The National Mission on Natural Farming is an initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that aims to create institutional capacities for documenting and disseminating best practices in natural farming. The mission works to position practicing farmers as key partners in its promotion strategy, ensuring capacity building and continuous handholding, and ultimately attracting more farmers to adopt natural farming methods voluntarily based on the merits of the system.
Objectives
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Promote Alternative Farming:
Encourage farming systems that eliminate the dependency on external purchased inputs, thereby reducing costs and increasing farmers’ incomes. -
Integrated Agriculture-Animal Husbandry:
Popularize integrated farming models that combine crop cultivation with animal husbandry using desi cows and local resources. -
Documentation and Research:
Collect, validate, and document natural farming practices from across the country, and promote participatory research with farmers to upscale these practices. -
Awareness and Capacity Building:
Undertake activities for awareness creation, capacity building, promotion, and demonstration of natural farming techniques. -
Standards and Branding:
Develop standards, certification procedures, and branding strategies for natural farming products aimed at both national and international markets.
Benefits
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Comparable or Higher Yields:
Farmers practicing natural farming often report yields that are similar to or even higher than those of conventional farming. -
Health Benefits:
Without the use of synthetic chemicals, natural farming minimizes health risks. The produce generally has higher nutritional density. -
Environmental Advantages:
The practice promotes better soil biology, improved agrobiodiversity, and more judicious water usage, resulting in smaller carbon and nitrogen footprints. -
Enhanced Farmer Incomes:
By reducing input costs and risks while maintaining similar yields, natural farming can increase net incomes. Additional income can also be generated through intercropping and other diversified practices. -
Optimized Resource Use:
The system is designed to maximize the efficiency of water usage, optimizing the “crop per drop” through the intercropping of complementary crops.
Eligibility
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The scheme is applicable to all farmers in India.
Application Process
Offline Process:
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Contact Zila Parishad:
Interested beneficiaries should get in touch with their local Zila Parishad to express interest in applying for the scheme. -
Submission by Zila Parishad Officer:
The Zila Parishad Officer will collect the applicant’s details along with the project plan and forward them to the State Agriculture Department. -
State Annual Action Plan:
The State Agriculture Department will incorporate the details into a State Annual Action Plan. -
Disbursement of Funds:
Once the State approves the funds, financial assistance will be released directly to the beneficiary.
Documents Required
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Aadhaar number
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Land documents
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Caste Certificate (for SC/ST applicants only)
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Bank details
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Photographs
Note: The specific documents required may vary depending on the type of intervention and the state. It is recommended to consult with local authorities for detailed information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What benefits are covered under this scheme?
The scheme promotes alternative farming practices that reduce external input costs, increase yields, improve soil health, enhance nutritional quality of produce, and ultimately raise farmers’ incomes while ensuring environmental sustainability. -
Do I need any educational qualifications to be eligible for the scheme?
No specific educational qualifications are required; the scheme is open to all farmers in India. -
Where can I apply for the scheme?
Interested farmers should contact their local Zila Parishad, which will coordinate with the State Agriculture Department for the application process.