Government to Incentivize Traditional Farming, Yogic Farming, Gou Mata Kheti

The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY),  elaborates that farmers who adopt these methods will be eligible for assistance of Rs 48,700 per hectare for a three-year period from the Government as the scheme. The Government is planning to give incentives to farmers who take up traditional farming methods like yogik farming, rishi krishi, and gou mata kheti,  These happen to be ancient practices with little or no scientific evidence to prove they are beneficial.

Recently on 2nd April,the guidelines for the scheme were released. Whereas  some of the techniques covered under the scheme were showcased at the Government's Krishi Unnati Mela organized in New Delhion 16-18 March 2018.. A budgetary allocation of Rs 360 crore has been made for the scheme.

According to the National Centre for Organic Farming (NCOF), that the ministry had decided to go through with including these non-scientific methods for financial assistance, despite the NCOF raising objections against the decision.

According to the new guidelines, practices like Yogik farming,Ggou Mata Kheti, Vedic farming, Vaishnav Kheti, Ahinsa farming, Adhvoot Shivanand farming, and Rishi Krishi will be eligible for financial assistance under PKVY.

Cultivators who adopt standard organic farming practices like zero-budget natural farming and permaculture will also benefit from this scheme.

“We do not intend to take farming to the Vedic era but are promoting low-cost environment-friendly methods of farming which certain groups are already practicing... it is too early to say anything more,” according to the  official at the integrated nutrient management division of the Ministry.

Most of these traditional farming methods are little-known among today's generations of farmers. Although the revised guidelines do not mention an exact definition of such methods, the nomenclarure is good enough to provide a rough idea of what each practice might entail.

For instance, Yogik farming refers to a cultivation method wherein farmers are believed to channelize cosmic energy to their fields by performing yoga.

Gou Mata Kheti is a system of farming which uses cow dung and urine from indigenous breeds of lactating cows, while Rishi Krishi is based on farming methods stated in pre-Vedic, Vedic and medieval texts likeVishvavallava, Kashyapiyakrishisukti, and Surapala’s Vrikshayurveda.