Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday, 26 June declared that the state has met its target of doubling farmers' income, citing a rise in average monthly earnings from approximately ₹6,000 in the 2015-16 baseline year to over ₹13,000 — a milestone he attributed to sustained policy interventions and agricultural reforms. Saha made the announcement while addressing the 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' (Save the Fields Campaign) programme at Bamutia in West Tripura district.

What the Chief Minister Said

'We had set a target of doubling farmers' income, and we have achieved it. If you take the baseline year of 2015-16, farmers' income was around ₹6,000. Today, it has crossed ₹13,000,' Saha told reporters. He described the achievement as a reflection of the government's continuous efforts to strengthen the agriculture sector while safeguarding cultivable land and promoting sustainable farming practices.

Responding to queries about the diversion of agricultural land for non-farming purposes, Saha said the government would not permit indiscriminate conversion of farmland. He acknowledged that ease of doing business is important but stressed that industrial projects should, as far as possible, be established on unused land within designated industrial zones rather than on fertile agricultural tracts. Every land-use proposal, he added, would remain under government scrutiny to protect farmers' interests.

About the Khet Bachao Abhiyan

The Khet Bachao Abhiyan is a nationwide campaign launched by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to protect soil health and promote sustainable farming. The campaign was launched by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh, and is being implemented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership with participation from agricultural scientists and farmers across the country.

The Soil Health Warning

Saha cautioned that decades of excessive use of chemical fertilisers such as urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) have gradually depleted soil organic matter, undermining long-term agricultural productivity. He urged farmers to adopt balanced nutrient management, scientific farming methods, and eco-friendly practices to preserve soil fertility. Nearly 60 per cent of India's workforce, he noted, is directly or indirectly dependent on the agriculture sector, making soil health a matter of national food security.

Balancing Development and Farmland Protection

Saha acknowledged the tension between industrial development and farmland preservation, saying the government is working to strike a balance. He reiterated that modern agriculture carries not just an economic function but also a responsibility to ensure a sustainable future for coming generations — a framing that aligns with the broader thrust of the Khet Bachao Abhiyan. The campaign's reach into Tripura signals the Centre's intent to extend the soil-health push to the Northeast, a region where agricultural land pressures are compounded by terrain and demographic factors.