Evidence from implementation of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) from various parts of the country indicates that shift towards ZBNF helps in substantially lowering the cost. Being a chemical free system based on natural nutrient cycling, it ensures safe food and soil health restoration, said Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Government is promoting Natural Farming through Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) introduced during 2020-21 as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming.
The scheme mainly emphasises 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 and other plant-based preparations.
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.
Until now, under natural farming an area of 4.09 lakh ha area has been covered and a total fund of Rs. 4980.99 lakh has been released to 8 States across the country.