Lok Sabha Question No. 5429 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Conclave on Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Y. S. Avinash Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 5429

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 th APRIL, 2022

## CONCLAVE ON NATURAL FARMING

5429:  SHRI Y.S. AVINASH REDDY:

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

- (a) the steps being taken to hold conclave on natural farming till date;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  urged  farmers  to  replace  the  chemical  fertilizers  and pesticides that spurred the Green Revolution with concoctions made with the dung and urine of indigenous cows , advocating a 'completely science -based ' shift from chemistry labs to nature's laboratory and if so, the details thereof/response received , if any ; and
- (c) whether it is also a fact that  small and marginal farmers, who  owned less than two acres and made up 80% of the country's farming population, stood to benefit the most from natural farming techniques as they were currently forced to spend large sums on expensive fertilizers and if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken to resolve such issues?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (c):    Natural farming is a traditional indigenous livestock based agricultural practices which gives freedom to farmers from all kinds of externally purchased inputs like chemical fertilizer  or  pesticides  as  well  as  organic  fertilizers  like  vemicompost,  organic  manure, biofertiliser,  bio-pesticides  hence  reduce  the  cost  of  farming  and  thereby  provide  benefit mostly  to  small  and  marginal  farmers.  Transition  of  natural  farming  requires  large  scale

access to natural farming techniques as farmers shift from traditional fertilizer and pesticide based system to a system where no inorganic chemical is added to the farm.

Government  is  implementing  Bhartiya  Prakritik  Krishi  Padhati  (BPKP)  introduced during  2020-21  as  a  sub  scheme  of  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY)  for  the promotion  of  agro-ecological  farming  system  which  have  many  variants  and  is  based  on sound ecological principles and traditional indigenous practices including  Natural Farming. The scheme is generic in nature and gives freedom to farmers to adopt indigenous practices with  emphasis  on  exclusion  of  all  synthetic  chemical  inputs  and  also  promotes  on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass  mulching, use of cow  dung-urine formulations  and  other  plant-based  preparations.  Training  through  capacity  building  is integral part of the scheme. Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided  for  cluster  formation,  training  capacity  building,  organising  conferences    and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis. An area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered under natural farming and a total fund of Rs. 4980.99 lakh has been released to 8 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Apart from this an additional area of 5.68 lakh ha has been approved for 3 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar  Pradesh.    The  State  -wise  details  of  funds  released,  crops  covered  and  area  under BPKP is given at Annexure - I.

Annexure- I The  State  -wise  details  of  funds  released  and  area  covered  and  crops  under

## Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhthi (BPKP)

| Sl. No .   | States           | Released date   |   Area in Ha |   Amount released (Rs in lakh) | Crops under natural farming                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|------------|------------------|-----------------|--------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.         | Andhra Pradesh   | 30.09.20        |       100000 |                         750    | Maize, Groundnut Cashew, Citrus, Palmoil, Tomato, Cotton, Paddy                                                                                                                                                                               |
| 2.         | Chhattisgarh     | 09.12.20        |        85000 |                        1352.52 | Rice,Wheat, Pulses                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 3.         | Kerala           | 30.09.20        |        84000 |                        1336.6  | Paddy, Banana, Leafy Vegetables, Cucurbits, Solanaceous varieties, Bhindi, Cool Season Vegetables, Spices and Condiments., Tubers Coconut based inter crops garden like fruit plans, cocoa, nutmeg, coffee, Cashew, Pepper, Coconut, Arecanut |
| 4.         | Himachal Pradesh | 24.12.20        |        12000 |                         286.42 | Wheat, Maize, Peas, Apple, Stone fruits, Pulses, paddy, coriander and other leafy vegetables                                                                                                                                                  |
| 5          | Jharkhand        | 02.12.20        |         3400 |                          54.1  | Paddy, Wheat, vegetables , pulses, oilseeds                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 6.         | Odisha           | 02.02.21        |        24000 |                         381.89 | Rice, Turmeric, Ginger and Pulses                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 7.         | Madhya Pradesh   | 16.02.21        |        99000 |                         787.64 | Wheat, Rice, Pulses, Soyabean,                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| 8.         | Tamil Nadu       | 16.02.21        |         2000 |                          31.82 | Vegetable crops                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Total      | Total            |                 |       409400 |                        4980.99 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |

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