NITI Aayog has urged all the states to work towards giving practical shape to the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) on the lines of Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, for which the Aayog will provide all assistance.

According to the NITI Aayog, ZBNF will be considered as a recognized component to double farmer’s income by 2022 and also by adopting this farm practice it would bring down the cost of farming, thereby significantly enhancing the profit margin for farmers.

The NITI Aayog on Monday late evening organized national conference on Zero Budget Natural Farming in New Delhi. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog presided over the conference and Governor Acharya Devvrat, who threw up the idea in Himachal based on his Gurukul experience, attended it as a special guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Devvrat said the challenge before us today is to double the income of farmers in such a way that fertility of the soil improves along with increase in production of the crops. It is not possible with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The only alternative with the farmers is to adopt ZBNF which is successfully tested in the field.” He presented a detailed document and shared vast experience of Gurukul Kurukshetra, where he had adopted natural farming in near about 200 acres of land and was being successfully cultivated.

Devvrat that Himachal Pradesh has also adopted this model and the state government has made a budget provision of Rs 25 crore to give it a practical shape. He said training camps were organized in the state in a big way and farmers were shifting to natural agriculture.

He said it was a practical method and would not only benefit small and marginal farmers, but also the medium and large farmers could successfully adopt it at no cost. It also protects soil from degradation, helps in retaining soil fertility and is climate-change resilient.

Devvrat said ZBNF system was the only alternative for chemical and organic farming as it was safe and had capacity to double the income of farmers. Under this system, the cost of production becomes zero and products were non-poisonous.

It also increases productivity of land, requires less consumption of water, protects friendly pests and the products were of best quality.

Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog Dr Rajiv Kumar said that states can promote ZBNF under the two farm sector schemes-Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. He said 50 lakh farmers are working on ZBNF in different states, he said, adding that not only it has potential for India it also has global potential.