Amrit Kaal when referred back to Vedic period, refers to a crucial period when gates to greater pleasure for humans, angels and other creatures open. The next 25 years being an Amrit Kaal or Kartavya Kaal, calls upon a duty towards a better Bharat, a more developed Bharat and a more Atmanirbhar Bharat. If we refer to the National Statistical Office’s 2018-19 Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households report than India has 93.09 million agricultural households. The agriculture sector employs over 148 million people, that is 50%-60% of the Indian population. The sector contributes about 17% to India’s GDP as of 2023. Referring to these numbers it is evident that India is an ancient land of great agricultural value.
NATURAL FARMING
There has been an appeal towards a sustainable development in the Amrit Kaal and this can’t be achieved without a sustainable farming. Natural farming, as put forth by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is “a chemical-free farming system rooted in Indian tradition enriched with modern understanding of ecology, resource recycling and on-farm resource optimization. It is considered as agroecology based diversified farming system which integrates crops, trees and livestock with functional biodiversity. It is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass-mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations; maintaining soil aeration and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs. Natural farming has environmental benefits, economic benefits, health benefits, social benefits, and a promise to a long-term sustainability.
Environmental Benefits: Natural farming methods improve soil fertility, structure, and health. Healthy soil retains more water, reduces erosion, and provides a better environment for plant growth. Natural farming practices, such as mulching and cover cropping, help conserve water by reducing evaporation and enhancing soil water retention.
Economic Benefits: Natural farming reduces dependency on overpriced synthetic inputs, leading to lower production costs for farmers.
Health Benefits: Healthy soils result in nutrient-rich crops, providing consumers with food that is rich in essential vitamins, minerals and healthy proteins.
Social Benefits: It encourages community involvement and knowledge sharing among farmers, fostering a sense of community and cooperation
Long-Term Sustainability: Natural farming is a form of regenerative agriculture, which means it restores and revitalizes the soil, ensuring long-term productivity without depleting natural resources.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY:
In 2021, Australia was on the top with an organic agricultural land area amounting to 35.69 million ha. It is followed by Argentina and France, where Argentina had 4.07 million ha and France had 2.78 million ha areas of organic agriculture. India stands at 6th position with 2.66 million hectares of organic agricultural land area. The position needs to be reconsidered and there needs a positive approach towards building of a Natural Farming ecosystem.
If we go by reported figures and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) than there has been remarkable boost in the area under certified organic farming during the past 10 years. With 5550405 ha in 2011-12, the area under organic farming grew by almost 1.5 times. At present, 9119866 ha area is under certified organic cultivation. India ranks among top 10 countries in the world in terms of total land under organic cultivation.
The Mission:
As mentioned above, there has been great initiatives on the part of the Government, what needs is an awareness, more cognizance towards the practicality of natural farming.
The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a government vision that promotes sustainable and pesticide-free farming practices. The NMNF encourages growers to borrow natural husbandry practices similar as zero- budget husbandry, organic husbandry, etc. The scheme aims to ameliorate soil health, reduce chemical inputs, produce institutional capacities for dispersion of popular practices, ensure capacity building and attract farmers to natural farming willingly on the merit, promote chemical-free and climate-smart farming. Farmers will be presented with fiscal backing of Rs. 15,000 per hectare per year for three years.
To put in stages than there will be selection of nodal enforcing agency at first. Then there will be selection and capacity structure of master coaches, then gram panchayats /townlets will be identified consequently and natural farming practitioners will be identified and will be given all the benefits under the scheme (training awareness creation through Farmer Field School (FFS), fiscal backing to develop on- farm input product structure, capacity structure, and so on). The budget allocation for this whole vision is Rs. 1584 Cr. which is huge to manifest and achieve a dream of Atmanirbharta through sustainable means.
The provision of Rs 459.00 crores for 2023-24 has been proposed after careful consideration and the requirement of increase of budget is not anticipated at this stage.
A LONG AND AWAITING WAY Natural farming takes a holistic approach, considering the farm as a whole ecosystem. It integrates various elements such as plants, animals, insects, soil, and water into a balanced and sustainable farming system. The method varies across different cultures and regions, and farmers often tailor their practices to suit local ecological conditions. The approach has gained popularity due to its focus on sustainability, environmental conservation, and producing healthy, chemical-free food. In this vision, natural farming serves as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that agriculture can be both productive and environmentally friendly. It promotes a holistic approach to farming, fostering a symbiotic relationship between humans, nature, and the agricultural landscape. Through education, innovation, and global cooperation, this vision can be realized, creating a sustainable future for agriculture and the planet.
Author : Prachi Kshatriya
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