Lok Sabha Question No. 2148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-14
Subject: Promotion of Natural Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, Jayanta Kumar Roy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2148

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 14 TH  MARCH, 2023

## PROMOTION OF NATURAL FARMING

2148. SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO: SHRI BHOLA SINGH: DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has proposed to facilitate one crore farmers to adopt natural farming over the next three years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has proposed to set up 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres for creating a national-level distributed micro-fertilizer and pesticide manufacturing network:
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) & (b): Yes Sir.  In  order  to  involve  more  farmers  and  enhance  the  reach  of  natural farming on a larger scale, Government has formulated Natural 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).  With  NMNF Government proposes to touch 1 crore farmers along the Ganga belt and in other rainfed parts  of  the  country.  For  making  easy  access  to  bio-  resources  like  Jeevamrit,  Ghana Jeevamrit,  neemastra  etc.,  Government  intends  to  set  up  15,000  Bhartiya  Prakritik  Kheti Bio-inputs Resources Centres (BRCs).
- (c) & (d): Yes Sir. In order to provide farmers adopting natural farming an easy access to bio resources like Jeevaamrit, Ghana Jeevamrit, neemastra etc. wherein cow dung and

urine, neem and bio culture play an important role, Government intends to set up Bhartiya Prakritik  Kheti  Bio-inputs  Resources  Centres  (BRCs)  to  prepare  and  supply  bio-inputs  to facilitate the adoption of natural farming without individual farmers having to prepare them on  their  own,  as  preparation  of  bio-inputs  is  a  time  taking  and  labour-  intensive  activity. These  bio-inputs  resources  centres  would  be  set  up  alongside  15000  model  clusters  of natural  farming  50  ha  each.  These  BRCs  would  create  a  national  level  distributed  micro fertilizers  and  pesticides  manufacturing  network  @  1  BRC  per  50  ha  clusters  during  the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26.

(e): Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) 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. In addition, Indian Council of  Agriculture  Research  (ICAR)  has  initiated  research  in  20  locations  to  validate  natural farming techniques besides demonstrating in 425 KVKs to showcase the benefits of natural farming.

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.

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