Garhwal Post Bureau
Kashipur, 7 Jun: Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi today participated in the nationwide “Save the Fields Campaign” programme organised in Kashipur under the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The event witnessed the participation of a large number of farmers, agricultural experts, and departmental officials.
Addressing the gathering, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi stated that farmers’ hard work and their willingness to adopt innovative technologies are giving a new direction to the agricultural sector. He urged farmers to ensure balanced and minimal use of chemical fertilisers and emphasised the importance of regular soil testing to maintain soil fertility. He encouraged farmers to adopt scientific techniques, modern agricultural practices, and organic methods to make farming more profitable and sustainable.
The Minister highlighted that protecting soil health is the need of the hour. He said that, if farmers use fertilisers based on soil testing reports, production costs will decrease, crop quality will improve, and land productivity will remain sustainable over the long term. He also called upon farmers to focus on water conservation, balanced use of natural resources, and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. He urged them to embrace natural and organic farming methods to enhance production while preserving soil fertility, reducing cultivation costs, and increasing farmers’ income.
Ganesh Joshi further stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, effective policies have been formulated to promote crops such as dragon fruit, kiwi, and millets in the interest of farmers. He noted that earlier, soil testing was largely confined to laboratories, preventing farmers from obtaining timely information about the condition of their land. However, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the double-engine government has successfully implemented the “Lab to Land” concept. As a result, agricultural scientists are now reaching farmers’ fields directly to conduct soil testing.
The Agriculture Minister directed departmental officials to conduct extensive awareness campaigns at the Nyaya Panchayat level under the initiative, ensuring that farmers and rural communities receive information about soil testing and various schemes of the Agriculture Department so that a larger number of farmers can benefit from them.
During the programme, farmers were also provided detailed information on soil health management, fertiliser management, and modern agricultural technologies.
Among those present on the occasion were Kashipur Mayor Deepak Bali, District Vice President Amit Narang, District Development Officer Sushil Mohan Dobhal, District Agriculture Officer Vikesh Yadav, District Horticulture Officer Satish Sharma, along with departmental officials and farmers.
