New Delhi, August : The Government of India has strengthened its efforts to prevent soil degradation and promote sustainable agriculture through a series of initiatives focused on balanced fertilizer use, natural farming, organic agriculture, integrated pest management, and scientific weed control, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare informed the Lok Sabha.

One of the key initiatives is the Soil Health & Fertility Scheme, being implemented since 2014-15, which promotes balanced and efficient nutrient management through Soil Health Cards (SHCs). The cards provide farmers with crop-specific fertilizer recommendations based on the nutrient status of their soil, helping improve productivity, reduce cultivation costs, and encourage sustainable farming practices.

According to the government, 26.09 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated and distributed to farmers so far. To promote their effective use, authorities have organised 1,30,627 farmer training programmes, 7.17 lakh field demonstrations, and 7,425 farmer melas and awareness campaigns across the country.

The government is also promoting chemical-free agriculture through the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), which was approved by the Union Cabinet on November 25, 2024. The mission encourages nature-based farming practices using locally available on-farm inputs. So far, 23.13 lakh farmers have been registered under the programme, covering 11.44 lakh hectares of agricultural land.

To minimise the indiscriminate use of pesticides, the Government continues to implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as a core component of the national crop production programme. Introduced in 1985, the eco-friendly approach combines cultural, mechanical, biological, and need-based chemical control measures. The Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S) promotes IPM through 48 Central Integrated Pest Management Centres (CIPMCs) and Locust-cum-CIPMCs spread across 28 States and 2 Union Territories. Farmers are trained through Farmer Field Schools (FFS), human resource development programmes, and awareness campaigns on the safe and judicious use of pesticides.

During the Kharif Season 2026, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), conducted a nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan and awareness campaign on balanced fertilizer use. The campaign included 2,94,554 programmes, reaching over 1.36 crore farmers. In addition to balanced fertilizer application, farmers were educated on natural farming, organic farming, bio-inputs, and alternative fertilizers.

The Government is also expanding organic farming under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), operational since 2015-16. The scheme provides end-to-end support for organic production, certification, processing, and marketing. To date, 18.93 lakh hectares have been brought under organic cultivation, benefiting 33.63 lakh farmers.

In the North Eastern Region, the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) has promoted organic agriculture since 2015-16. The programme has covered 2.36 lakh hectares under organic farming and benefited 2.74 lakh farmers.

To improve soil organic carbon levels, the Government is promoting Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) and Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM) as soil organic carbon enhancers. The annual consumption of FOM/LFOM stood at 3.36 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) during 2024-25. During the current Kharif Season 2026 (from April 1 to July 16, 2026), consumption has already reached 11.86 LMT, reflecting increased adoption by farmers.

The ICAR Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur, is also advancing Integrated Weed Management (IWM) to promote the scientific and judicious use of herbicides. Through research, demonstrations, training programmes, mobile advisories, social media, printed literature, and village-level extension activities, the Directorate encourages environmentally safe weed management practices. It also monitors herbicide residues in soil and the food chain and provides crop management recommendations accordingly. These interventions have helped reduce the indiscriminate use of herbicides while improving soil health and crop productivity.

The information was provided by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.