By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday launched the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save the Fields Campaign) in Rudrapur, announcing a series of major initiatives worth nearly ₹299 crore to strengthen horticulture, protect crops and improve weather forecasting in Uttarakhand.
The campaign was inaugurated at Gandhi Maidan in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Information Technology Minister Pradeep Batra.
During the event, the leaders inaugurated nine development projects worth Rs 46.32 crore and laid the foundation stones for 32 projects costing ₹323.34 crore, taking the total value of development works launched to ₹369.66 crore.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan stressed the need to conserve agricultural land and soil health, saying, “If fields survive, the land survives; if the land survives, the Earth survives, and life remains secure.” He urged farmers to adopt balanced use of fertilizers, regular soil testing and natural farming practices to preserve soil fertility.
The Union minister announced that a ₹100-crore dedicated centre will be established at Mukteshwar for the production of disease-free apple, walnut and almond planting material. He also announced financial assistance of up to ₹4 crore for large nurseries and ₹2 crore for smaller nurseries.
In addition, a ₹15-crore Centre of Excellence will be set up at Chaubatia in Almora, while another ₹15-crore project, in collaboration with New Zealand, will promote kiwi cultivation in the state.
To address crop losses, Chouhan announced ₹65 crore for fencing to protect farms from wild animals and ₹104 crore for installing automatic weather stations across Uttarakhand to provide farmers with timely weather information and improve implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Chief Minister Dhami said healthy farmers, fertile soil and sustainable agriculture are the foundation of a developed Uttarakhand. He described the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ as a people’s movement aimed at safeguarding farmland and ensuring food security for future generations.