Lok Sabha Question No. 145 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: Zero Budget Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 145

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  MARCH, 2018

## ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

- *145.    ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is planning to launch Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) project to promote organic farming practices in the country and if so, the details including the aims and objectives thereof; (b) whether ZBNF is associated with low carbon farming which is promoted internationally and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether ZBNF will lower the cost of inputs of farmers and improve the capacity to increase the farm income and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether ZBNF is climate change resilient and will protect the soil from degradation and also help in retaining soil fertility and if so, the details thereof; and whether any State in the country has adopted such practice and  if so, the  details

- (e) thereof along with the production rates and farmers' satisfactory report?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 145   DUE FOR REPLY ON 6 TH  MARCH, 2018.

(a) to (e): Govt. of India has been promoting organic farming under Paramparagat Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  since  2015-16  which  promotes  various  organic  farming under sustainable agriculture like Natural Farming, Rishi Farming, Vedic Farming, Cow Farming, Homa Farming etc, also include Zero Budget Natural Farming.  The State of Andhra Pradesh has been promoting Zero Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) since 201516 under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and PKVY. It aims for sustainable agriculture production with eco-friendly process in tune with nature and to produce chemical free agricultural  produce.  It  involves  least  use  of  inputs  thereby  decreasing  the  cost  of production. Organic farming including ZBNF is climate change resilient to a great extent protecting soil from degradation and ensuring continued soil productivity.

,,

The  State  of  Andhra  Pradesh  has  reported  that  around  1.63  lakh  farmers  are practicing  ZBNF  as  on  date.  The  State  indicated  that  ZBNF  is  a  low  carbon  farming method. In the crop cutting experiments (CCEs) conducted across 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh in ZBNF areas, it is observed that in 88% of CCEs, increase in yield value and reduction in cost of cultivation have together contributed to increase in net incomes to the farmers. In 10 % of the CCEs, decrease in yield value is compensated by reduction in cost thereby resulting in overall increase in the income to the farmers. Only 2 % of the CCEs have shown that decrease in yield value could not be compensated by decrease in cost.

.

******