Government to pursue states to move to zero-budget natural farming

In yet another effort to double farmers’ income by 2022, the government will now pursue states to move on to zerobudget natural farming that aims to bring down the cost of farming, thereby significantly enhancing the profit margins for farmers.
The NITI Aayog on Monday held a meeting with top officials of all states to arrive at a consensus to institutionalise zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF). Under zero-budget natural farming, a set of natural farming methods are used where the cost of growing and harvesting crops is almost zero.

This means farmers need not purchase fertilisers and pesticides in order to ensure healthy growth of crops. The inputs used for seed treatment and other inoculations are locally available in form of cow dung and cow urine. This lowers the cost of inputs for farmers. Besides, it also protects soil from degradation, helps in retaining soil fertility and is climatechange resilient.

According to NITI Aayog vicechairman Rajiv Kumar, most states have agreed to adopt zero-budget natural farming under two existing schemes: the Paramparagat Krishi Yojana and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. “These pilots will then be validated by ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), following which states will be allowed to move entirely to ZBNF,” he said, adding, “Niti’s role is to identify best practices, validate them and transfer them back to states
for adoption.”

Transition to this method is now required if we want to move “from Green Revolution to Evergreen Revolution”, Niti Aayog member (agriculture) Ramesh Chand said. States like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have already initiated zero-budget natural farming by involving more than five lakh farmers.