Recently, the Cabinet gave its nod to PM PRANAM — the scheme designed for balanced use of fertilisers by farmers. With this scheme the reliability on chemicals by the farmers will be reduced.

The Yojana’s full form is ‘Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth’ (PRANAM). The scheme is to incentivise States and Union Territories to promote alternative fertilisers and counteracted use of chemical fertilisers. This scheme strives to decrease the usage of chemical fertilisers in the states.
The scheme will not have a separate budget and will be subsidized by the savings of existing fertiliser assistance under schemes run by the Department of fertilisers.

According to the reports, 50% subsidy savings will be given as a grant to the state that saves the money. 70% can be used for asset creation related to the technological adoption of alternative fertilisers and alternative fertiliser production units at village, block, and district levels, out of the total grant given to the state under the scheme.

The remaining 30% can be utilised for incentivising farmers, panchayats, farmer-producer organisations, and self-help groups that are involved in the reduction of fertiliser use and awareness generation.

What is this scheme?

On June 28, The Cabinet gave approval to PM-PRANAM Yojana for the farmers. The Cabinet also approved a package of Rs 3,68,000 crores for the continuation of the Urea Subsidy Scheme. Let us try to under what the scheme is about.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2023, had announced the launch of “PM Pranam Yojana” for the promotion of alternative Fertilisers and balanced use of chemical fertilisers.

In her speech, Sitharaman said, “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth’ (PM Pranam) will be launched to incentivize States and Union Territories to promote alternative Fertilisers and balanced use of chemical Fertilisers.”

Earlier in February, Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the annual Budget for the fiscal year 2023-24. The annual Union Budget 2023 comprised numerous schemes for farmers as well to nudge farmers in the path of green farming. Sitharaman said, Over the next 3 years, we will facilitate 1 crore farmers to adopt natural farming. For this, 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set up, creating a national-level distributed micro-Fertilisers and pesticide manufacturing network.