Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 2: MLA Jammu North, Sham Lal Sharma, today formally launched the month-long ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ at Village Purkhoo in Sub-Division Marh during a farmers awareness programme organized by the Department of Agriculture Production & Farmers Welfare, Jammu.
The programme was attended by Joint Director Agriculture (Farms/SLUB), Aman Jyoti Sharma; District Agriculture Officer Jammu, Vinod Khajuria; SMS (DL), Sham Khajuria; and Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO) Marh, Khalid Hassan Tantray, along with officers and field functionaries of the department.
More than 300 farmers, members of youth clubs under JKCIP, 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 stressed that the “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” should not remain merely an awareness programme but should evolve into a comprehensive mass movement connecting farms, farmers, and villages. He said that the campaign aims to protect agricultural land, reduce cultivation costs, and ensure timely, need-based technical guidance to farmers through direct field-level interactions.
Sham Lal Sharma also emphasized the importance of educating farmers about the benefits of natural farming and other sustainable agricultural practices. He further stated that greater area coverage should be achieved under the Mission on Aatmanirbharta in Pulses and the National Mission on Edible Oils in the Jammu region. The campaign would additionally guide farmers on suitable crop options, crop diversification, and climate-resilient farming practices, particularly in areas facing water scarcity and other agricultural challenges, thereby helping them improve productivity, profitability, and sustainability.
Speaking on the occasion, Joint Director Agriculture (Farms/SLUB), Aman Jyoti Sharma, said that the Department of Agriculture is committed to taking scientific and need-based advisory services directly to farmers’ doorsteps. He emphasized that under the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’, field officers and extension staff would regularly interact with farmers to create awareness and provide field-specific advisories.
The awareness programme also featured expert lectures and interactive sessions. 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.
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