Natural farming, also known as traditional farming, is a chemical-free farming method. It is a diversified farming system based on agro ecology that integrates crops, trees, and livestock with functional biodiversity.
Natural farming is promoted in India as the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP) as part of the centrally sponsored Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). BPKP aims to promote traditional indigenous practises that reduce the use of externally purchased inputs. It is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling, with a
particular emphasis on biomass mulching, the use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations, periodic soil aeration, and the avoidance of all synthetic chemical inputs.
Why natural farming is needed to be promoted
Natural farming will reduce reliance on purchased inputs and help to relieve smallholder farmers of credit burden.
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar stated that following the announcement of chemical-free natural farming across the country in the Union Budget 2022-23, the Centre launched the Natural Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) by scaling up the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) to promote natural farming on a larger scale.
Tomar stated that the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) is training Master Trainers, Champion Farmers, and farmers on the latest Natural Farming methods with the assistance of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and the National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF).
He added that it has also sensitized the public representative like Gram-Pradhan on the method and benefits of Natural Farming.
Training on natural farming
Study material in 22 regional languages has been made and 697 Master Trainers have been developed on natural farming and 997 training were organized on natural farming for 56952 Gram Pradhans through MANAGE, the minister said.
Furthermore, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has begun research in 20 locations to authorise natural farming techniques, in addition to demonstrating the benefits of natural farming in 425 Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
Digital web portal created to promote natural farming
He also informed the legislature that a digital web portal (naturalfarming.dac.gov.in) has been created to promote natural farming and to display information about the execution framework, resources, implementation progress, farmer registration, blogs, and so on.
Since 2019-2020, the government has been promoting natural farming through a sub-scheme called Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). BPKP has so far covered 4.09 lakh ha of land.
Natural farming is promoted in clusters of 500 ha under BPKP, and Rs. 12200 is given per ha for three years, with Rs. 2000 provided as incentives to farmers through DBT.
