Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan delivered a strong message advocating sustainable agriculture, balanced fertiliser use and conservation of natural resources at the concluding ceremony of the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save the Farm Campaign) and the launch of the Haryana Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Mission at the College of Agriculture, Bawal, in Haryana’s Rewari district. The event was chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini, while Haryana Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries, Shri Shyam Singh Rana was the guest of honour. The programme brought together farmers, agricultural experts, public representatives and officials to deliberate on the future of sustainable farming and rural prosperity.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the national resolve to build a prosperous, glorious, self-reliant (Atmanirbhar), strong and developed India (Viksit Bharat) could be fulfilled only when the country’s farmers became prosperous and empowered. Reaffirming the commitment to providing a new direction to Indian agriculture under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, he praised the Haryana government for its farmer-centric policies and innovative initiatives. Shri Chouhan noted that Haryana provides Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 24 crops, has implemented the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana, and extends price-deficiency compensation even for horticultural crops, vegetables and fruits so that farmers receive the full value of their hard work. Referring to initiatives such as ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ (My Crop, My Record) and ‘Mera Pani, Meri Virasat’ (My Water, My Heritage), he said Haryana was showing the country a new direction in agricultural governance and resource management, and several other states should study and adopt similar practices.

The Union Minister reminded farmers that there was a time when India had to import red wheat from the United States to meet domestic food requirements. Today, however, because of the hard work of farmers and the contribution of states such as Haryana, the country’s granaries are full and India has become self-sufficient in food production. He noted that India has now emerged as the world’s largest producer of rice and emphasised that Haryana’s farmers had played an exceptionally significant role in the country’s agricultural transformation. Shri Chouhan also highlighted that Haryana is not only a leading agricultural state but also contributes immensely to national security, with its youth serving on the nation’s borders, and consistently brings laurels to India in sports and the Olympic Games. According to him, the same spirit of dedication that has made Haryana a leader in agriculture has also made it a symbol of patriotism, discipline and excellence.

Expressing serious concern over the deteriorating health of agricultural soil, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that excessive and imbalanced use of fertilisers and pesticides was making Mother Earth sick. Appealing emotionally to farmers, he remarked that the soil itself seemed to be crying out, asking people not to burden it with excessive fertilisers and pesticides to the point where it could no longer sustain life. He urged cultivators to use fertilisers strictly on the basis of scientific soil testing and to apply only the quantity actually required by their fields. Drawing an analogy with medical treatment, he explained that just as an overdose or an incorrect medicine prescribed by a doctor could damage a patient’s health, unnecessary and excessive application of urea and DAP (diammonium phosphate) harms soil health. It accelerates soil degradation, increases acidity, creates nutrient imbalance and contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases. These changes eventually affect crops, seeds, fruits and vegetables, and ultimately the health of human beings who consume them. Shri Chouhan warned that if this imbalance continued unchecked, there could come a time when the land itself would lose its capacity to produce food, creating a grave crisis for future generations. He stressed that protecting soil fertility today was essential to ensuring food security tomorrow.

Highlighting the transformative potential of technology in agriculture, Shri Chouhan said the government was working towards a system through which information contained in farmers’ Soil Health Cards would be made instantly available through a mobile application. Farmers would be able to stand in their fields, access the application on their mobile phones and immediately know the nutrient composition of their soil, identify deficiencies and determine the precise quantity and type of fertiliser required. Such technology-driven interventions, he said, would reduce unnecessary expenditure on inputs, improve productivity and promote scientific farming practices while simultaneously protecting soil health.

Emphasising the importance of natural farming, the Union Minister asserted that when practised correctly, natural farming does not reduce agricultural productivity. He encouraged every farmer to begin by dedicating at least a small portion of their land to natural farming so that they could personally observe its benefits before expanding the practice further. Shri Chouhan observed that excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides had destroyed countless beneficial microorganisms in the soil and that earthworms — nature’s own allies in maintaining soil fertility — had become increasingly rare in agricultural fields. This trend, he said, must be reversed through conscious efforts to restore biological balance, preserve biodiversity and reduce dependence on chemical inputs. According to him, sustainable farming practices are not merely an environmental necessity but also an economic and health imperative for future generations.

The Union Minister also referred to concerns arising from climate change and the possible impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon. He noted that forecasts suggested lower rainfall in certain districts of Haryana and said that both the Centre and the state government were jointly working on promoting crop varieties that require less water and mature more quickly, enabling farmers to maintain good productivity even under conditions of reduced rainfall. He described the Haryana government’s decision to provide an incentive of ₹8,000 per acre to farmers shifting from paddy cultivation to pulses as a major pro-farmer initiative. Such measures, he said, would not only reduce pressure on groundwater resources but also improve soil fertility, diversify cropping patterns and strengthen farmers’ incomes while making agriculture more resilient to climate-related challenges.

During the programme, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared that the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ would no longer remain just a campaign but would now evolve into a long-term national mission. “Today is not the conclusion; today is a new beginning. The campaign may have ended, but the mission starts today,” he said. Announcing his personal commitment to the initiative, Shri Chouhan stated that as Union Agriculture Minister he would participate in programmes related to the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ in different states at least one day every week.

The objective, he explained, would be to encourage farmers across the country to adopt balanced fertiliser use, restore soil health, embrace sustainable agricultural practices and create a nationwide movement centred on conserving agricultural land and natural resources. He stressed that changing mindsets would be as important as changing farming practices and that sustained engagement with farmers was the only way to achieve lasting results.

Concluding the ceremony, Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan administered a collective pledge to farmers, women and youth to join the ‘Save the Fields, Save the Earth’ movement and commit themselves to balanced fertiliser use, healthy soil management and environmentally sustainable farming. He said that the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi could only be realised through a partnership between the government and farmers, with both working shoulder to shoulder to transform Indian agriculture. Shri Chouhan affirmed that the Centre would continue to collaborate closely with progressive states such as Haryana in preparing a comprehensive national roadmap for agricultural development. He expressed confidence that the Haryana model — combining scientific farming, farmer-centric policies, technological innovation, water conservation and sustainable agricultural practices — would inspire similar reforms across the country and contribute significantly to the creation of a prosperous farming community, stronger rural economy and a truly developed India (Viksit Bharat).

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