Lok Sabha Question No. 3294 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-21
Subject: Promotion of Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay Seth

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3294

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 21 ST  MARCH, 2023

## PROMOTION OF NATURAL FARMING

3294. SHRI SANJAY SETH:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has also shown interest in promoting natural farming and any scheme has been formulated to encourage the farmers engaged in natural farming in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) whether any amount has been released for the purpose of promoting natural farming and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  promote  natural  farming  and  attract  the farmers towards natural farming and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b): Government  is  promoting  natural  farming  since  2019-2020  through  a  subscheme  namely  Bharatiya  Prakritik  Krishi  Paddhati  (BPKP)  under  Paramparagat  Krishi Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY).  The  scheme  mainly  emphasizes  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, natural farming is being promoted in cluster of 500 ha and Rs. 12200.00 is provided per ha for three years, in which Rs. 2000 is provided as incentives to farmers through DBT. So far 4.09 lakh ha area has been brought under BPKP.

To encourage more farmers engaged in natural farming and enhance the reach of natural farming on larger scale, Government has formulated National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) by up-scaling the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) to promote natural farming across the country. NMNF will cover 7.5 lakh ha area by developing 15,000 clusters in next 4 years with total budget outlay of Rs. 1584 crore (GoI Share).

(c): The  State-wise  details  of  amount  released  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  natural farming under BPKP is given at Annexure- I.

(d): Government  is  undertaking  large  scale  training  of  Master  Trainers,  Champion Farmers  and  practicing  farmers    on  techniques  of  Natural  Farming  through  National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF). MANAGE has also sensitized the public representative like Gram-Pradhan  on  the  technique  and  benefits  of  Natural  Farming.  Study  material  on  22 regional  languages  has  been  prepared,  697  Master  Trainers  have  been  developed  on natural  farming  and  997  training  were  conducted  on  natural  farming  for  56952  Gram Pradhans through MANAGE.

A Digital web portal ( naturalfarming.dac.gov.in ) has been launched for promotion of  natural  farming  to  display  information  about  implementation  framework,  resources, implementation progress, farmer's registration, blog etc.

Annexure- I. State-wise details of amount released under BPKP to promote natural farming

| Sl. No.   | States           |   Area in Ha |   Amount released (Rs in lakh) |
|-----------|------------------|--------------|--------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh   |       100000 |                         750    |
| 2.        | Chhattisgarh     |        85000 |                        1352.52 |
| 3.        | Kerala           |        84000 |                        1954.93 |
| 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 |                        5599.32 |

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