NATURAL FARMING

NATURAL FARMING

TOPIC: Agriculture

Context- The Centre is planning to enhance the subsidy on “natural farming” by 50 per cent by relaunching the scheme on a mission mode in select blocks.

Concept-

Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP):

• BPKP was introduced as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2020-21 for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices.
• The scheme mainly emphasizes 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; plant-based preparations and time to time working of soil for aeration.
• 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.
• In the 2022-23 Budget both the BPKP and PKVY have been subsumed un- der Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

Natural Farming:

• Natural farming also referred to as “the Fukuoka Method“, “the natural way of farming” or “do-nothing farming”, is an ecological farming approach established by Masanobu Fukuoka (1913–2008).
• It is based on 5 principles:
  • No tillage
  • No fertilizer
  • No pesticides or herbicides
  • No weeding
  • No pruning
• In India, Natural farming is promoted as Bhartiya PrakritikKrishiPaddhati Programme (BPKP) under ParamparagatKrishiVikas Yojana (PKVY).

***For further information refer to DPN 02 February 2022.