Why a separate Natural Farming mission?
Natural Farming as practiced under APCNF (Andhra Pradesh), Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF, Himachal Pradesh) and Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) movements has consistently delivered 50-80 % reductions in input cost and improvements in farm income — but it operates outside the formal PGS-Organic certification system. The standalone National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) approved by the Cabinet on 25 November 2024 brings this chemical-free, livestock-integrated, in-situ-input model into a national programme distinct from PKVY-style PGS-Organic conversion.
Mission targets
- 1 crore farmers in 15,000 Gram Panchayat clusters.
- 7.5 lakh hectares brought under natural farming.
- 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) to produce and supply jeevamrit, beejamrit, dashparni ark, neemastra at the village level.
- 2,000 Model Demonstration Farms at KVKs and State Agricultural Universities.
- 30,000 Krishi Sakhis trained as Community Resource Persons (CRPs) under convergence with DAY-NRLM's Lakhpati Didi.
Outlay
₹2,481 crore over FY 2024-25 to FY 2025-26 — Centre ₹1,584 cr + State ₹897 cr. NMNF is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) implemented through the State Agriculture / Horticulture Department and an MoA&FW Mission Directorate.
The four principles of natural farming
- Beejamrit — microbial seed treatment from desi-cow dung + urine + lime.
- Jeevamrit / Ghana-jeevamrit — soil microbial booster from cow dung + urine + jaggery + besan + soil.
- Acchadana (mulching) — soil cover with crop residue / live mulch to retain moisture and feed soil biology.
- Whapasa — alternating moisture & air in the soil; sub-soil moisture replaces flood-irrigation need.
How to participate
- Check if your GP is in the notified cluster list at naturalfarming.dac.gov.in.
- Enrol with the village Krishi Sakhi / CRP; baseline assessment of land + cattle stock + cropping pattern.
- Receive starter training (4-6 day modules) on jeevamrit/beejamrit preparation; access to BRC outputs free or at subsidised rates.
- Year-1 demonstrations on a 0.4-1 ha plot before scaling to the whole farm.
Difference from PKVY
PKVY = PGS-India organic certification with external input purchase support. NMNF = on-farm input production via desi-cow + plant material; certification via a simpler Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) framework. Farmers can transition between the two — many APCNF farmers carry PGS-Organic certificates also.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- 25 November 2024: Cabinet approved NMNF as a standalone Central Sector Scheme with ₹2,481 crore outlay (Centre ₹1,584 cr + State ₹897 cr) over FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26.
- January 2025: First 5,000 Gram Panchayats notified across MP, UP, Karnataka, AP and Maharashtra; BRC site identification began.
- March 2025: 10,000 Krishi Sakhi cumulative certification crossed under the parallel convergence with DAY-NRLM's Lakhpati Didi.
- July 2025: First 2,500 BRCs operational; standard SOPs released for jeevamrit, beejamrit, dashparni ark and ghana-jeevamrit preparation.
- 2025-26: Convergence with PM-PRANAM and PKVY tightened — states with declining chemical- fertiliser consumption and rising NMNF acreage receive co-incentive grants.
Common reasons farmers struggle in NMNF
- No desi cow on-farm: NMNF inputs require Bos indicus dung/urine; farmers without cattle depend on the BRC supply — outage risk for seasonal peaks.
- Year-1 yield dip: shift away from synthetic urea/DAP causes a transient 10 — 25 % yield drop in year 1; absence of formal yield insurance for natural-farming systems makes the dip a risk.
- Cluster discipline: NMNF needs spray-drift and runoff containment — neighbouring chemical-farms can recontaminate plots.
- Krishi Sakhi/CRP non-availability: shortfall of trained CRPs delays cluster onboarding.
- Market premium not realised: NMNF produce sold into conventional channels at commodity prices; FPO marketing under 10,000 FPOs scheme is essential.
- Input quality control at BRC: poorly-fermented jeevamrit or non-standard inputs undermine cluster outcomes; SOPs and surveillance audits are tightening.
Grievance lies first with the GP-level Krishi Sakhi and the BRC operator; escalation to the District NMNF Cell and the State Mission Directorate. The naturalfarming.dac.gov.in portal hosts the public grievance pipeline.
Coverage statistics and outlook
NMNF's baseline (December 2024) covered roughly 5,000 Gram Panchayats with mission-targeted mobilisation. By mid-2025, MoA&FW reported enrolment of about 25 — 30 lakh farmers across early- notified clusters. Cumulative natural-farming acreage, including pre-existing APCNF (~7 lakh ha) and SPNF (Himachal Pradesh), stands at roughly 10 — 12 lakh hectares. The mission target of 7.5 lakh ha incremental coverage by end-FY 2025-26 is being phased GP-wise; state-wise progress is on the NMNF dashboard.
How NMNF stacks with other schemes
NMNF is the chemical-free counterpart to PKVY — a cluster may begin under PKVY (PGS-Organic) and transition to NMNF, or run NMNF independently using the BPKP certification. Soil Health Card provides baseline OC and microbial-activity readings. Krishi Sakhi paraextension agents (30,000-target) provide on-ground handholding — Krishi Sakhi convergence is operationally inseparable from NMNF. Rashtriya Gokul Mission supports the desi-cow base that NMNF requires. PM-PRANAM rewards states that reduce chemical fertiliser consumption — NMNF's footprint directly counts toward PM-PRANAM eligibility. PMFBY remains available for crop insurance on natural-farming parcels.