<h1>Union agriculture minister urges crop diversification, direct seed subsidy transfers, full rain-loss compensation, market links and scaling of model farms</h1> The Union agriculture minister urged farmers to diversify beyond traditional crops into fruits, flowers and organic farming, announced consideration of direct transfer of seed subsidies to farmers' accounts, and pledged full compensation for rain-related crop losses in affected areas. He said central and state governments will ensure assistance to those hit by heavy rains and proposed enabling government agencies to channel produce directly to major urban markets to reduce rural-urban price gaps. A government partnership with a social activist's trust was promoted to scale successful farming models nationwide.