South India Natural Farming Summit 2025: PM Modi’s Vision
Why in the news
The Prime Minister opened a farmers’ summit in Coimbatore, set up in honour of organic farming scientist G. Nammalvar, and laid out a plan for India to lead globally in natural farming.
Key facts
- Event: South India Natural Farming Summit 2025, Coimbatore, organised by farmers’ associations.
- Natural farming was called a need of 21st-century agriculture: restores soil health, cuts chemical fertiliser and pesticide use and builds climate resilience.
- The National Mission on Natural Farming, begun the previous year, has already reached lakhs of farmers.
- Tamil Nadu: 35,000 hectares under organic and natural farming.
- Advice to farmers: start with at least one acre each season, then expand.
Policy and scheme highlights
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| PM-Kisan | 21st instalment released, ₹18,000 crore; cumulative transfers above ₹4 lakh crore |
| Kisan Credit Card | Over ₹10 lakh crore support for crops, livestock and fisheries |
| Agricultural exports | Doubled in 11 years |
| GST on bio-fertilisers | Reduced, lowering production costs |
Other messages
- Blend traditional knowledge, science and government policy; make natural farming fully science-backed.
- Research institutions should bring natural farming into curricula and use farmers’ fields as living laboratories.
- Tamil Nadu was asked to use FPOs; minor millets were stressed.
- Avoid monoculture; multi-cropping, as seen in Kerala and Karnataka hills, improves productivity and resilience.
Exam angle
- Summit honours G. Nammalvar.
- 21st PM-Kisan instalment: ₹18,000 crore.
- Venue: Coimbatore.