NATURAL FARMING IN INDIA

India focus on natural farming 
Context:

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to involve one crore farmers in natural farming over the next two years, supported by certification and branding.

• Implementation will involve scientific institutions and gram panchayats, with 10,000 bio-input resource centres to be established.

National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF):

• NMNF aims to encourage farmers to adopt chemical-free farming using locally-produced, cow-based inputs.

• The natural farming scheme, under the ‘Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati,’ has a budget of ₹4,645.69 crore for six years (2019-20 to 2024-25).

What is Natural Farming?

• Natural farming avoids chemical fertilizers and pesticides, using traditional practices like biomass recycling, cow dung-urine formulations, and on-farm botanical concoctions.

• It focuses on natural nutrient cycling and increasing soil organic matter, integrating crops, trees, and livestock.

Its key components include:

• Soil Aeration
• Minimal Watering to save electricity
• Intercropping
• Construction of bunds and topsoil mulching

Furthermore, ZBNF discourages practices such as intensive irrigation and deep ploughing while opposing the use of vermicompost. Instead, it advocates for the revival of local deep soil earthworms through increased organic matter.

In ZBNF, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are replaced by locally available resources like cow dung, cow urine, and jaggery. Seeds are treated with natural ingredients prepared on the farm by the farmer.

ZBNF promotes the application of:

• Jivamrita/Jeevamrutha: A fermented microbial culture that enriches the soil with nutrients, enhances microbial activity, and prevents fungal and bacterial diseases in plants.
• Bijamrita: A protective solution that shields young roots from fungal and soil-borne diseases, prepared from a blend of desi cow dung, urine, and jaggery.
• Acchadana/Mulching: The application of a protective layer of biomass on the soil surface.
• Whapasa/Moisture: Maintaining the ideal balance of air and water molecules in the soil to promote optimal plant growth. This involves reducing irrigation and watering only at noon, in alternate furrows.

BHARTIYA  PRAKRITIK KRISHI PADHHATI YOJANA

• The Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) Scheme for Natural Farming was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in the fiscal year 2020-21. 
• It operates as a sub-scheme of the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and aims to promote traditional indigenous farming practices.
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Natural farming practice:

• Natural farming is an ecological farming approach where farming system works with the natural biodiversity, encouraging the soil’s biological activity and managing the complexity of living organisms both plant and animal to thrive along with food production system. Important practices, essential for adoption of natural farming includes:

o No external inputs,

o  Local seeds (use of local varieties), .

o On-farm produced microbial formulation for seed treatment (such as bijamrita),

o On-farm made microbial inoculants (Jivamrita) for soil enrichment,

o Cover crops and mulching with green and dry organic matter for nutrient recycling and for creating a suitable micro-climate for maximum beneficial microbial activity in soil.

o Mixed cropping,

o Managing diversity on farm through integration of trees

o Management of pests through diversity and local on-farm made botanical concoctions (such as neemastra, agniastra, neem ark, dashparni ark etc);

o Integration of livestock, especially of native breed for cow dung and cow urine as essential inputs for several practices and

o Water and moisture conservation.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FOR NATURAL FARMING PROMOTION:

• Preserve natural flora and fauna

• Restore soil health and fertility and soil’s biological life

• Maintain diversity in crop production

• Efficient utilization of land and natural resources (light, air, water)

• Promote natural beneficial insects, animals and microbes in soil for nutrient recycling and biological control of pests and diseases

• Promotion of local breeds forlivestock integration

• Use of natural / local resource-based inputs

• Reduce input cost of agricultural production

• Improve economics of farmers

Challenges and Concerns:

• Experts express concerns about transitioning from chemical to natural farming on a large scale in India, given the country's food security needs.

• An academic paper highlights mixed outcomes from different studies on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), with Andhra Pradesh showing positive results, while another study notes significant yield declines in key crops like wheat and basmati rice.

* yield decline due to adoption of organic farming as reported by Sikkim first organic state of India, even studies done in Maharashtra shows farmers again shifted from zero budget natural farming to conventional farming again as they has lower benefits, 

* inputs shortage for organic farming that delays its adoption and profitability of farmers.

*  initial cost for zero budget natural farming is high and waiting period is longer than 4 years that farmers can’t wait.

*  resistance to zero budget natural farming by chemical industries that hinders its promotions.

*.  Difficulties to obtain certification for organic crops and products 

• Sri Lanka's complete shift to organic farming led to economic and political turmoil, highlighting the risks of a sudden transition without adequate preparation and study.