Lok Sabha Question No. 248 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Traditional Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Dilip Saikia, Shri Lumbaram Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 248

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE

248. SHRI DILIP SAIKIA: SHRI LUMBA RAM:

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  agricultural  production without the use of chemicals and pesticides with the coordination of traditional knowledge and modern science in farming;
- (b) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  spread  awareness among rural youth, farmers, consumers and businessmen to promote organic farming, State-wise;
- (c) the present status of North-Eastern States including Assam regarding traditional and organic farming and the steps being taken to further strengthen it; and
- (d) whether traditional agriculture scheme is not operational in Sirohi and Jalore districts of Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a): Government is encouraging the farmers for traditional /organic farming in the country since  2015-16  through  the  schemes  of  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  in  all  the States/UTs other-than North Eastern States and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER). Both the schemes stress on end-to-end support to farmers  engaged  in  organic  farming  i.e.  from  production  to  processing,  certification  & marketing  and  post-harvest  management  training  and  capacity  building  and  focus  on traditional agriculture.

Under  PKVY,  States/UTs  are  provided  financial  assistance  of  Rs.  31,500/ha  for  3 years  in  the  organic  clusters  out  of  which,  Rs.  15,000/ha  is  provided  directly  to  farmers through DBT for on-farm and off-farm organic inputs.  Financial assistance of Rs. 4,500/ha for 3 years is provided for marketing, packaging, branding, value addition etc. Rs. 3,000/ha for 3 years  is  provided  for  certification  and  residue  analysis.  Assistance  is  also  provided  @Rs. 9,000/ha for 3 years for training and capacity building.

Under  MOVCDNER,  an  assistance  of  Rs.  46,500/ha  for  3  years  is  provided  for creation of FPO, support to farmers for organic inputs, quality seeds/ planting material and training, hand holding and certification. Financial assistance @ Rs 32,500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for on-farm / off-farm organic inputs including Assam for organic farming.

National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a centrally sponsored scheme with an overall outlay of ₹2481 crore (Government of India share of ₹1584 crore and States' share of ₹897 crore). The scheme envisages the formation of 15,000 NF clusters in 7.5 lakh ha area. Each  cluster  shall  be  formed  of  contiguous  area  of  about  50  ha  and  approximately  125 farmers in the  cluster  will  be  trained  for  the adoption  of  NF.  For  easy  availability  of  natural farming  inputs  to  the  farmers,  10,000  need-based  Bio-input  Resource  Centres  (BRCs)  are envisaged under the Mission. For the trained farmers, output based incentive of ₹4,000 per acre per farmer per year upto 2 years is provisioned in the scheme for practicing NF package of practices like Pre Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS), application of Beejamrit, Jeevamrit, etc., diversified  cropping  system, awareness on NF, upkeep of livestock, preparing  NF inputs or purchasing  NF  inputs  from  BRC,  purchasing  drums  and  storage  containers  for  input preparation  etc.  Each  farmer  can  initiate  NF  in  small  landholding  and  eligible  for  support under NMNF upto a maximum area of one acre. There is provision for extensive training on natural farming package of practices for farmers with handholding support by Krishi Sakhis, Farmer Master Trainers and Agricultural Technology Management Agency extension workers.

(b): For spreading awareness among rural youth/farmers, several initiatives under PKVY and MOVCDNER schemes through training, handholding, publicity, awareness programme, support  postharvest  handling  and  marketing  are  undertaken.  Under  PKVY,  assistance  is provided  @  Rs  9,000/ha  for  3  years  for  training  and  capacity  building  where-as  under MOVCDNER scheme assistance  is  provided  @  Rs  10,000/ha  for  3  years.  For  marketing, branding,  value  addition,  publicity  etc.  assistance  is  provided  @  Rs.  4,500/ha  for  3  years whereas, need based assistance is provided for marketing branding and publicity programme under MOVCDNER scheme.

National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF) and its Regional Center of Organic and Natural Farming (RCONF) located at Ghaziabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Imphal and Bhubaneswar  are  organizing  various  HRD  trainings  and  online  awareness  campaign  on organic and natural farming. The State-wise details of programs organized by RCONFs during 2023-24 is given at Annexure-I .

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research also imparts trainings, front-line demonstrations,  awareness  programs  etc.  to  educate  farmers  on  organic  farming,  through network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

(c): Since 2015-16, under MOVCDNER, 2 lakh ha area has been covered under organic farming  by  developing  434  FPOs  involving  2.19  lakh  farmers  in  North-Eastern  States including Assam.

So far, a total assistance of Rs 134.13 crore has been provided to the state of Assam for promotion of organic farming for 23,501 ha area covering 24,425 farmers under MOVCDNER scheme.

(d): Government  of  Rajasthan  has  reported  that  PKVY  scheme  is  implemented  in Rajasthan State including in Sirohi & Jalore districts.

Details of PKVY clusters are given below:-

| District   |   Number of clusters |   Area (ha.) |   Farmers covered |
|------------|----------------------|--------------|-------------------|
| Sirohi     |                  125 |         2500 |              4963 |
| Jalore     |                  245 |         4900 |              3442 |

## State-wise trainings (physical mode) organized in 2023-24

| S. No.   | Name of State    | 2023-24                          | 2023-24            |
|----------|------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------|
|          |                  | Total Training Program Organized | Persons Benefitted |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh   | 1                                | 27                 |
| 2.       | Assam            | 1                                | 51                 |
| 3.       | Bihar            | 2                                | 76                 |
| 4.       | Chhattisgarh     | 1                                | 51                 |
| 5.       | Goa              | 1                                | 20                 |
| 6.       | Gujarat          | 1                                | 59                 |
| 7.       | Haryana          | 1                                | 51                 |
| 8.       | Himachal Pradesh | 5                                | 144                |
| 9.       | J&K              | 3                                | 130                |
| 10.      | Jharkhand        | 2                                | 85                 |
| 11.      | Karnataka        | 14                               | 556                |
| 12.      | Kerala           | 8                                | 190                |
| 13.      | Madhya Pradesh   | 7                                | 738                |
| 14.      | Maharashtra      | 13                               | 465                |
| 15.      | Manipur          | 3                                | 137                |
| 16.      | Odisha           | 13                               | 601                |
| 17.      | Puducherry       | 3                                | 90                 |
| 18.      | Rajasthan        | 2                                | 100                |
| 19.      | Tamil Nadu       | 12                               | 900                |
| 20.      | Telangana        | 2                                | 72                 |
| 21.      | Tripura          | 2                                | 73                 |
| 22.      | Uttar Pradesh    | 10                               | 853                |
| 23.      | Uttarakhand      | 1                                | 50                 |
| 24.      | West Bengal      | 1                                | 507                |
|          | Grand Total      | 109                              | 6026               |

Source:- NCONF

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