New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday gave a clarion call for launching the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ from Monday to enlighten farmers across the country on the harm that excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides causes to the health of the soil.
Ahead of the national launch of the campaign on June 1 from Ramsiya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, Chouhan held a virtual interaction with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutions, agricultural universities, senior agricultural officials of the Central and state governments, and others working for farmers’ welfare nationwide.
He said that rising temperatures, the indiscriminate and imbalanced use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the deterioration of soil health, and the growing climate crisis have emerged as serious challenges before agriculture.
“Therefore, timely awareness generation and practical interventions have become essential.”
Chouhan added that the nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ will focus on creating awareness among farmers regarding balanced fertiliser use, soil testing, soil health cards, natural farming, crop selection, water conservation, green manuring, alternative agricultural practices in conditions of low rainfall, and the identification of counterfeit fertilisers, seeds and pesticides.
He emphasised farmers’ confidence would have to be strengthened through field-level demonstrations, scientific evidence and practical examples.
The Union Minister said that a detailed roadmap extending up to June 30 should be prepared across the country, clearly identifying which officer, scientist, institution or team would visit which village and on what date.
He directed that district-level programmes should be planned in advance, monitoring should be dashboard-based, adequate arrangements should be ensured at the local level, and effective coordination should be visible at every stage of the campaign.
Highlighting the crucial role of state agriculture departments, Chouhan said that the campaign could succeed only if the Centre, state governments, ICAR, agricultural universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, public representatives, students and farmer-support organisations worked together in a coordinated manner.
He also stressed the need to involve Members of Parliament, legislators and other elected representatives in the campaign and encouraged them to present practical examples of natural farming and sustainable agricultural practices.
He called upon all stakeholders to visit villages with complete dedication, preparation and sensitivity, provide farmers with accurate information, and transform the resolve to protect Mother Earth into a mass movement.
Chouhan also announced that he himself would visit villages in different states during the campaign and interact directly with farmers.
The Union Minister said he had also spoken over the phone with the Chief Ministers of all states to seek their participation in this important initiative.
He also added that the campaign should be given a multi-dimensional character by ensuring that the benefits of schemes such as the Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Crop Insurance Scheme, Soil Health Cards, Mini Seed Kits, Pulses and Oilseeds Mission, and Agricultural Mechanisation programmes reach farmers.
This, he said, would not only help protect farmlands but would also strengthen farmers’ incomes, awareness levels and agricultural management capabilities.
The Union Minister laid special emphasis on publicity and outreach, describing them as integral components of the campaign.
He said that this is a programme in the national interest and that the faster information about it reaches villages across the country, the more effective the campaign will become.
He urged officials and scientists to interact freely with the media, noting that the campaign concerns the future of the land, agriculture and the nation’s food providers.
(IANS)
