Single brand, 30,000 Krishi Sakhis and ‘easier’ certification for farmers: What’s new in natural farming guidelines

Sub : Geo

Sec : Physical Geo

About the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

Scheme Details:
- A centrally sponsored scheme under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW).
- Total Outlay: ₹2,481 crore
  - ₹1,584 crore from the Union government.
  - ₹897 crore from state governments.

Key Highlights of the NMNF Guidelines:

Mission Objective:
- Promote natural farming in a mission mode.
- Reduce dependency on chemical inputs across the country.
- Foster a mass movement (jan bhagidari) for natural farming through location-specific solutions.
Guidelines Focus:
- Common standards for natural farming backed by scientific support.
- Farmer-friendly certification procedures for natural farming produce.
- Creation of two bodies: one for policymaking and another for implementation.
- Training of 30,000 Krishi Sakhis (community resource persons) to assist farmers.
Certification & Branding:
- Single national brand for chemical-free, naturally grown produce.
Not yet published on the ministry’s website but shared with state governments for feedback.

Scope of the NMNF

Target Areas:
- 750,000 hectares to be converted to natural farming.
- 10 million farmers across 15,000 clusters in willing Gram Panchayats (GPs).
- Pilot clusters will be created to train farmers in natural farming practices, with 50 hectares per cluster and around 125 farmers (with a maximum of 1 acre per farmer).
Data Monitoring:
- IT portal to track progress, monitor impact, and collect real-time data for policy support.

Governance Structure

The mission will be overseen by three key bodies:

National Steering Committee (NSC):
- Chaired by MoA&FW.
- Responsible for policy direction and overall monitoring of the mission’s progress.
National Executive Committee (NEC):
- In charge of the mission’s implementation and ensuring its success.
Natural Farming (NF) Cell:
- Headed by a Joint Secretary from the Integrated Nutrient Management Division.
- Responsible for execution, capacity building, monitoring, and evaluating impacts across the country.
- Provides support to states, central institutions, and stakeholders.

Role of Krishi Sakhis:

30,000 Krishi Sakhis will play a critical role in scaling up NF practices:
- Trained to provide extension services to farmers.
- Raise community awareness and mobilize farmers to adopt natural farming.
- Training: Krishi Sakhis will receive hands-on training from experts at KVKs or agricultural universities.
- Cluster Formation: Teams of two Krishi Sakhis will mobilize 125 farmers per cluster to adopt NF practices at the beginning of each crop season.

Source: DTE