National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)

Overview

The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched on 25 November 2024 by the Union Cabinet to promote chemical-free farming in mission mode across India. The mission aims to reduce farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, enhance soil health, and ensure safe and nutritious food production. It operates under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture.

The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹2,481 crore (Government of India share: ₹1,584 crore; State share: ₹897 crore) up to the 15th Finance Commission period (2025-26). In Union Budget 2025-26, the NMNF allocation was increased by ₹516 crore — from ₹100 crore in 2024-25 to ₹616 crore. For FY 2026-27, the allocation was further raised to ₹750 crore.

Objectives

• Encourage farmers to adopt natural farming methods based on traditional Indian practices, reducing dependency on chemical inputs.
• Enhance soil health and biodiversity through biological inputs like Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, mulching, and Waaphasa.
• Provide consumers with safe, nutritious, and chemical-free food.
• Reduce the cost of cultivation for small and marginal farmers by eliminating expenditure on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
• Build a robust institutional support system through clusters, resource centres, and trained community workers.

Implementation Strategy

Cluster Development Approach

The mission adopts a cluster-based implementation model:

• 15,000 clusters to be established in willing Gram Panchayats across all States/UTs over two years.
• Each cluster covers a contiguous group of farmers, enabling peer learning and collective adoption.
• Target: reach 1 crore farmers and initiate natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares.

Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs)

• 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) to be set up to ensure easy access to natural farming inputs.
• BRCs will prepare and supply bio-inputs such as Jeevamrit (microbial culture), Beejamrit (seed treatment), and other natural preparations.
• Operated at the local level to reduce input procurement costs for farmers.

Capacity Building and Training

Model Demonstration Farms

• Approximately 2,000 Model Demonstration Farms to be established at:
  • Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
  • State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)
  • Progressive farmers’ fields
• These farms serve as live showcases of natural farming techniques and outcomes.

Farmer Training

• 18.75 lakh farmers to be trained in natural farming practices including preparation of Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, mulching techniques, and Waaphasa (soil moisture management).
• Training delivered through field demonstrations, workshops, and digital platforms.

Community Resource Persons

• 30,000 Krishi Sakhis / Community Resource Persons (CRPs) to be deployed for grassroots awareness, handholding, and technical support to farmers adopting natural farming.
• CRPs act as the bridge between government programmes and individual farmers.

Monitoring and Certification

• A simple certification process and common branding to be developed for natural farming produce, enabling better market access and premium pricing.
• An online portal with real-time, geo-tagged monitoring of farms, clusters, and BRCs.
• Convergence with existing central and state schemes, national and international organisations (including FAO).

Historical Context — Natural Farming in India

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

The NMNF builds on the foundation of the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) movement pioneered by Padma Shri Subhash Palekar. ZBNF is based on four core principles (called the “four wheels”): Beejamrit (seed treatment), Jeevamrit (microbial culture), Mulching, and Waaphasa (soil aeration/moisture).

State-Level Pioneers

• Andhra Pradesh has been India’s frontrunner in natural farming adoption. The Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme aims to transition all 6 million farmers to natural farming by 2027.
• Himachal Pradesh launched the “Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana” in 2018; over 1.65 lakh farmers have adopted natural farming on nearly 20,000 hectares.
• Karnataka — where the ZBNF movement originated — has seen approximately 1 lakh farmer families adopt the practice.

Earlier Government Support

• Natural farming was first promoted under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) sub-scheme Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), which supported 4.09 lakh hectares across 15,000+ clusters before NMNF’s launch as a standalone mission.

Latest Developments

• Budget allocation increased sharply — from Rs 100 crore in FY 2024-25 to Rs 616 crore in FY 2025-26 (a Rs 516 crore increase), and further raised to Rs 750 crore for FY 2026-27
• Over 10 lakh farmers enrolled by July 2025, reaching the initial milestone towards the 1 crore farmer target
• 70,021 Krishi Sakhis trained in soil health and natural farming practices as of March 2025, significantly exceeding the initial pace of deployment
• 7,934 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) identified, with 2,045 already operational (against a target of 10,000), supplying Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, and other natural preparations
• 1,100 model demonstration farms developed for hands-on training at KVKs, State Agricultural Universities, and progressive farmers’ fields (against a target of 2,000)
• ICAR-Natural Resource Management Division established a dedicated research portal (nmnfresearch.in) for evidence-based natural farming studies and field trial data
• Convergence with FAO: The mission has formalised collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization for technical support and international best practices in natural farming

Prelims Importance

• NMNF launched on 25 November 2024 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under MoAFW.
• Total outlay: ₹2,481 crore (Centre: ₹1,584 crore; States: ₹897 crore) up to 15th Finance Commission.
• Target: 1 crore farmers, 7.5 lakh hectares, 15,000 clusters in Gram Panchayats.
• 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) and 2,000 Model Demonstration Farms to be set up.
• 30,000 Krishi Sakhis/CRPs for grassroots implementation.
• Founded on ZBNF principles by Subhash Palekar — four pillars: Beejamrit, Jeevamrit, Mulching, Waaphasa.
• Andhra Pradesh’s APCNF is the largest state-level natural farming programme — targeting 6 million farmers by 2027.
• Builds on the earlier BPKP sub-scheme under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).

Mains & Interview Importance

GS Paper 3 — Agriculture, Environment

• Sustainable agriculture vs productivity: Can India afford to shift to natural farming at scale without compromising food security for 1.4 billion people? Critically analyse.
• Input cost reduction: Natural farming eliminates expenditure on chemical fertilizers (India’s fertilizer subsidy: ~₹1.88 lakh crore in FY 2024-25). Discuss the macroeconomic implications of reduced fertilizer dependency.
• Soil health crisis: India loses an estimated 5,334 million tonnes of topsoil annually due to erosion. How can NMNF contribute to reversing soil degradation?
• Climate resilience: Natural farming practices improve soil organic carbon, water retention, and biodiversity — discuss their role in climate adaptation for Indian agriculture.

GS Paper 2 — Governance

• Cooperative federalism: NMNF is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme requiring state co-funding and implementation. Analyse challenges of centre-state coordination in agricultural policy.

Interview Angles

• “Is the ₹2,481 crore outlay sufficient for transitioning 1 crore farmers? Compare with the fertilizer subsidy bill.”
• “Can natural farming feed India? Discuss the productivity trade-off during the transition period.”
• “How would you scale the Andhra Pradesh APCNF model nationally?”

Sources: PIB — Launch of NMNF, Down to Earth — Budget 2025-26 NMNF, DD News — Cabinet Approval, Vajirao & Reddy IAS — NMNF