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The ‘National Mission on Natural Farming’ got a major boost in Union Budget 2025-26 as its allocation increased by Rs 516 crore — from Rs 100 crore in 2024-25 Revised Estimates (RE) to Rs 616.01 crore in Budget 2025-26.
On November 25, 2024, the Union government had launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to promote natural farming in a mission mode and reduce farmers’ dependence on chemical inputs across the country.
The NMNF was launched as a standalone, centrally sponsored scheme under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), with an outlay of Rs 2,481 crore (Rs 1,584 crore from the Union government and Rs 897 crore from the states) for a period of three years.
It seeks to introduce natural farming on 0.75 million hectares (ha), benefiting 10 million farmers, with an aim to promoting chemical free farming.
Other schemes that saw an increase in their allocation, apart from the new missions announced, included two centrally sponsored schemes — Krishionnati Yojana, aimed at increasing the income of farmers by enhancing production, productivity and better returns on produce, which saw an increase of 12 per cent and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) which focuses on pre- and post-harvest infrastructure, including promotion of agri-entrepreneurship, innovations & value addition, saw an increase of 41 per cent.
Namo Drone Didi scheme, that aims to provide drones to 15,000 selected Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) between 2024-25 and 2025-2026 for providing rental services to farmers for agriculture purpose (application of liquid fertilisers and pesticides) saw its allocation increase to Rs 676.85 crore from 2024-25 revised estimates of Rs 250 crore.
In 2024, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had called upon agricultural scientists to close the “lab to land” gap, stressing the need for practical application of research innovations to benefit farmers directly.
However, the DA&FW, under the MoA&FW saw a marginal increase of 3 per cent in its allocation.
What was more concerning is the allocation cut to ‘Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendras’ (KVKs), which are grass root level institutions that reach out to the farmers and demonstrate and disseminate front-line agricultural technologies and undertake training of farmers and other crucial extension activities.
The budget allocation for strengthening of KVKs was Rs 204.23 crore, compared to Rs 234.89 crore RE of FY24-25.
Meanwhile, the central sector scheme of Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security, which focuses on developing trait specific high yielding field crop varieties/hybrids, having tolerance to pest and diseases and bio-fortification, besides various abiotic stresses, was allocated Rs 965.46 crore, against the 2024-25 revised estimates of Rs 930.22 crore.