Bhubaneswar, Aug 10: The Odisha government has targeted to adopt natural farming in 26,000 hectares of farmland in 15 districts this year.
The Centre is promoting natural farming since 2019-2020 through a sub-scheme namely Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP) under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
The scheme has been implemented in eight states including Odisha. It mainly emphasizes on exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs and promotes on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung-urine formulations and other plant based preparations.
The states will be provided Rs 4645 crore by 2025 at Rs 10 lakh per 1000 hectares for natural farming under the scheme.
Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis.
Natural farming does not use any synthetic chemical inputs and uses on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of cow dung-urine formulations and other plant based preparations, said Professor Alok Patra, Agronomy Department, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT).
The Odisha government included promotion of traditional farming with BPKP in 2020. It has also been adopted under 'Millet Mission'.
The state agriculture department will invest Rs 312 crore in traditional and natural farming in tribal dominated districts during the next five years, said an official.
