Cauvery Calling: 13.4 Crores Trees Planted, Targets 1.2 Crore in 2026-27

The Save Soil - Cauvery Calling movement has so far facilitated the plantation of 13.4 crore trees , supporting 2.6 lakh farmers in adopting tree-based agriculture. In 2026-27, the movement is targeting the plantation of 1.2 crore saplings as it continues its large-scale ecological and livelihood-support initiative. 

Envisioned by Sadhguru, Save Soil - Cauvery Calling is a farmer-driven ecological movement focused on revitalizing the Cauvery River, while improving farmers’ incomes through tree-based agriculture. Cauvery, a forest-fed river, is critically depleting, having lost over 40% of its water flow in the last 70 years and 87% of its original tree cover. To address this, the movement aims to enable the plantation of 242 crore trees on private farmland. By integrating trees into farmland, Save Soil - Cauvery Calling helps farmers increase their income while improving soil health, enhancing water retention, and supporting the river’s year-round flow for the 8.4 crore people who depend on it.

Addressing a Press Conference today, Anand Ethirajalu, Project Director, Save Soil - Cauvery Calling, said, “Thirteen crore trees is not just a number. What it represents is 2.6 lakh farmers who have permanently changed how they farm. That shift from monoculture to tree-based agriculture will determine whether the Cauvery flows year-round in the decades ahead. When policy and farmers align, India can revive its soil, replenish its water resources, and secure rural livelihoods in one bold move.”

Anand also noted that Cauvery Calling is one of the three major on-ground initiatives being carried forward under the broader Save Soil movement. The other two are Save Soil Regenerative Revolution (SS-RR), focused on training farmers in scientific regenerative agriculture, and the Save Soil Farmers Movement, which organizes farmers into Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to strengthen market access and economic resilience. Together, the three initiatives address soil health, farmer livelihoods, and rural resilience through a combination of training, technical support, and community-led action.

Valluvan, 58, a UN awarded farmer from Tamil Nadu, addressed the media and credited the guidance and support of Save Soil - Cauvery Calling for helping him earn global recognition at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) “Farmer Contest: Soil Health Guardians” in 2024. He shared, “By adopting practices such as minimal tillage, mulching, and cover cropping, I was able to significantly improve the soil organic carbon levels on my farm. I also transformed my coconut monoculture farm into a diverse, multi-layered food forest with timber, pepper, and fruit crops. These methods reduced dependence on fertilizers and pesticides while making the farm more resilient to droughts and floods. As a result, my farm income has also multiplied six times over the years.”

Providing quality saplings at scale remains central to the effort. The movement's production infrastructure includes Asia’s largest single site nursery in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu — run entirely by women — with a capacity of 85 lakh saplings, and a second nursery in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu producing 15 lakh more.

Anand further shared, "Together, these nurseries supply 45 distribution centres across Tamil Nadu and 8 in Karnataka. We offer 54 varieties of saplings, including 29 high-value timber species — Teak, Red Sandalwood, Rosewood, and Mahogany. Timber saplings are available to farmers at a subsidized rate of ₹5, while fruit and flower saplings are priced at just ₹10.

To support on-ground adoption, Cauvery Calling has deployed over 200 field executives who have visited more than 26,500 farmlands just in 2025, offering free consultations from pre-plantation to post-plantation. These consultations include assessment of soil type, soil depth, and water conditions, along with recommendations on region-appropriate species based on agro-climatic conditions and farmers’ income cycles.

“The movement engages farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations, NGOs, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Gram Panchayats, and agricultural expos, helping expand awareness and adoption of tree-based agriculture. Over 60,000 farmers are supported through 225 active WhatsApp groups that provide real-time advice. A dedicated helpline, operational daily from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M., resolves farmer queries within 24–48 hours using insights from experts and model farmers,” Anand added. 

Cauvery Calling also organized 3 mega training programs in 2025 with participation from over 14,000 farmers, bringing in experts from institutions such as IISR, IIHR, KFRI, ICFRE, TNAU, and the Central Ground Water Board to share practical knowledge on tree-based agriculture.

Progress on the ground has been equally significant through the Save Soil Regenerative Revolution (SS-RR), the Save Soil movement’s parallel initiative focused on scientific regenerative agriculture and farm economics. As of March 31, 2026, the movement has conducted 532 training programs, reaching 40,311  farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture. On-ground support remains a major pillar of the initiative. Up to March 31, 2026, SS-RR had added 54,982 farmers to WhatsApp groups for ongoing guidance and real-time support.

In addition, over the last 3 years, 185 farmers were trained through 3-month internship training programs, strengthening grassroots capacity for long-term adoption of regenerative agriculture. Its technical and digital outreach has also expanded significantly. SS-RR has uploaded 1,260 technical videos on YouTube and shared them across social media platforms, garnering 296 million views and building a subscriber base of 1,183,000.