad, in consultation with the State Nodal Officer, will coordinate the activities, including organizing events and reporting on the VKSA portal.
A control room has been set up at ICAR-ATARI, Hyderabad, for real-time monitoring, problem solving and reporting during the campaign period, equipped with a real-time data capturing system with a dashboard, round-the-clock two-way AV communication with all the campaign sites. Issues will be solved in real time, and solutions will be provided.
Live streaming of events at all the camp sites will be provided. State Committee Chairperson and members may get connected with the control room virtually and participate in real-time monitoring and campaign management.
Dashboard access will be provided for monitoring the conduct of events and participation.
The Nodal/Co-Nodal Officers, Heads of Institutes/Departments, Directors of Extension Education, State Government Nodal Officer, etc., may visit the campaigns at random and participate in the programme.
The State Nodal officer, Co-Nodal Officers, Director ICAR-ATARI, the DEE of the Universities, Nodal Officers of State Line Departments and Head of KVK may conduct press briefings periodically during the campaign.
Each campaign day focuses on a specific theme based on farmers’ demand and local relevance. Explore the distribution of seeds/inputs during the campaign through FPO/NGO support, and wherever feasible, link the campaign with skill-upgradation and incubation training for FPOs/SHGs

Information to be Disseminated during the campaigns

In the Kharif season (June to September), about 12–13 lakh hectares out of 60 lakh ha total cropped area in the State is sown with crops like Paddy (Kuruvai/Thaladi/Early Samba), Sorghum, Cumbu, Maize, Finger Millet, Cotton. Groundnut, Sesamum, Pulses like Red gram, green gram, Black gram, Avarai-Mochai / Lablab beans, sugarcane, Tapioca, Chilli, Tomato, Bhendi, Brinjal, etc. Kharif season cropping is mostly rainfall-dependent (irrigated in some tracts).
The crops sown and area sown during the rabi season are relatively lesser in Tamil Nadu as the State is experiencing a mostly tropical climate. The major rabi season crops in the State are: Cereals: Rice (Samba/ Thaladi), Ragi, Maize; Pulses: Bengal gram, Horse gram, Black gram and green gram; Oilseeds: Ground nut; Commercial crop: Cotton (limited area); Vegetables: Tomato, Brinjal, Bhendi, Beans, Peas, Cabbage, Cauliflower; Spices: Coriander, etc.
Information/technologies related to ideal time of sowing, suitable varieties and seed availability, seed treatment practices, tillage practices, pre-emergence weed management, soil testing, manures and fertilizer application, irrigation management, crop insurance, preventive measures against flood /cyclone during NE monsoon, etc. shared by ICAR institutes, SAUs and other organizations was compiled and was shared with KVKs, State Government, VKSA team for wider dissemination during the campaign (Pl see the Book on “Recent Agro-Technologies and PoP” to be disseminated during VKSA campaign in TN).
The Technology book contains 270 technologies and a package of practices (PoP) of 34 important crops of Tamil Nadu, as shown below.

#	Categories of the Technologies	No. of Technologies
1	New Crop Varieties	107
2	Animal Breed	14
3	Seed Production and Availability	5
4	Crop Production Technologies	57
5	Crop Protection Technologies	27
6	Mechanization	25
7	Post-harvest management, value addition and marketing	12
8	Integrated Farming System	4
9	Animal Husbandry	10
10	Aquaculture and Fisheries	9
	Total	270
11	Package of Practices- Field and Horticultural Crops of TN	34

Technologies and Schemes Awareness materials like leaflets, bulletins or pamphlets, videos, success stories will be prepared by the ICAR Institutes, SAUs, KVKs and Commodity Boards, NABARD, APEDA, NSC, DAMI, etc. in English and local language (Tamil) for effective dissemination of suitable technologies among stakeholders.
The Kharif / Rabi seasons crop advisories, as well as those prepared by the Extension Division of the ICAR, New Delhi, will be compiled and provided to the team (by the ICAR-ATARI) for dissemination during the campaign.
Information related to over 130 Government Schemes (related to agriculture and allied sectors) implemented in Tamil Nadu was compiled and will be shared to the team for disseminating to farmers/target group (Pl see the book on Central and State Government Schemes written in bilingual- English and Tamil).
A Road Map and Action Plan (five year) was prepared by the Nodal Office (ICAR-SBI) in consultation with stakeholders. The Road map identified gaps/ issues related to (i) Awareness of agro-technologies among farmers, (ii) researchable issues and (iii) issues related to Govt. policies. The book was shared with stakeholders (Pl see the book).

Expected Outcome

Enhanced awareness among farmers about the improved agricultural technologies
Wider adoption of modern technologies.
Reduction in the cost of cultivation and increase in farmers’ income.
Better awareness of Government schemes, subsidies, and export opportunities.
Strengthening of farmers’ groups, FPOs and entrepreneurship.
Contribution to the goal of a self-reliant, globally competitive agriculture sector.
Learning about grassroots innovations and farmers’ feedback will help the NARS to strengthen demand-driven research and make policies of the Government of India and respective states more inclusive.

At the end of 5 year, the campaigns are expected to bring:

Awareness: 70–80% farmers will be aware of MSP, crop insurance, GI branding; 30% farmers will be trained in IPM, mechanization, and digital tools; Increased adoption of cold storage & value addition
Research: Two new varieties/technologies will be released jointly by ICAR–SAUs; Cotton & sugarcane area stabilized with new varieties
Policy: Crop insurance expanded, wild animal crop losses will be addressed, solar-agrivoltaics scaled.
Impact: Improved resilience, 10% cost reduction, 10% income increase for farmers,

PROGRESS MADE: VKSA State Nodal Office in Tamil Nadu

Date	Activity
25 Aug 2025	Constituted TN State Coordination Committee with 24 members
28 Aug 2025	The First meeting of the TN State VKSA Coordination Committee was held online. Discussed agenda for Rabi-2025 VKSA Workshop to be held in Tamil Nadu.
9 Sep 2025	The Second meeting of the TN State VKSA Coordination Committee was held online
19 Sep 2025	Meeting with Scientists of ICAR-SBI was held to discuss preparedness for the VKASA Rabi Campaign scheduled (3-18 Oct 2025) and allotment of scientists to the campaign in Tamil Nadu.
19 Sep 2025	Meeting with State Co-Nodal Officer, Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (S&WM). ICAR to discuss deployment of Scientific manpower for the forthcoming rabi VKSA campaign.
30 Sep 2025	Third meeting (online) with State Coordination Committee to discuss deployment of manpower for the VKSA Rabi campaign.
6 Oct 2025	VKSA State Coordination Committee was expanded with inclusion of 37 members (To see the list of members Click here)
Oct to Dec 2025	Prepared 5-year VKSA Road Map and Action Plan for the Tamil Nadu State. (To see the details in the book ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA)-State Specific Road Map and Action Plan- Tamil Nadu’ Click here)
	Prepared a compendium entitled ‘Agriculture Briefs of Tamil Nadu’ and sent to the ICAR, New Delhi. The document may be viewed by- Clicking here
	Collected improved / latest agro-technologies from all ICAR Institutes and SAUs in the State (Tamil Nadu) for dissemination during the VKSA campaign. A compendium entitled “Recent Agro-Technologies and Package of Practices for Important Crops of Tamil Nadu” which contains 270 agro-technologies and Package of Practices of 34 crops was prepared and published. To see the publication click here.
15 Dec 2025	Compiled ATR on Researchable Issues identified during Kharif VKSA Campaign in Tamil Nadu along with Action Plan to address some of the Issues. The document (Click here) was sent to the ICAR, New Delhi.
16 Dec 2025	A proposal to organize a State level Conference either at Trichy or at Coimbatore during last week of Jan 2026 was sent to the Council. The aim of the conference to facilitate interaction between farmers and experts, policy makers on the theme such as post-harvest management, value addition and agri-processing, export promotion, market linkages, emerging domestic and export opportunities in animal husbandry and fisheries sectors and mechanization and climate resilient agriculture.
31 Dec 2025	Meeting with Organizers of Erode Farmers’ Conference to be held on 5^th Jan 2026.
Oct 2025 to Jan 2026	Compiled on-going Central and State Government (TN) Schemes on agriculture and allied sectors. A comprehensive, bilingual (English & Tamil) guide detailing 29 Centra Govt. Schemes and 107 State Govt & Centrally sponsored schemes including Awards to farmers was prepared. This book will be helpful to the team involved in VKSA campaign. To see the book entitled “Tamil Nadu Agricultural Schemes Made Simple – Central and State Government Schemes Explained in English and Tamil/ தமிழ்நாடு வேளாண்மைத் திட்டங்கள் எளிய வழிகாட்டி– மத்திய மற்றும் மாநில அரசுத் திட்டங்கள் ஆங்கிலம் மற்றும் தமிழில் விளக்கம்” Click here.
2 Jan 2026	Online meeting with Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Choughan ji regarding preparedness for forthcoming Erode Conference.
4 & 5 Jan 2026	Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG-ICAR (VKSA State Co-Nodal Officer), Dr. P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR-SBI (VKSA State Nodal Officer), Dr. R. Selvarajan, Director ICAR-NRCB, Mr. E. Aravazhi, Director, Coconut Development Board (Member, VKSA State Coordination Committee) and Dr. R. Karuppaiyan, Principal Scientist, ICAR-SBI (VKSA Member Secretary) visited Erode along with HAM Shri Shivraj Singh Choughan ji and participated in the Farmers Conference at Erode on 5^th Jan 2026.
Oct 2025 to Jan 2026	Compiled on-going Central and State Government (TN) Schemes on agriculture and allied sectors. A comprehensive, bilingual (English & Tamil) guide detailing 29 Centra Govt. Schemes and 107 State Govt & Centrally sponsored schemes including Awards to farmers was prepared. This book will be helpful to the team involved in VKSA campaign. To see the book entitled “Tamil Nadu Agricultural Schemes Made Simple – Central and State Government Schemes Explained in English and Tamil/ தமிழ்நாடு வேளாண்மைத் திட்டங்கள் எளிய வழிகாட்டி– மத்திய மற்றும் மாநில அரசுத் திட்டங்கள் ஆங்கிலம் மற்றும் தமிழில் விளக்கம்” Click here.

2 Jan 2026	Online meeting with Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Choughan ji regarding preparedness for forthcoming Erode Conference.
4 &5 Jan 2026	Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG-ICAR (VKSA State Co-Nodal Officer), Dr. P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR-SBI (VKSA State Nodal Officer), Dr. R. Selvarajan, Director ICAR-NRCB, Mr. E. Aravazhi, Director, Coconut Development Board (Member, VKSA State Coordination Committee) and Dr. R. Karuppaiyan (VKSA Member Secretary) visited Erode along with HAM Shri Shivraj Singh Choughan ji and participated in the Farmers Conference at Erode on 5^th Jan 2026.