Ahead of the national launch of the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’, which will commence on June 1 from Ramsiya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today 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 across the country. During the interaction, he called for advancing the campaign with public participation, a scientific approach, and a sense of national responsibility. Shri Chouhan said he had spoken over the phone with the Chief Ministers of all states to seek their participation in this important initiative. He is also appealing to Union Ministers and other public representatives to actively associate themselves with the campaign.
On the occasion, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in his motivational address, said that this is not merely a government programme but a national campaign aimed at protecting Mother Earth, securing the future of agriculture, and safeguarding the rights of future generations. 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.
Shri Chouhan explained that the nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’, beginning from Ramsiya village in Raisen district on June 1, 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 that merely offering advice would not be sufficient. Farmers’ confidence would have to be strengthened through field-level demonstrations, scientific evidence and practical examples. Union Minister Shri Chouhan 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, Shri 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.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan further stated 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.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed confidence that just as earlier agricultural outreach initiatives had left a significant impact, the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ too would emerge as a successful chapter in nationwide agricultural reform and public awareness. 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. Shri Chouhan also announced that he himself would visit villages in different states during the campaign and interact directly with farmers.
During the virtual interaction, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Secretary Atish Chandra and ICAR Director General Dr. M. L. Jat also shared their views. Vice-Chancellors of agricultural universities, scientists, directors of ICAR institutions, scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras, officials from state agriculture departments, and senior officers of the Central Government also participated in large numbers.
