Union Budget 2022-23 has called for promoting chemical-free natural farming to guard against soil degradation.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Budget on Tuesday, said, “Chemical-free natural farming will be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers’ lands in 5-km wide corridors along river Ganga, at the first stage.”

Further, Sitharaman said States will be encouraged to revise the syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero-budget and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition and management.

On Monday, the Economic Survey had made a pitch for reduction in use of chemical fertilisers and promoting low-cost organic inputs to protect the soil. Natural farming entails elimination of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and promotion of good agronomic practices.

“Natural farming also aims to sustain agriculture production with eco-friendly processes in tune with nature to produce agricultural produce free of chemicals. Soil fertility and soil organic matter is restored by natural farming practices. Natural farming systems require less water and are climate friendly,” the Survey had said.

Natural farming in India is being promoted through a dedicated scheme, Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati e (BPKP). The scheme promotes on-farm biomass recycling with a major stress on biomass mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations, periodic soil aeration and exclusion of synthetic chemical inputs. Under BPKP, a financial assistance of ₹12,200 per hectare is provided for three years for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous hand-holding by trained personnel, certification, and residue analysis.

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