Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan planted saplings today at IARI Campus PUSA as a part of the campaign #एक_पेड़_मां_के_नाम #Plant4Mother campaign. Shri Chouhan informed that the Ministry will set up “Matri Van” in about 1 acre of land. Minister of State Shri Ramnath Thakur, Secretary DARE & DG ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, around 200 officers/staffs of the Ministry of Agriculture &Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development and School students were also present in the event. Minister informed that all subordinate offices of DA&FW, ICAR institutions, CAUs, KVKs and SAUs in the country are also organized a similar tree plantation program at their respective places at same time. Shri Chouhan also informed that today, over 800 institutions under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare participated, and it is expected that between 3000-4000 saplings were planted during the event.

Union Minister said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Global Campaign #एक_पेड़_मां_के_नाम #Plant4Mother on the occasion of World Environment Day, on 5^th June 2024 and to ensure the Prime Minister resolution our Ministries today started #एक_पेड़_मां_के_नाम #Plant4Mother campaign as a mass movement. Shri Chouhan requested to all officers/ employees and the school student present during the occasion to participating in the movement and to pay their respect to their mother and mother earth by planting trees.

As part of the Global Campaign, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change are being made efforts to ensure that 80 crore saplings are planted across the country by September 2024 and 140 crore saplings by March 2025. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change started the tree plantation activity at Asola Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary on June 20, 2024, wherein individuals planted trees in honour of their mothers. Planting trees also fulfills Mission LiFE purpose launched by the Government which is a mass movement of Environmental Conscious Lifestyle. In agriculture, growing trees is an important step to achieve sustainable farming. Trees help to improve farm productivity by improving the soil, water quality and increase biodiversity. Trees also provide additional income source for the famers from the timber and non-timber produces. The Campaign has immense potential for preventing and reversing land degradation and desertification.

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SS