What Happened
- NITI Aayog organized a two-day National Workshop on Natural Farming under its State Support Mission, bringing together farmers, policymakers, scientists, startups, and civil society groups from across India.
- The workshop was linked to PM PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) — the central government scheme aimed at reducing chemical fertilizer dependence, promoting alternate fertilizers, and advancing natural farming practices.
- Key output: Launch of new training manuals on natural farming in Hindi and English, providing practical, region-specific guidance for farmers, extension officers, and field workers.
- Acharya Devvrat (Governor of Gujarat and Maharashtra, a longtime champion of natural farming), delivered a virtual address emphasizing soil health restoration, reduced input costs, and increased farmer income as primary goals.
- PM PRANAM operates over three financial years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26) with a total outlay of ₹3,70,128 crore (covering fertilizer subsidy rationalization).
- The workshop is part of the National Policy on Natural Farming (NPNF) framework, under which India aims to bring a significant proportion of cultivable land under natural farming by 2027.
- Natural farming adoption is also linked to the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).
Static Topic Bridges
PM PRANAM Scheme: Reducing Fertilizer Dependence
PM PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) was announced in Union Budget 2023-24. It does not have a separate budget but works within the existing fertilizer subsidy budget: states that save fertilizer subsidies by reducing chemical fertilizer use receive 50% of the saved subsidy amount as a grant — which they can use for infrastructure, training, or asset creation related to alternate fertilizer promotion. The scheme incentivizes four transition pathways: balanced chemical fertilizer use; alternate fertilizers (Fermented Organic Manure/FOM, Phosphate Rich Organic Manure/PROM, Urea Gold with nano coating); natural farming; and natural resources conservation technologies.
- PM PRANAM: No dedicated budget; works through existing fertilizer subsidy; grant = 50% of subsidy saved by states
- India's fertilizer subsidy bill: Approximately ₹1.75–2 lakh crore per year (one of the largest subsidy items in the Union Budget)
- India is heavily import-dependent on fertilizers, especially urea (imports from Russia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) — a strategic vulnerability
- Nano Urea: Developed by IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative), approved by the Fertiliser Control Order; 500 ml liquid nano urea bottle claimed equivalent to one bag of conventional urea — reduces transport and storage costs
- Urea Gold: Coated with sulfur and urease inhibitors; improves nitrogen use efficiency; reduces volatilization losses
- The scheme is administered by the Department of Fertilizers (under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers)
Connection to this news: The NITI Aayog workshop operationalizes PM PRANAM's natural farming pathway at the state level by equipping extension officers with training materials, linking central policy goals to ground-level implementation.
Natural Farming and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF): Principles and Evidence
Natural farming, popularized in India by agriculturist Subhash Palekar (Padma Shri awardee) in the mid-1990s under the name Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), is an agroecological practice that eliminates external chemical inputs entirely, relying instead on locally available biological inputs derived from cattle (primarily indigenous breeds). The four core inputs of Subhash Palekar's ZBNF model are: Jiwamrita (fermented mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, and soil — functions as a biological inoculant); Bijamrita (seed treatment solution); Mulching (covering soil with organic matter to retain moisture and suppress weeds); and Waaphasa (soil aeration — promoting gaseous water/vapour in soil rather than liquid irrigation).
- ZBNF adopted at scale in Andhra Pradesh from 2015 under RySS (Rythu Sadhikara Samstha) — targets 6 million farmers on 8 million hectares
- Andhra Pradesh is India's first state to plan for 100% natural farming conversion
- Key benefits (field studies): 50–60% less water requirement; reduction in input costs; improvement in soil biological activity within single cropping season
- Himachal Pradesh: First state to adopt a state-level Natural Farming Policy (2018); natural farming products branded as "Prakritik Kheti"
- National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): Launched under the Department of Agriculture (DARE/ICAR); targets bringing 7.5 lakh hectares under natural farming
- PARAMPARAGAT KRISHI VIKAS YOJANA (PKVY): Organic farming cluster scheme; 50-ha clusters; ₹50,000/ha support for 3 years; includes certification under PGS-India (Participatory Guarantee System)
Connection to this news: The NITI Aayog training manuals are designed to standardize and scale the ZBNF/natural farming methods — adapting them to different agro-climatic zones (plains, hill states, tribal areas, coastal regions) since the Palekar model was originally designed for the Deccan plateau.
Soil Health and the Green Revolution Legacy: The Case for Transition
The Green Revolution (1960s-70s) dramatically increased India's food grain production — wheat production grew from 11 MT (1960-61) to 75 MT (2000-01) — but at a significant ecological cost. Decades of high-yielding variety cultivation dependent on chemical fertilizers (urea, DAP, MOP — muriate of potash), pesticides, and intensive irrigation have caused soil organic carbon depletion, micronutrient deficiencies (zinc, boron, sulfur), groundwater depletion (Punjab's water table dropping by 1 meter/year in some areas), and soil salinity. National surveys by ICAR indicate that over 60% of Indian soils are deficient in organic carbon; large tracts in Punjab and Haryana show secondary salinization.
- Soil Health Card Scheme (launched 2015): Provides each farmer a card with 12 soil parameter reports; 23 crore soil health cards issued to date
- India's soil organic carbon (SOC) average: ~0.5% — far below the 1%+ threshold considered necessary for healthy soil biology
- Chemical fertilizer consumption: India is the world's 2nd largest consumer of fertilizers after China; NPK ratio is skewed (high N, low P, very low K) — contributing to soil imbalance
- Punjab's paddy-wheat rotation: Responsible for significant groundwater over-extraction; MGNREGS diversification funds and alternative crop schemes like PDMS (Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhan-Ana Samrudhi) have had limited impact
- PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): ₹6,000/year direct income support — budget space that could theoretically fund agri-transition
Connection to this news: The NITI Aayog workshop and PM PRANAM represent the government's recognition that the Green Revolution model's ecological externalities are now a long-term agricultural productivity threat — natural farming is the policy response, though the transition path at scale remains contested among agronomists.
Key Facts & Data
- PM PRANAM: Announced in Union Budget 2023-24; operates FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26
- PM PRANAM outlay: ₹3,70,128 crore (within existing fertilizer subsidy framework)
- State grant: 50% of fertilizer subsidy savings, for alternate fertilizer/natural farming promotion
- India's annual fertilizer subsidy: Approx. ₹1.75–2 lakh crore
- India's fertilizer import dependence: ~25% of urea needs from imports; 100% of MOP (potash) imported
- NMNF target: 7.5 lakh hectares under natural farming
- Andhra Pradesh ZBNF: 6 million target farmers, 8 million hectares
- PKVY: ₹50,000/ha for 3 years; 50-ha clusters; organic certification via PGS-India
- Soil Health Card Scheme: 23 crore+ cards issued since 2015
- National Natural Farming training manuals: Released in Hindi + English at this workshop
- Nodal ministry: Department of Fertilizers (PM PRANAM); Department of Agriculture (NMNF/PKVY)
- NITI Aayog State Support Mission: Provides policy advisory and implementation support to states