What Is Zero Budget Farming?

Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget Speech 2019 mentioned the term Zero Budget Farming, referring to the practice as going back to roots, she had said the government would be promoting and encouraging the use of ‘zero Budget Farming’. The Concept of Zero Budget Natural farming was introduced by Subhash Palekar, considering the long term ill effects of fertilizers on health. South India is already practising this concept after it started in Karnataka. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare defines, Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) as a chemical-free natural farming system wherein the use of low-cost inputs ( cow dung/ urine and plant extract-based ) coupled with recommended agronomic practices like mulching, intercropping is promoted. Organic farming under Paramparagat Vikas Yojana (PKVY) promotes all kinds of chemical-free farming systems including ZBNF that benefit the soil, environment and human health.

Union Agriculture Minister replying to a question on Zero Budget Natural Farming in Lok Sabha apprised that "Government is promoting Natural Farming through Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) introduced during 2020-21 as a sub-scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming. Under the funds released for Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhthi (BPKP), the state of Chhattisgarh was provided with the highest funding of Rs. 1352 Lakhs followed by Kerala of Rs. 1336 lakhs in the year 2020."

The Food and Agriculture organisations of the United Nations term it an ‘Indian grassroots peasant movement’. The UN Organisation highlights that Zero budget farming promises to end a reliance on loans and drastically cut production costs, ending the debt cycle for desperate farmers. Farmer suicide is closely linked with debt in India. According to NCRB, A total of 5579 farmer suicide cases were reported in 2020 in India.

Replying to a question on the recommendation of an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) expert committee on various aspects of zero budget natural farming in the country, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare replied that ICAR has advised the following:

1. A long-term multi-location study on natural farming in different environments.
2. Integrated production systems encompassing the natural farming and agro-ecological approaches are recommended by the Committee considering the growing population and limitations in terms of natural resources.