Gujarat Among Top 5 States In Natural Farming; Over 1.5 Lakh Farmers Shift To Chemical-Free Cultivation
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Gujarat has emerged as one of India’s top five states in natural farming, with 1,51,108 farmers enrolled under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) and 61,919.23 hectares of farmland brought under natural cultivation practices.
Gujarat Records Major Shift Towards Natural Farming
The state’s natural farming drive is being supported through the NMNF, which promotes cultivation methods aimed at reducing dependence on chemical inputs.
Under the scheme, registered farmers are eligible for an output-based incentive of ₹4,000 per acre annually for up to two years.
At the national level, 26.76 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the mission, covering 12.60 lakh hectares of farmland.
Kutch Emerges As Key Natural Farming Hub
Kutch has recorded notable progress under the initiative, with 46 clusters formed across the district.
These clusters cover 5,750 acres and directly benefit 5,750 farmers through training, capacity building and financial support.
The cluster-based approach is intended to help farmers adopt natural farming practices while providing support at the local level.
Gujarat Among Top Five States
According to data from the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Gujarat ranks fifth among the leading states in both farmer enrolment and area covered under natural farming.
Rank | State | Farmers Enrolled | Area Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Andhra Pradesh | 6,55,659 | 4,34,156.56 hectares |
2 | Uttar Pradesh | 2,90,500 | 1,16,200 hectares |
3 | Maharashtra | 2,74,875 | 1,09,950 hectares |
4 | Rajasthan | 2,66,596 | 1,12,865.58 hectares |
5 | Gujarat | 1,51,108 | 61,919.23 hectares |
Andhra Pradesh leads the country with 6,55,659 enrolled farmers and 4,34,156.56 hectares under natural farming.
ICAR Study Examines Crop Productivity
An ongoing multi-location study by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), including a location at S.K. Nagar in Gujarat, has examined natural farming practices involving crop rotations such as cowpea, groundnut, sesame and fennel.
According to the information provided, the study found that these natural farming systems delivered yields and overall system productivity comparable to integrated crop management.
Farmers Report Lower Input Costs
A NITI Aayog assessment cited in the data found that around 91.2 % of farmers adopting natural farming reported improved crop productivity along with better soil health.
Around 90.1 % of farmers also reported significant reductions in input production costs.
The figures underline the growing adoption of natural farming across Gujarat and other states as the Centre expands its efforts to promote chemical-free and sustainable agricultural practices.
