Lok Sabha Question No. 1476 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Zero Budget Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Keshari Devi Patel, Kanakmal Katara, Rajiv Pratap Rudy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1476

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 th  DECEMBER , 2021

## ZERO BUDGET FARMING

1476.  SHRI  SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP: SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA: SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL: SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  intends  to  launch  a  scheme  to  implement  Zero  Budget Farming across the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  number  of  farmers  connected  with  it  especially  in Prayagraj  district  of  Uttar  Pradesh,  Banswara  and  Dungarpur  districts  of  Rajasthan  and also in Himachal Pradesh;

(c) the details of the pilot project on Zero Budget  Farming launched in Anand , Gujarat, including achievements gained, challenges identified and timelines of the project; and

- (d)  whether  any  other  study  has  been  commissioned  by  the  Government  to  understand benefits and viability of Zero  Budget Farming to the   farmers including tribal farmers and if so, 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),  a  sub  scheme  of  Paramparagat  Krishi Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  since  2020-21    is  promoted  for    traditional  indigenous  practices including  Zero  Budget  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    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.

(b) & (c): Until now, under  BPKP,  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,  the details of which is given at Annexure-l.

Government of Uttar Pradesh has proposed 98670 ha. area in 35 districts for Natural Farming    with  budget  of  Rs.  19722  lakhs.  This  would  benefit    51450  farmers.  This  also includes the Prayagraj district covering 1000.2 hac. area with  913 farmers.

Government of Rajasthan has been promoting Natural Farming since 2019-20    as a  pilot  project    in  Tonk.  Sirohi,  and  Bansawara  district  through  State  Budget.  During financial  year  2020-21,  the  scheme  was  executed  in  15  districts  (i.e.  Ajmer,  Bansawara, Baran, Barmer, Bhilwara, churu, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jhalwar, Nagaur, Tonk, Sikar, Sirohi  and  Udaipur)  of  the  State.  Under  the  scheme  since  2019-20,  7213  farmer  were trained  at  gram  panchayat  level  training  programme  on  different  components  of  Zero Budget Natural farming (ZBNF) & 2080 farners were benefited through subsidy on inputunit  in  Banaswara  district    of  Rajasthan.  This    scheme  is  not  being  implemented  in Dungarpur district.

The Government of Himachal Pradesh has launched a scheme named 'Pratrik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojana by adopting 'Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) (also called Zero  Budget  Natural Farming  techniques).   Upto  31  October,  2021    1,46,438 farmers of Himachal      Pradesh  are  practicing    in  Zero  Budget  Natural  Farming  under  the  State Scheme Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojana.

(d): Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  through  ICAR-Indian  Institute  of  Farming Systems Research, Modipuram initiated a study on 'Evaluation and validation of Natural Farming Practices in different Agro-ecologies' covering all the pillars (Concoctions such as Beejamrit,  Jeevamrit,  Ghanjeevamrit;  Intercropping;  Mulching  and  Whapasa)  of  natural farming under All  India  Network  Programme on Organic Farming from kharif 2020 at 20 locations covering 16 States.

Multi-location evaluation of 8 cropping systems namely Maize +cowpea  (fodder) wheat  +  chickpea  (Punjab,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand);  Cotton    +green  gram  rabi sorghum  +chickpea  (Tamil  Nadu  and  Karnataka);  Soybean  +  maize  -  wheat+mustard (Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh); Rice + dhaincha - maize+cowpea (fodder) (Jharkhand and  Maharashtra);  Turmeric  +  cowpea-green  gram  (Kerala  and  Meghalaya);  Cassava +vegetable  cowpea  -  greengram  (Kerala);  Cowpea+maize  (fodder)-Fennel+cabbage (Gujarat,  Rajasthan)  and  Soybean+maize  for  grain-vegetable  pea+  green  coriander (Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim,  Uttarakhand)is being  undertaken  with  the  participation  of  11 SAUs, 8 ICAR institutes and 1 special heritage university. The study is in progress.

## Annexure- I 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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