Lok Sabha Question No. 135 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-26
Subject: Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 135

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH   JULY, 2022

## NATURAL FARMING

- *135.   SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA:

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

(a) whether the Government is aware that agriculture contributes a significant amount to the GDP, reaching the level of even 30% in the previous months; (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to support and encourage natural farming in Andhra Pradesh; (c) the  budget  spent  on  raising  awareness  about  natural  farming  amongst  farmers during the last three years; (d) whether  there  are  any  special  natural  farming  schemes  specifically  for  women farmers; and

- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (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. 135 DUE FOR REPLY ON 26 TH  JULY, 2022.

(a):          As  per  Provisional  Estimates  of  National  Income,  released  by  National  Statistical Office  (NSO), Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation on 31 st May  2022,  the share of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country in 202122 is 18.6%.

(b) to (e): Government  is  promoting  Natural  Farming  through  Bhartiya  Prakritik  Krishi Padhati (BPKP) introduced during 2020-21 as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana  (PKVY)  for  the  promotion  of  traditional  indigenous  practices  including  Natural Farming . 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 and other plant-based preparations. 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 to 8 States across the country.

So  far,  in  Andhra  Pradesh  Rs.  750  lakh  has  been  released  to  the  State  to  bring 100000 ha area under Natural Farming and Annual Action Plan for 150000 ha area has been approved.

MANAGE is designated as 'Knowledge partner for Natural Farming extension' and is initiating training of Master Trainers and sensitization of  30,000 Gram Pradhans through 750 online workshops from  April to 15th August 2022  and in 2021-22 an amount of Rs 175.75 lakh  has  been  released.  During  current  year,  MANAGE  has  organized  647  awareness courses and exposed 38762 Gram Pradhans to Natural Farming. National Centre of Organic Farming  has  been  reconstituted  as  National  Centre  for  Organic  and  Natural  Farming (NCONF) to promote chemical free farming including natural farming in the country through capacity  building  of  stakeholders.  NCONF  has  trained  7100  farmers  through  37  trainings programmes. DA&FW released Rs 11.94 crore to initiate trainings  of farmers through 425 KVKS which will be model training and demonstration centres. 72 TV programmes and 42 Radio programmes have been done on Natural Farming.

There  are  no  special  natural  farming  schemes  specifically  for  women  farmers  as natural farming is not gender specific scheme. The State-wise details of funds released and area under BPKP is given at Annexure.

Annexure

Annexure referred in reply to part (b) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Q. No. *135 due for answer on 26/07/2022

## The State-wise details of funds released and area covered under Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhthi (BPKP)

| Sl.No.   | States           | Released date   |   Area in Ha |   Amount Released (in lakh) |
|----------|------------------|-----------------|--------------|-----------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh   | 30.09.20        |       100000 |                      750    |
| 2.       | Chhattisgarh     | 09.12.20        |        85000 |                     1352.52 |
| 3.       | Kerala           | 30.09.20        |        84000 |                     1336.6  |
| 4.       | Himachal Pradesh | 24.12.20        |        12000 |                      286.42 |
| 5.       | Jharkhand        | 02.12.20        |         3400 |                       54.1  |
| 6.       | Odisha           | 02.02.21        |        24000 |                      381.89 |
| 7.       | Madhya Pradesh   | 16.02.21        |        99000 |                      787.64 |
| 8.       | Tamil Nadu       | 16.02.21        |         2000 |                       31.82 |
| Total    |                  |                 |       409400 |                     4980.99 |

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