Lok Sabha Question No. 4579 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Zero Budget Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama, Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4579

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23 RD   MARCH, 2021

## ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

4579. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA: SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) implemented and practised in various States, including the area of land covered and the number of farmers practising ZBNF for the last three years, State and year-wise;
- (b) the details of farm output and income per hectare under ZBNF and under fertilizerbased chemical farming for crops including but not limited to wheat, sugarcane, paddy and banana;

(c) whether any study and survey has been carried out by the Union Government to evaluate the proclaimed effectiveness of ZBNF in increasing output; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) has been introduced as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2020-21 for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). The scheme mainly emphasises on exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes on-farm biomass recycling  with  major  stress  on  biomass  mulching;  use  of  cow  dung-urine  formulations; plant  based  preparations  and  time  to  time  working  of  soil  for  aeration.  Under  BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building  and  continuous  handholding  by  trained  personnel,  certification  and  residue analysis.

Until now, under natural farming an area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered and a total fund of Rs. 4980.99 lakh has been released in 8 States across the country including the State of Tamil Nadu. The State -wise details of funds released under BPKP is given at Annexure - I.

(b) to (d): ICAR (Indian Council of Agriculture Research) through ICAR- Indian Institute of Farming System Research, Modipuram, Uttar Pradesh and All India Network Project on Organic  Farming  (AI-NPOF)  initiated  studies  on  'Evaluation  of  Concoctions  of  ZBNF farming practices in different agro-ecologies in Basmati Rice-Wheat System' in four States from rabi 2017 and also initiated studies on 'Evaluation and validation of Natural Farming Practices in different agro-ecologies' in 16 States from Kharif 2020 to evaluate the effect of zero  budget  farming  practices  on  productivity,  economics  and  soil  health  including soil organic carbon and soil fertility.

The State -wise details of funds released under BPKP

| Sl. No.   | States           |   Area in Ha |   Amount released (Rs in lakh) |
|-----------|------------------|--------------|--------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   |       100000 |                         750    |
| 2.        | Chhattisgarh     |        85000 |                        1352.52 |
| 3.        | Kerala           |        84000 |                        1336.6  |
| 4.        | Himachal Pradesh |        12000 |                         286.42 |
| 5         | Jharkhand        |         3400 |                          54.1  |
| 6.        | Odisha           |        24000 |                         381.89 |
| 7.        | Madhya Pradesh   |        99000 |                         787.64 |
| 8.        | Tamil Nadu       |         2000 |                          31.82 |
| Total     | Total            |       409400 |                        4980.99 |

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