**Executive Summary**
The Department of Fertilizers organized a high-level brainstorming session on February 13, 2026, at Shastri Bhawan, focusing on strengthening soil health and promoting balanced fertilizer use. This initiative aligns with Prime Minister Modi's "Save Mother Earth" vision. The meeting involved Padma awardee farmers and agricultural experts, and the Department will consider and act on the recommendations received.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Objective:** To strengthen soil health and promote balanced and responsible fertilizer use nationwide.
* **Participants:** Padma award-winning progressive farmers, agricultural experts, and officials from the Department of Fertilizers.
* **Recommendations from Farmers:**
* **Shri Umashankar Pandey:** Collaboration with the Department across states and launching a "Poison-Free Farming School."
* **Shri Ram Sharan Verma:** Promoting crop rotation, diversification, green manure, rationalizing fertilizer bag sizes, and changing the perception that "more fertilizer means more profit."
* **Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi:** Emphasizing crop diversification and density, scientific crop management, and ensuring compost availability at the village level.
* **Shri Seth Pal Singh:** Addressing pressure for excessive fertilizer sales and accurately estimating the maximum fertilizer requirement for agricultural land.
* **Shri Kanwal Singh:** Developing gaushalas as organic manure production units and forming clusters to promote organic farming.
* **Shri Chandrashekhar Singh:** Strict quality checks of organic products, transparent consumer information, and village-level awareness campaigns led by FPOs.
* **Shri Nek Ram Sharma:** Identifying model farmers, supporting forest conservation, and encouraging traditional Navgrah rituals.
* **Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal:** Advocating natural farming practices and establishing natural fertilizer plants at the Gram Panchayat level.
* **General Consensus:** Balanced fertilizer use, promotion of organic farming, and sustained farmer awareness are essential.
* **Department's Commitment:** Positively considering and taking forward the recommendations received.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Department of Fertilizers**
* **Impact:** Responsible for reviewing and implementing the recommendations provided by the farmers and experts, as well as promoting balanced fertilizer use nationwide.
* **Action Required:** Consider the recommendations and develop strategies for implementation.
**Stakeholder: Farmers**
* **Impact:** Farmers will be affected by changes in fertilizer practices, increased focus on organic farming, and potential education programs.
* **Action Required:** Participate in awareness campaigns, adopt balanced fertilizer use, and consider organic farming practices.
**Stakeholder: Consumers**
* **Impact:** Consumers will benefit from improved soil health and potentially healthier agricultural products.
* **Action Required:** Support initiatives promoting sustainable agriculture.
**Stakeholder: Agricultural Experts**
* **Impact:** Can contribute to developing and implementing effective strategies for balanced fertilizer use and soil health improvement.
* **Action Required:** Provide guidance and support to the Department of Fertilizers and farmers.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Fertilizers: The central entity organizing and driving the initiative for balanced fertilizer use and soil health strategy.
Save Mother Earth: A call to action and initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote soil health and sustainable practices.
Padma Awardee Progressive Farmers: Key stakeholders whose insights and recommendations are being sought for shaping the soil health strategy.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers: The parent ministry overseeing the Department of Fertilizers and its initiatives related to balanced fertilizer use.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers :
Department of Fertilizers
Eight Padma Awardee Progressive farmers lead
national dialogue on balanced fertilizer use
From fields to policy: award-winning farmers shape soil
health strategy
‘Save Mother Earth’ push gains momentum with farmer-led
solutions
Posted On: 13 FEB 2026 6:14PM by PIB Delhi
In a unique first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Fertilizers organised a high-level brainstorming
session today at Shastri Bhawan to strengthen soil health and promote balanced and responsible fertilizer
use as a nationwide movement.
The initiative aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the “Save Mother Earth (धरती
मां को बचाओ)” call and the leadership of Union Minister for Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat
Prakash Nadda.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, and witnessed
participation from Padma award-winning progressive farmers and agricultural experts from across the
country.Welcoming the participants, Mishra said their presence and guidance would provide valuable direction to
the Department. He emphasised that ensuring timely and accurate information reaches farmers is crucial to
protecting soil health and added that expert recommendations could be implemented as pilot projects to
take concrete steps towards balanced fertilizer usage. During his interaction with the awardees, he
underlined the deterioration of soil health over time due to imbalanced fertilizer use.
Suggestions from Padma Shri awardee farmers
Padma awardee Shri Umashankar Pandey expressed readiness to collaborate with the Department across
states and suggested launching a “Poison-Free Farming School” to educate farmers on sustainable
practices.
Padma awardee Shri Ram Sharan Verma highlighted crop rotation and diversification and stressed
balanced fertilizer use for maintaining soil health. He recommended promoting green manure,
rationalising fertilizer bag sizes, and changing the mindset that “more fertilizer means more profit”.
Padma awardee Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi underscored crop diversification and density, emphasised
scientific crop management, and advocated ensuring compost availability at the village level. He said the
message “Crop Residue is the Foundation of Prosperity” must reach every farmer.Shri Seth Pal Singh pointed out that pressure for excessive fertilizer sales is also a contributing factor that
needs attention. The maximum fertilizer requirement for agricultural land must be accurately estimated,
and farmers need to be systematically oriented on its balanced use.
Padma awardee Shri Kanwal Singh suggested developing gaushalas as organic manure production units
and forming clusters to promote organic farming. He emphasised building a structured chain for health-
oriented agriculture and proper orientation of farmers practising natural farming.
Padma Shri awardee Shri Chandrashekhar Singh called for strict quality checks of organic products and
transparent consumer information. He recommended village-level awareness campaigns as a pledge-based
movement led by FPOs under progressive awardee farmers.
Padma awardee Shri Nek Ram Sharma emphasised identifying model farmers who can lead by example
in protecting Mother Earth. He said forest conservation supports agriculture and noted that traditional
Navgrah rituals using nine types of grains symbolise crop diversification and should be encouraged.
Shri Shyam Sundar Paliwal advocated natural farming practices to revive soil vitality and suggested
establishing natural fertilizer plants at the Gram Panchayat level.
Participants also observed that ensuring local availability of manure and fertilizers at the village level
would encourage balanced and responsible usage.The meeting concluded with consensus that balanced fertilizer use, promotion of organic and natural
farming, and sustained farmer awareness campaigns are essential to safeguarding soil health and
protecting Mother Earth. The Department assured it would positively consider and take forward the
recommendations received during the session.
The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary Aparna S Sharma, Joint Secretary Krishna Kant
Pathak, Joint Secretary Anurag Rohatagi, Deputy Secretary Amar Kushwaha, Deputy Director Gori
Shankar, and other officials of the Department.
In a unique first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Fertilizers organised a
high-level brainstorming session today at Shastri Bhawan to strengthen soil
health and promote balanced and responsible fertilizer use as a nationwide
movement.#BalancedUseOfFertilizers pic.twitter.com/RN74iQdj93
— Department of Fertilizers (@fertmin_india) February 13, 2026
****
NEERAJ KUMAR BHATT/AMIT/ SHATRUGHNA
Email- cmc.fertilizers[at]gmail[dot]com
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