{"id":43713,"date":"2024-11-29T07:15:13","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T01:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=43713"},"modified":"2025-05-06T05:03:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T23:33:25","slug":"national-mission-on-natural-farming-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/national-mission-on-natural-farming-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF): A Step Towards Sustainable Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is Natural farming?<\/li>\n<li>What is National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)?<\/li>\n<li>Need for a mission on natural farming<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Union Cabinet approved the launch of the <strong>National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)<\/strong> as a standalone <strong>Centrally Sponsored Scheme<\/strong> under the <strong>Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers\u2019 Welfare<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The mission aims to promote natural farming practices across India in a focused, mission-mode approach.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is Natural Farming?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The Agriculture Ministry defines natural farming as a \u201cchemical-free\u201d farming system that only uses inputs produced using livestock and plant resources.<\/li>\n<li>It is a system where the laws of nature are applied to agricultural practices.<\/li>\n<li>This method works along with the natural biodiversity of each farmed area.<\/li>\n<li>It encourages the complexity of living organisms, both plants, and animals that shape each particular ecosystem to thrive along with food plants.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Natural Farming in India<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>There are many working models of natural farming all over the world, the zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) is the most popular model in India.<\/li>\n<li>ZBNF was popularized by Subhash Palekar in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What is National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Background<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>NMNF builds on the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhti (BPKP), launched under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY).<\/li>\n<li>The Centre also promoted natural farming in a five-kilometre belt along the Ganga River under the Namami Gange scheme in the financial year 2022-23.<\/li>\n<li>In her Budget Speech (2024-25), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a plan to initiate one crore farmers countrywide into natural farming in the next two years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The government launched the NMNF within 100 days of returning to power in 2024, with a target to initiate one crore farmers into natural farming over the next two years.<\/li>\n<li>This initiative will include certification, branding, and the establishment of 10,000 bio-input resource centres, implemented via scientific institutions and gram panchayats.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mission Objectives<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Promote sustainable agriculture through natural farming.<\/li>\n<li>Create a robust infrastructure for training, certification, and branding of chemical-free produce.<\/li>\n<li>Develop a large-scale adoption model through effective farmer support and community engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coverage under natural farming<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Current Coverage &#8211;<\/strong> 22 lakh hectares under natural farming; 34 lakh farmers engaged nationwide.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Breakdown of Coverage<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>4 lakh hectares under the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhti (BPKP)<\/li>\n<li>88,000 hectares under Namami Gange<\/li>\n<li>17 lakh hectares under various state government initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Goals of the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Target Area Expansion: Add 7.5 lakh hectares under natural farming.<\/li>\n<li>Cluster-Based Implementation: Establish 15,000 clusters in willing Gram Panchayats.<\/li>\n<li>Farmer Outreach: Reach 1 crore farmers within two years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support Infrastructure<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs)<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Set up <strong>10,000 centres<\/strong> to provide ready-to-use natural farming inputs.<\/li>\n<li>Priority to areas with existing natural farming practices, <strong>SRLM, PACS, and FPOs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Infrastructure and Implementation Plans<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Model Demonstration Farms<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Establish 2,000 farms at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs), and farmers\u2019 fields.<\/li>\n<li>Supported by experienced Farmer Master Trainers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Farmer Training Programs<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Train 18.75 lakh farmers in natural farming practices and input preparation (e.g., Jeevamrit, Beejamrit).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Community Engagement<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Deploy 30,000 Krishi Sakhis\/Community Resource Persons (CRPs) for awareness, mobilization, and handholding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bio-Input Resources<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Farmers will use livestock resources or procure inputs from Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Differences Between NMNF and Earlier Initiatives<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Higher Budgetary Allocation<\/strong>: Total outlay: Rs. 2,481 crore (Central share: Rs. 1,584 crore; State share: Rs. 897 crore) until the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Broader Target Group<\/strong>: Aims to benefit over 1 crore farmers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focus on Ecosystem Development<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Establishes scientifically supported standards for natural farming practices.<\/li>\n<li>Simplifies certification for chemical-free produce.<\/li>\n<li>Proposes a single national brand for natural produce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Need for a mission on natural farming<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>To promote natural farming practices<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>There was a growing need for promoting natural farming practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Many districts with high fertilizer sale<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>228 districts across 16 states have been identified with fertiliser usage above the national average of 138 kg\/hectare in 2022-23.<\/li>\n<li>These districts have been targeted in the NMNF.<\/li>\n<li>Also, special focus will be given on districts where fertiliser use exceeds <strong>200 kg\/hectare<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>It also includes a <strong>5 km-wide area<\/strong> along the <strong>main stem of the Ganga River<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic Benefits<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Reduces input costs for farmers by minimizing dependency on externally purchased fertilisers and pesticides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Soil and Environmental Health<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Improves <strong>soil health, fertility, and quality<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Increases <strong>soil carbon content<\/strong>, enhances <strong>biodiversity<\/strong>, and promotes <strong>microorganisms<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Builds resilience to <strong>climate risks<\/strong> such as <strong>waterlogging, floods, and droughts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health and Nutrition<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Reduces <strong>health risks<\/strong> associated with fertilisers and pesticides.<\/li>\n<li>Provides <strong>nutritious food<\/strong> for farmers&#8217; families.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intergenerational Benefits<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensures a healthy <strong>Mother Earth<\/strong> for future generations through sustainable farming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What is the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The NMNF is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Union Cabinet to promote chemical-free farming across India. It focuses on natural farming practices, aiming to reach one crore farmers and expand natural farming to 7.5 lakh hectares by 2026.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. What are the benefits of natural farming under NMNF?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Natural farming reduces input costs for farmers, enhances soil fertility, builds climate resilience, and promotes biodiversity. It also provides nutritious, chemical-free food while ensuring a sustainable environment for future generations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/central-government-natural-farming-9691795\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">All about the central government scheme to promote natural farming<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niti.gov.in\/natural-farming-niti-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NITI Aayog<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), its objectives, benefits, and strategies. Discover how NMNF promotes chemical-free agriculture, reduces input costs, enhances soil health, and ensures a sustainable ecosystem for future generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":43714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-43713","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}