Member Legislative Assembly Jammu North Sham Lal Sharma today formally launched the month-long Khet Bachao Abhiyan during a farmers’ awareness programme here at Village Purkhoo in Sub-Division Marh.
The programme was attended by Joint Director Agriculture (Farms/SLUB) Aman Jyoti Sharma; District Agriculture Officer Vinod Khajuria; SMS (DL) Sham Khajuria and Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO) Khalid Hassan Tantray, along with officers and field functionaries of the department.
More than 300 farmers, members of JKCIP Youth Clubs, NATS Krishi Veers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) participated enthusiastically in the campaign. Prominent youth clubs, including Baba Birfa Nath Youth Club Kanger, Ganpati Youth Club Ghainik, Eco Warrior Youth Club Purkhoo and Jai Shiv Shanker Youth Club Bhalwal, actively participated in the programme.
Addressing the gathering, Sham Lal Sharma emphasized that youth are the future of the nation and have a pivotal role in transforming the agricultural sector. He appreciated the spirit of the youth clubs being promoted and supported by the Agriculture Department Jammu. He encouraged them to visit villages and spread awareness among farmers regarding modern, scientific and sustainable agricultural practices.
“Khet Bachao Abhiyan needs to be promoted as a comprehensive mass movement connecting farms, farmers and villages. The campaign aims to protect agricultural land, reduce cultivation costs and ensure timely, need-based technical guidance to farmers through direct field-level interactions,’ he emphasised.
“Minimizing the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will be one of the key objectives of the campaign,” the MLA highlighted. Farmers would be sensitized about the balanced use of fertilizers and other agricultural inputs based on soil testing, he informed. He emphasized that special efforts would be made to motivate farmers to adopt green manures, organic inputs and bio-products for improving soil health and ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability.
Sham Lal Sharma also emphasized the importance of educating farmers about the benefits of Natural Farming and other sustainable agricultural practices.
Joint Director Agriculture (Farms/SLUB) said that the Department of Agriculture is committed to take scientific and need-based advisory services directly to farmers’ doorsteps. “Under the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, field officers and extension staff will regularly interact with farmers to create awareness and provide field-specific advisories.Saving farms, improving soil health and reducing cultivation costs are the central objectives of the campaign,” he highlighted. He further informed that saturation drives under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and PM-KISAN schemes would be undertaken to ensure that all eligible farmers are covered and receive benefits under these flagship programmes.
The awareness programme also featured expert lectures and interactive sessions by Naresh Kumar from IFFCO, Ranjeet Kumar, Progressive Farmer, Dr. Nazeon Khan, Horticulture Development Officer, Deepali Chavi, Young Entrepreneur Suraj Parkash from Ganpati Youth Club, Sonam Kotwal, representative of Mission YUVA, NATS Krishi Veers Athrav and Priyanka and officers from Agriculture Department. The speakers highlighted the importance of scientific farming, judicious and balanced use of fertilizers, entrepreneurship, youth participation and sustainable agricultural development.
Awareness and display stalls were also set up by Mission YUVA, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and IFFCO, showcasing various agricultural interventions, entrepreneurship opportunities, innovative technologies and farmer-centric schemes.