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Time of India
23-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Natural farming mission encourages ryots with incentives, cluster support in Hassan dist
Hassan: In order to encourage farmers to adopt natural farming techniques, which emphasise the use of natural inputs and reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals, the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is being implemented in the district, with efforts under way to provide necessary tools in a timely manner. For this purpose, cluster centres are being established in Alur, Arkalgud, Arsikere, Hassan, and Holenarasipura taluks, with three centres each, and four centres in Belur, Channarayapatna, and Sakleshpur taluks. The plan is designed to raise awareness among farmers, with the main objective being to bring farmers in the project area into the realm of natural farming. An incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre per year is provided to those who adopt natural farming. At the gram panchayat level, the implementation should be done in cluster models of 50 hectares, and agriculture assistants can be selected for each cluster. Each cluster will include about 50 hectares or approximately 125 farmers, said an agriculture department officer. To reduce dependence on externally purchased tools, the plan is implemented to promote nature-based sustainable farming practices using locally available resources. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo Livestock-based integrated farming systems are being promoted. The main goal is to combine farmers' experience and scientific expertise to develop and improve suitable natural farming practices for each local area, he said. The first instalment of the incentive will be paid in Aug. Selected individuals must participate in training, purchase drums, mixing and storage containers, other tools, maintain livestock, and prepare NF farming tools. The second instalment will be released in Feb 2026. Multi-crop systems and improved MF practices should be adopted, and tools should be purchased from BRC, he said. This initiative will be implemented under the 15th Finance Plan, aiming to reach 10 million farmers across the country. The Union govt has allocated Rs 2,481 crore for this project and will provide Rs 1,584 crore. The remaining Rs 897 crore will be provided by state govts. Over the next two years, the goal is to promote natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares under this project. The incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre will be deposited in instalments into the accounts linked with Aadhaar of willing farmers who received training. However, activists claimed that the govt has allocated only a small amount for this cause. An activist, KP Suresh, said it is known that yields initially decrease in the method of natural farming. "There is no proposal in this scheme to compensate for this potential loss. International organisations have been claiming that the fertility of the land was completely destroyed and needs rejuvenation. This is also included in the Sustainable Development Goals. Union govt pledged to implement this and established seven or eight missions to respond to climate change, including this natural farming mission," he said..
Time of India
12-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Centre identifies 12 dists in Jharkhand to set up 88 natural farming clusters
Ranchi: The Union govt has selected 12 districts of Jharkhand to set up 88 natural farming clusters under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). The move aims to promote chemical-free, eco-friendly agricultural practices that enhance soil health and reduce dependency on synthetic districts are Ranchi, Palamu, Deoghar, Dumka, Giridih, Sahibganj, Hazaribag, Lohardaga, Gumla, Garhwa, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum. These have been selected based on criteria such as river basin proximity, tribal population, past organic initiatives, and regions with either high or low chemical fertiliser usage."Jharkhand has great potential for natural farming due to its agro-climatic diversity and traditional knowledge systems. Our focus is to transform farming into a sustainable and profitable venture for small and marginal farmers. Natural farming is not just a method, but a movement to protect our soil, food, and future," said Vikas Kumar, director of the Organic Farming Authority of Jharkhand (OFAJ).The state has earmarked 4,400 hectares to be brought under natural farming, with each cluster covering around 50 hectares and involving 125 willing farmers. A total of 11,000 farmers will be trained, supported by 176 krishi sakhis (community resource persons). Additionally, 60 bio-input resource centres will be established in the state to supply farmers with natural farming Kumar, the state representative of the NMNF, said, "We are following a farmer-to-farmer extension model, under which trained farmers and krishi sakhis will lead knowledge transfer. This ensures scalability and authenticity in practice."The initiative will also extend to districts categorised as low fertiliser input zones, such as Giridih, as part of a national strategy to encourage sustainable practices in regions already showing lower chemical cluster will receive support for awareness campaigns, capacity-building workshops, certification of produce, and market linkage through agriculture produce market committees (APMC) and local haats. The aim is to gradually transition these clusters into fully organic, self-sustaining farming ecosystems.
