Lok Sabha Question No. 263 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Natural Farming Practice
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 263

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## NATURAL FARMING PRACTICE

263. SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:

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

- (a) whether organic farming has gained significant traction in recent years;
- (b) if so, whether natural farming practices will also help farmers to reduce input cost of cultivation and dependency on externally purchased inputs;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Union Government thereon;
- (d) the  financial  support  provided  to  farmers  to  reduce  input  cost  of  cultivation  and dependency to externally purchased inputs, State-wise, particularly in Maharashtra;
- (e) whether the Union Government has launched Centrally Sponsored Scheme National Mission on Natural Farming, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Union Government to encourage farmers to promote Natural Farming?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): Yes, organic farming has gained significant traction in recent years. Organic and  natural  farming practices help  farmers  to reduce  input  cost  of  cultivation  and dependency on externally purchased inputs. Organic farming is a production system that avoids  or  minimizes  the  use  of  synthetic  inputs  in  order  to  protect  the  ecosystem  and preserve  biodiversity  on  the  farm.  The  modern  approach  to  organic  farming  blends traditional  practices  with  scientific  methods  to  provide  necessary  nutrients  and  manage pests  and  diseases  without  the  use  of  synthetics.  Organic  farming  promotes  natural resource  based  integrated  and  climate  resilient  sustainable  farming  systems  that  ensure maintenance and increase of soil fertility, natural resource conservation, on-farm nutrient recycling  and  minimize  dependence  of  farmers  on  external  inputs.  Natural  farming integrates crops, trees  and  livestock,  allowing  functional  diversity  to  cut  down  production costs  by replacing  the  chemical  fertilizers,  pesticides  and  weedicides  with  own  farm produced    products  like  Jeevamrit,  Beejamrit,  Neemastra  etc.  Such  inputs  results  in reducing dependency of farmers on external markets for purchase of inputs and ultimately cultivation cost of farmers is reduced.

(d): Government  is  promoting  organic  farming  through  the  schemes  of  Paramparagat Krishi Vikas  Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs (except North Eastern States) including the  state  of  Maharashtra.  For  North  Eastern  States,  Mission  Organic  Value  Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme is being implemented. 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. Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha for a period of three years is provided for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha for a period of three years is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for onfarm /off -farm organic inputs. Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of Farmers Producer Organization, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for off -farm  /on  -farm  organic  inputs  under  the  scheme  including  Rs.  15,000  as  Direct  Benefit Transfer  to the  farmers.  The  State-wise  details  of  funds  released  under  PKVY  & MOVCDNER scheme including for the State of Maharashtra is given at Annexure- I.

(e) & (f): 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.

## Annexure-I

## State-wise details of funds released under PKVY & MOVCDNER scheme.

Rs in lakh

| S. No.   | Name of the State   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   |
|----------|---------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|          |                     | Release   | Release   | Release   |
| PKVY     | PKVY                | PKVY      | PKVY      | PKVY      |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh      | -         | 970.00    | 2099.00   |
| 2        | Bihar               | 1547.68   | 402.00    | 312.00    |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh        | -         | 1892.50   | 1188.00   |
| 4        | Gujarat             | -         | 196.00    | 282.00    |
| 5        | Goa                 | -         | 250.00    | 70.50     |
| 6        | Jharkhand           | -         | 163.00    | 399.00    |
| 7        | Karnataka           | 512.55    | 2803.00   | 974.00    |
| 8        | Kerala              | 1712.07   | 71.00     | 392.00    |
| 9        | Madhya Pradesh      | 0.00      | 33.00     | 1250.00   |
| 10       | Maharashtra         | 449.67    | 1681.00   | 1256.00   |
| 11       | Odisha              | 370.72    | 791.00    | 373.50    |
| 12       | Punjab              | -         | -         | 278.50    |
| 13       | Rajasthan           | 1783.26   | 800.00    | 750.00    |
| 14       | Tamil Nadu          | -         | 1564.00   | 1620.00   |
| 15       | Telangana           | -         | -         | 212.00    |
| 16       | Uttar Pradesh       | 5089.32   | 5881.00   | 4500.00   |
| 17       | West Bengal         | 555.39    | 1717.00   | 1120.75   |
| 18       | Himachal Pradesh    | -         | 124.00    | 746.00    |
| 19       | Uttarakhand         | 5969.00   | 767.00    | 2305.00   |
| 20       | All UTs             | 193.55    | 380.02    | 2305.00   |
|          | Total               | 18183.20  | 20485.70  | 20463.75  |
| MOVCDNER | MOVCDNER            | MOVCDNER  | MOVCDNER  | MOVCDNER  |
| S. No.   | Name of the State   | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   |
| S. No.   | Name of the State   | Release   | Release   | Release   |
| 1        | Assam               | 2059.15   | 3684.91   | 2031.00   |
| 2        | Manipur             | 2915.36   | 2805.38   | 1977.00   |
| 3        | Meghalaya           | 621.57    | 2465.40   | 2343.00   |
| 4        | Nagaland            | 1390.60   | 2346.10   | 1735.00   |
| 5        | Mizoram             | 1140.90   | 2336.16   | 2380.00   |
| 6        | Arunachal Pradesh   | 1642.17   | 2574.75   | 988.00    |
| 7        | Sikkim              | 1538.83   | 3260.69   | 1219.00   |
| 8        | Tripura             | 3000.26   | 3370.04   | 2266.00   |
|          | Total               | 14308.84  | 22843.43  | 14939.00  |

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