How Government is Promoting Chemical Free Natural Farming in India?

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha said that after the announcement of chemical free natural farming across the country in the Union budget 2022-23, the Centre launched Natural Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) by up-scaling the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) for promotion of natural farming on a bigger scale.

Tomar said that the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) is conducting large scale training of Master Trainers, Champion Farmers and farmers on latest methods of Natural Farming with the help of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF).

He added that it has also sensitized the public representative like Gram-Pradhan on the method and benefits of Natural Farming.

Study material in 22 regional languages has been made and 697 Master Trainers have been developed on natural farming and 997 training were organized on natural farming for 56952 Gram Pradhans through MANAGE, the minister said.

Besides, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has started research in 20 locations to authorize natural farming techniques besides demonstrating in 425 Krishi Vigyan Kendras to showcase the benefits of natural farming.

He also told the parliament that a Digital web portal (naturalfarming.dac.gov.in) has been developed for promoting natural farming and to display information about execution framework, resources, implementation progress, farmer’s registration, blog etc.

Tomar said the Government is promoting natural farming through a sub-scheme called Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2019-2020. Until now 4.09 lakh ha area has been brought under BPKP.

Under BPKP, natural farming is being promoted in cluster of 500 ha and Rs. 12200 is given per ha for 3 years, in which Rs. 2000 is provided as incentives to farmers via DBT.