Representative image of a farmer looking at the farm land.
Credit: iStock
New Delhi: To promote natural farming, the Union Cabinet on Monday approved the launching of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 2481 crore (Government of India share – Rs 1584 crore; State share – Rs 897 crore) till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26). The Ministry of Agriculture will implement this, said a statement.
The scheme promotes farmers to practice Natural Farming (NF) as a chemical free agriculture which involves local livestock integrated natural farming methods, diversified crop systems, etc. Natural Farming follows local agro-ecological principles rooted in local knowledge, location specific technologies and is evolved as per the local agro-ecology, said the statement.
In the next two years, NMNF will be implemented in 15,000 clusters in Gram Panchayats, which are willing, and reach 1 crore farmers and initiate Natural Farming (NF) in 7.5 lakh hectare area.
Under NMNF, around 2000 NF Model Demonstration Farms shall be established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs) and farmers’ fields, and shall be supported by experienced and trained Farmer Master Trainers. The willing farmers will be trained in Model Demonstration Farms on the NF package of practices, preparation of NF inputs, etc. near their villages in KVKs, AUs and practising NF farmers’ fields.
18.75 lakh trained willing farmers will prepare inputs like Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, etc. by using their livestock or procure from BRCs. 30,000 Krishi Sakhis/ CRPs will be deployed for awareness generation, mobilisation and handholding of willing farmers in the clusters, said the statement.
Farmers will be provided with an easy simple certification system and dedicated common branding to provide access to market their natural farming produce. Real time geo-tagged & referenced monitoring of NMNF implementation shall be done through an online portal, said the statement.