Chouhan tells states Khet Bachao Abhiyan must not be a formality as campaign nears

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday told state governments that the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, a 40-day outreach campaign for farmers, must not become a mere formality and should bring real benefits to farmers.

Chouhan held a virtual meeting with agriculture ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Assam, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Maharashtra to review preparations for the campaign, which runs from 22 October to 30 November. Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra and ICAR Director General M L Jat also attended.

He asked states to appoint nodal officers at the state and district levels to run and monitor the drive, and called on district collectors to issue instructions for it. States can fix the dates of activities to suit local needs, he said, but the campaign must start strongly and preparations must be finished on time. Farmers who cannot attend events should be reached through print, electronic and social media.

The campaign will cover crop residue management, integrated pest management, soil health, climate-resilient farming and the promotion of oilseeds and pulses, as well as natural farming, balanced use of fertilisers, water conservation and crop diversification. Officials will also push the use of fields left empty after the paddy harvest.

Teams will help farmers get Farmer IDs, explain the PM Fasal Bima Yojana and the Kisan Credit Card, and distribute seeds. The ministry said they will also explain the benefits of trade agreements.

The plan presented at the meeting sets a target of 50 lakh participants each for the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). A total of 4,150 teams drawn from Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ATMA will take part, and more than 12,000 scientists and ATMA officials and workers are expected to join. The plan aims for an average of two programmes, events or meetings a day through the campaign.