Government is implementing Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) introduced during 2020-21 as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming to bring down the input costs. The scheme mainly emphasises on exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung-urine formulations and other plant-based preparations. Training through capacity building is integral part of the scheme. Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and

 

residue analysis. An area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered under natural farming and a total fund of Rs. 4980.99 lakh has been released to 8 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu while an area of 5.68 lakh ha have also been approved for 3 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh. The State –wise details of funds released, area covered, no. of  farmers  and crops grown under natural farming BPKP is given at Annexure – I.

 

Evidence from implementation of Natural Farming (NF) from various parts of the country indicates that shift towards NF helps in lowering the input cost.

 

The Government constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April, 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling of Farmers Income” and recommend strategies to achieve the same. The committee submitted its Report to the Government in September, 2018. After acceptance of DFI Committee recommendations, the Government has constituted an ‘Empowered Body’ to review and monitor the progress

 

Agriculture being a State Subject, the State Government take appropriate measures for development of agriculture in the State.  However, Government of India supplements the effort of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support and various scheme/programmes. The various schemes/programmes of the Government of India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers.

 

The Government has adopted several developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies that focus on higher income for the farmers. All these police & programmes are being supported by higher budgetary allocation, non-budgetary financial resources such as creating Corpus Funds like Micro Irrigation fund etc. There has been several reforms to unleash the potential, e.g. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs along with necessary financial support under Atma Nirbhar Package (Agriculture). Under Atma Nirbhar Bharat special attention is being paid for creation of infrastructure for which “Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has been created with a size of Rs. 100,00 crore. Other special initivatives include Supplementary Income transfers under PM-KISAN; Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY); Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY); Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi Crops ensuring a minimum of 50 percent of profit margin on the cost of production, Bee-Keeping; Rashtriya Gokul Mission; Blue Revolution; Interest Subvention Scheme; Kisan Credit Card (KCC) that now offers production loan to even dairy & fishery framers besides agricultural crops etc. The adoption of Drone technologies in agriculture has a potential to revolutionize the Indian agriculture. In order to make Drone technology affordable to the farmers and other stakeholders of this sector, financial assistance @ 100% cost of drone together with the contingent expenditure is extended to ICAR/SAU State governments/ State government Institutions under Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM) for its demonstration on the farmer’s fields.