The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is aimed at supporting and promoting organic farming practices to improve soil health and ensure sustainable agriculture. The scheme promotes the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS – India) for organic certification—a trust-based, locally relevant system that involves both producers and consumers, operating outside the traditional third-party certification framework. Funding is shared between the Central and State Governments in a 60:40 ratio (for Northeastern and Himalayan States, 90:10; for Union Territories, 100% Central Assistance). The scheme intends to bring an additional 6,00,000 hectares under organic farming by 2025-26.
Key Thrust Areas:
• Promote natural resource-based, integrated, and climate-resilient farming systems to conserve soil fertility and recycle nutrients.
• Reduce farming costs through sustainable, integrated organic practices, thereby enhancing net income per unit of land.
• Sustainably produce chemical-free, nutritious food.
• Protect the environment by minimizing the use of hazardous inorganic chemicals through eco-friendly practices.
• Empower farmers through the formation of clusters and groups that manage production, processing, value addition, and certification.
• Create direct market linkages, turning farmers into entrepreneurs.
• Utilize expertise from the public agricultural research system in India.
Benefits
• Promotes organic farming to improve soil health and environmental sustainability.
• Ensures sustainable production of chemical-free, nutritious agricultural produce.
• Creates direct market linkages with local and national markets.
• Empowers farmers through institutional development in the form of clusters and groups.
• Encourages the adoption of eco-friendly, low-cost, traditional techniques and modern farmer-friendly technologies.
Eligibility
• All farmers/institutions are eligible to apply, with a maximum land holding of 2 hectares.
• Note: Farmers with less than 2 hectares are eligible; the eligibility criteria focus on scale rather than minimum land requirement.
Application Process
Offline
• Step 01: Interested applicants should contact the regional councils of their respective states.
• Step 02: The regional councils consolidate all applications and develop an Annual Action Plan.
• Step 03: The compiled Annual Action Plan is submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Step 04: Funds are released to states by the Centre.
• Step 05: Further, funds are released to regional councils, which then disburse benefits to the farmers/individuals.
Documents Required
• Aadhaar Number
• Land Documents
• Caste Certificate (for SC/ST/OBC only)
• Phone Details
• Bank Details
• Photographs
• Detailed Project Report (DPR)
• Additional documents may vary depending on the type of intervention and state-specific requirements (consult relevant authorities).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the core benefits of the PKVY scheme?
A: It promotes organic farming, improves soil health, reduces chemical inputs, and facilitates market linkages while empowering farmers through cluster formation.
Q: Are benefits directly transferred to the farmers?
A: Yes, the eligible subsidy amount is released to the beneficiary’s account via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) after obtaining expenditure sanction.
Q: Does this scheme work upon creating a bigger market for the farmers?
A: Yes, by establishing direct market linkages, it turns farmers into entrepreneurs and enhances market access for organic produce.
Q: Are there any particular eligibility criteria?
A: All farmers/institutions with authenticated land records or farmer’s identity cards are eligible, with a maximum land holding of 2 hectares.
Q: Can I directly apply for the scheme as an individual on the portal?
A: No, the scheme application is coordinated through regional councils, and farmers must contact their respective regional council for further details.