Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in India

What is ZBNF ?

According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), "ZBNF is an emerging set of agricultural practice redesigned to reduce farmers' direct costs (hence "zero budget") while enhancing yields and farm health through the use of non-chemical inputs sourced locally ("natural farming")."

Indian Finance Minister in the Budget speech said, "We need to replicate this innovative model through which in a few 

States, farmers are already being trained in this practice. Steps such as this can help in doubling our farmers' income in time for our 75th year of independence."

Objectives :

* ZBNF to make agriculture livelihood profitable and sustainable.

* To reduce input costs, reduce risks, enhance yields, maintain soil fertility, and protect from unpredictable climate change through adoption of eco friendly agriculture.

* Special focus on poorest farmers - nutrition and livelihood security.

* Empowering women farmers.

* Promote organic farming among youth/farmers/consumers/traders.

* It is supported by I.C.T. (Information Communication Technology), satellite imaging.

* To build 3-tier strong Institutions for farmers - Farmer SHG, Village federation of farmers and Farmers producer organisation.

* Provide credit and risk management through farmers institutions in 3 ways - aggregation, mediation & facilitation.

Four Pillars of ZBNF :

1. Jeevamrutha : To prepare mixture of indigenous cow dung and cow urine (Indian breed), jaggery, pulse flour, water and soil, to be applied on farmland.

2. Beejamrutha : It is a composed of neem leaves and pulp, tobacco and green chilies prepared for insect and pest management, that can be a treatment for plants, seedlings or any planting material.

3. Acchadana (Mulching) : To ensure favourable microclimate of topsoil and does not destroy it by tilling.

4. Whapasa : It is moisture condition where there are both air molecules and water molecules present in the soil. Thereby helping in reducing irrigation requirement.

Key Strategies :

* Use natural/organic fertilizers to reduce input costs, enhance yields, enhance and management soil fertility.

* Establishing village seed bank - to reduce costs of seed.

* To reduce risks in rainfed farming through participatory groundwater management, watershed management and diversified crops model cultivation.

* To conservation of water and improve water efficiency - it will support 'more crop per drop' under PMKSY scheme.

* Specially focus on landless labourers & sub-marginal farmers.

* Adoption of modern and sustainable technologies.

Institutional Framework :

* Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR).

* State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).

* Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs).

* Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVKs).

* National Seed Corporation (NSC).

* Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).

* NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India).

Benefits :

* Consumption of nutritional foods to all citizens.

* Consumption of pesticides free food.

* Increased and stable income and broadened livelihood.

* Food & nutritional security.

* Labour intensive agriculture.

* Improved bio-diversity and eco-system.

* Sustainable increase in agricultural GDP.

* More quantities of crops free from synthetic residue - less expenditure on health.

* It is movement for self-sufficiency in food, agriculture inputs and extension services.

Challenges : 

* ZBNF is a still challenge of raise farmers' net return.

* In comparison to conventional farming (chemical farming) crops yield will be lower.

* Lack of training for farmers to shift towards natural farming.

* Reducing availability of indigenous livestock (Indian breed) for cow dung and urine.

* Natural farming crops yield is declining.

* Lower investment by government.

Government Initiatives :

1. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) :
 It is launched in 2015, is an extended component of Soil Health Management (SHM) under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). PKVY aims at supporting and promoting organic farming, in turn resulting in improvement of soil health.

2.Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).

3. National Project on Organic Farming :

Under this scheme, assistance up to 25% and 33% of financial outlay up to a ceiling of Rs. 40 lakh and Rs. 60 lakh respectively is provided as back ended  subsidy  through NABARD for establishment of biopesticides /biofertilizer production units and agro waste compost production unit respectively. Government has been advocating integrating use of chemical fertilizers and organic manure including biofertilizers for increasing production of major crops.

4. National Horticulture Mission :

Provide financial assistance for setting up vermicompost production unit on the different rate for  specific measured area to identified benificiaries.

5. Promotion the Use of Biofertilizer :

Central government has notified biofertilizers like Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Acetobactor under Fertilizers Control Order (FCO).

6. ICAR Contribution in Promoting natural Farming : 

All India Network Project on Soil Biodiversity-Biofertilizers is implemented by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for research and development (R&D) on biofertilizers.

7. Soil Health Card will provide information to farmers on soil nutrient status of their soil and recommends appropriate dosage of nutrient to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

8. National Centre of Organic Farming, Ghaziabad is organizing the training programmes for farmers in Saansad Adarsh Grams (SAGs) from 2015-16.

9. States Adopting Natural Farming :
* State like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim have been promoting organic farming. 9 states have drafted organic farming policies. Out of these, four States viz; Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram have declared their intention to go 100 percent organic.

* Sikkim has achieved its target i.e., 100% organic state in 2015.

* Uttarakhand has declared several districts organic, which means the farmers must undertake only natural farming.

Way Forward :

* Provide proper training to farmers.

* Better agricultural market infrastructure.

* Provide incentives to farmers for ZBNF.

* To facilitate MSP for falling price crops.

* Easy organic farming certification.

* eNAM for natural farming.

Under the United Nations Conference on desertification (COP-14), Indian PM told the global community that India is focusing on Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). ZBNF was also highlighted in budget 2019 in the bid to double farmer's income by 2022.