Natural Farming Mission (NMNF): Features and Incentives
Why in the news
The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) became a stand-alone Centrally Sponsored Scheme at the end of 2024 and received a sizeable allocation in Union Budget 2025-26.
About NMNF
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
- Idea: chemical-free farming built on local cows, diverse crops and recycling of on-farm biomass.
- Origin: upgrades the earlier Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) into a full mission.
- Focus: chemical-free, climate-resilient agriculture through traditional Indian methods.
Key features
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clusters | 15,000 clusters, each around 50 hectares |
| Farmer support | ₹4,000 per acre per year for two years |
| Bio-Input Resource Centres | 10,000 BRCs supplying ready natural inputs such as Jeevamrut and Beejamrut |
| Certification and brand | Simple certification and a single national brand for natural produce |
Why it matters
- Lower costs: less reliance on costly urea, DAP and pesticides.
- Soil health: rebuilds soil organic carbon and microbial life.
- Climate resilience: better water retention and a smaller carbon footprint.
Static linkages
- Supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption).
- Fits agro-ecology ideas such as minimal tillage and multi-cropping.
- Often implemented together with Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Exam angle
- Predecessor scheme: BPKP; BRC target: 10,000; cluster target: 15,000.
- Core objective: cutting dependence on bought chemical inputs.