India Launches ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ to Promote Soil Health and Sustainable Farming
02 June 2026, New Delhi: India has launched a nationwide ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save the Farm Campaign) aimed at improving soil health, promoting sustainable farming practices, and strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate-related challenges. The campaign commenced on June 1 from Ramsiya village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district and will run across the country through June.
Ahead of the launch, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan held an interaction with representatives from Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), agricultural universities, state agriculture departments and other stakeholders involved in agricultural extension and farmer welfare.
During the interaction, Chouhan described the initiative as a national effort focused on protecting agricultural land, improving soil fertility and ensuring the long-term sustainability of farming systems. He noted that rising temperatures, declining soil health, imbalanced use of fertilisers and pesticides, and climate change are emerging as major challenges for Indian agriculture.
The campaign will focus on creating awareness among farmers on balanced fertiliser application, soil testing, Soil Health Cards, natural farming, water conservation, green manuring, crop planning, alternative farming practices for low-rainfall conditions, and the identification of counterfeit agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.
Chouhan emphasised that farmer outreach should go beyond advisories and include field demonstrations, practical examples and science-based evidence to build confidence among growers. He directed officials to prepare detailed district-level action plans through June 30, clearly identifying villages to be covered, responsible teams and implementation schedules. Monitoring of activities will be carried out through a dashboard-based system.
The Agriculture Minister called for close coordination among central and state governments, ICAR institutions, agricultural universities, KVKs, farmer organisations and elected representatives. He also encouraged Members of Parliament and state legislators to participate in field activities and share examples of sustainable and natural farming practices.
In addition to soil and farm management awareness, the campaign will also be used as a platform to improve farmer access to government programmes, including the Kisan Credit Card, PM-Kisan, Crop Insurance Scheme, Soil Health Card Scheme, Mini Seed Kits, the Pulses and Oilseeds Mission, and agricultural mechanisation initiatives.
The Minister also announced that he would visit villages in different states during the campaign period to interact directly with farmers and review progress on the ground.
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