The Government of India has taken a significant step towards promoting natural farming across the country by formulating the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a separate and independent scheme from 2023-24. This move has been made by up-scaling the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), which was launched on a pilot basis in a few states.
Scheme Overview
- Scheme Name: National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
- Scheme Launch Year: 2023-24
- Scheme Fund Allocated: Rs. 1584 crore (Government of India Share)
- Type of Government Scheme: Central Government
- Sponsored / Sector Scheme: Sponsored
Features of National Mission on Natural Farming
- The scheme aims to cover a 7.5 lakh ha area by developing 15,000 clusters in the next four years.
- It targets to touch 1 crore farmers along the Ganga belt and in other rainfed parts of the country.
- The objectives of the scheme include promoting alternative systems of farming, popularizing integrated agriculture-animal husbandry models based on desi cow and local resources and collecting, validating and documenting natural farming practices.
- The scheme will work for creation of awareness, capacity building, promotion and demonstration of natural farming.
- It will create standards, certification procedures and branding for natural farming products for national and international markets.
- The program is demand-driven and states will prepare a long-term perspective plan with year-wise targets and goals.
- A financial assistance of Rs. 15000 per ha @Rs. 5000 per ha/year will be provided to the farmers through DBT as assistance for the creation of on-farm input production infrastructure.
- The Bhartiya Prakratik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) has been up-scaled as NMNF for implementation all across the country
Latest News about the Scheme
The Mission aims to cover 7.5 lakh hectares of land through development 15,000 clusters in the next four years, with a total budget outlay of Rs. 1,584 crore (Government of India share). The government has proposed a provision of Rs. 459.00 crores for the year 2023-24. This scheme is expected to significantly reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and promote sustainable agriculture practices.
In addition, the budget for fertilizer subsidy for the year 2023-24 has been kept at Rs. 1,75,099 crore. This is a crucial move towards ensuring the availability of fertilizers to farmers at an affordable cost.
Benefits of the Scheme
- Encourages traditional indigenous farming practices.
- Increases income of farmers by reducing the cost of externally purchased inputs.
- Promotes integrated animal husbandry and agriculture models based on desi cow and local resources.
- Financial assistance of Rs. 15000 per ha provided to farmers.
- Creates standards, certification procedures and branding for these products for both national and international markets.
- Collects and documents natural farming practices being practiced in various parts of the country.
Drawback of National Mission on Natural Farming
The National Mission on Natural Farming may not be useful for farmers who lack the necessary knowledge and skills to implement natural farming techniques. The scheme may also not be beneficial for farmers who have limited access to resources and infrastructure.
Conclusion
The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a commendable effort by the Indian government to promote sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices across the country. The scheme aims to boost the income of farmers by reducing their dependence on external inputs and encouraging the adoption of traditional and indigenous farming methods. With a total outlay of Rs. 1584 crore and a target to cover 7.5 lakh hectares of land in the next four years, the NMNF is a significant step towards achieving the goal of sustainable agriculture in India. The scheme’s emphasis on creating natural farming clusters, awareness creation, capacity building, and certification of natural farming products will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the farming community and the environment.
