Context:
The Union Cabinet approved the launch of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) on November 25, 2024 to promote sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices, focusing on natural farming methods.
More on News:
- The new National Mission on Natural Farming will integrate previous initiatives, including the Gobardhan Mission, to create a unified approach to natural farming.
- Natural Farming integrates all-natural elements—soil, water, air and the ecosystem—into crop production. It is seen as an Indianised version of agriculture.
Mission Scale and Goals
- To implement self-sustainable and self-generating natural farming systems for freedom from purchased inputs to cut down on the cost of cultivation, enhance farmers’ income and ensure resource conservation, safe & healthy soils, environment and food.
- The National Mission on Natural Farming will be implemented in 15,000 Gram Panchayat clusters, covering 750,000 hectares and reaching 1 crore farmers over the next two years.
- The initiative will include 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs), 2,000 model demonstration farms and training for 18.75 lakh farmers on preparing inputs like Jeevamrit and Beejamrit.
Key Support Structures
- BRCs: The government plans to set up 10,000 BRCs to provide farmers with easy access to natural farming inputs.
- Model Demonstration Farms: Around 2,000 demonstration farms will be established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs) and farmers’ fields, supported by trained master trainers.
- Krishi Sakhis: Approximately 30,000 Krishi Sakhis will be deployed to raise awareness, mobilize farmers and provide ongoing support in the clusters.
Benefits
- Farmers will benefit from a simple certification system and common branding to market their natural farming produce.
- Support farmers to reduce input cost of cultivation and dependency to externally purchased inputs.
- Build and maintain healthy soil ecosystems, promote diversity and encourage diverse cropping system.
- The implementation of NMNF will be monitored in real-time through an online portal with geo-tagging.
- Promotes Natural Farming practices to provide safe and nutritious food.
Nutrient Challenges for Sustainable Agriculture
- Nutrient Requirements for Paddy: India’s average paddy yield is about 5 tonnes per hectare, requiring 100 kg of nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and 100 kg of potassium for optimal growth.
- Organic Material Limitations: While organic carbon in soil can provide 40 kg of nitrogen, additional nitrogen must come from organic manure or chemical fertilizers. Organic manure only provides 0.5-1% nitrogen, meaning 15-20 tonnes per hectare would be needed to supply the required 60 kg of nitrogen.
State Practicing Natural Farming: There are several states practicing Natural Farming some of them are Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.