5 min readQuick answer: Under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), a farmer in a selected cluster gets ₹4,000 per acre per year for two years, for up to one acre, to shift to chemical-free farming. You join through your gram panchayat's natural farming cluster, via the block agriculture office, ATMA or your village Krishi Sakhi, not by an open online form.
Key Takeaways
- NMNF was approved on 25 November 2024 with ₹2,481 crore (Centre ₹1,584 crore, states ₹897 crore).
- Incentive: ₹4,000 per acre per year for two years, capped at one acre per farmer.
- Targets: 1 crore farmers, 7.5 lakh hectares and 15,000 clusters; by March 2026 over 18 lakh farmers had enrolled.
- Each cluster is about 50 hectares with roughly 125 farmers in a willing gram panchayat.
- Certification is free through the Natural Farming Certification System under PGS-India.
- Bio-input Resource Centres and Krishi Sakhis supply inputs and hands-on training.
What is the National Mission on Natural Farming?
The National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare that helps farmers move to chemical-free farming using on-farm, livestock-based inputs. It was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25 November 2024 as a standalone mission, building on the earlier Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP).
Natural farming means growing crops without synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. Soil fertility and pest control come from cow dung and urine based preparations, mulching, crop diversity and soil biology. It differs from organic farming mainly in that it avoids bought-in bulk inputs like large quantities of compost and relies on low-cost preparations made on the farm.
According to the PIB note on NMNF, the mission has an outlay of ₹2,481 crore, of which ₹1,584 crore is the central share and ₹897 crore the state share, for the 15th Finance Commission period up to 2025-26. The mission was still being rolled out in 2026, with new clusters reported in states such as West Bengal in June 2026.
How much subsidy do farmers get under NMNF?
The direct incentive is ₹4,000 per acre per year for two years, for a maximum of one acre per farmer. So one farmer can receive up to ₹8,000 over two years, paid by DBT to the bank account.
The cash is only part of the support. Most of the mission money goes into training, inputs and market support at cluster level.
| Support component | What it provides | Scale (mission target) |
|---|---|---|
| Farmer incentive | ₹4,000 per acre per year for 2 years, up to 1 acre | Per enrolled farmer |
| Clusters | Group of about 50 ha and 125 farmers in a gram panchayat | 15,000 clusters |
| Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) | Ready-to-use natural farming inputs near the village | 10,000 BRCs |
| Krishi Sakhis / Community Resource Persons | Village-level trainers who guide farmers in the field | 30,000 targeted; over 70,000 trained by March 2025 |
| Model demonstration farms | Working plots at KVKs, agricultural universities and farmer fields | About 2,000 |
| Certification and branding | Free Natural Farming Certification System under PGS-India, common brand | All enrolled farmers |
State governments can add their own incentives on top. Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and others ran natural farming programmes before NMNF and continue with state-specific support, so ask your district agriculture office about extra benefits.
Who is eligible for the natural farming mission?
Any farmer in a gram panchayat selected as an NMNF cluster can join, if willing to follow natural farming on the enrolled land. There is no minimum landholding, and small and marginal farmers are the main focus.
- You should farm in a village or gram panchayat where the state has set up a natural farming cluster.
- You must agree to stop synthetic fertilisers and pesticides on the enrolled plot.
- Preference usually goes to farmers who own or can keep indigenous cattle, or can source dung and urine locally.
- Areas already under natural or organic practice, and farmers near BRCs, are often chosen first.
- You need Aadhaar, a bank account seeded with Aadhaar and land details for DBT.
Groups can take part too. Self-help groups, FPOs and rural entrepreneurs can run Bio-input Resource Centres, and women from SHGs are trained as Krishi Sakhis who earn by training and supporting cluster farmers. For an FPO, this is a way to add a service business around natural inputs while members convert their land.
How to apply for the natural farming mission subsidy
There is no open all-India online application for individual farmers. Enrollment happens through clusters that the state selects, and farmers are registered by the block team on the national portal.
- Visit your block agriculture office, ATMA office or nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ask whether your gram panchayat has an NMNF cluster.
- If a cluster exists, contact the cluster's Krishi Sakhi or Community Resource Person. If not, ask the gram panchayat to propose your village for the next round.
- Attend the cluster training on making Jeevamrit, Beejamrit and botanical sprays.
- Give Aadhaar, bank details, mobile number and land details for registration. The block team enters you on the natural farming portal, which is used for geotagged monitoring.
- Shift the enrolled plot to natural farming and keep a simple record of inputs used.
- Get your farm checked under the Natural Farming Certification System and receive the incentive by DBT after field verification.
Be careful with agents who charge money to register you for natural farming subsidy. Registration is free and done by government staff and Krishi Sakhis.
What inputs are used in natural farming?
Natural farming uses a few low-cost preparations made from desi cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and local plants. Krishi Sakhis and BRCs teach and supply these.
| Input | Main ingredients | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Jeevamrit | Cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, a handful of field soil, water; fermented 2 to 7 days | Soil application with irrigation, commonly 200 L per acre every 15 to 30 days |
| Ghanjeevamrit | Dry form of Jeevamrit made with dung and dried in shade | Basal application at sowing |
| Beejamrit | Cow dung, cow urine, lime, soil and water | Seed and seedling treatment before sowing |
| Neemastra | Neem leaves, cow urine, cow dung | Spray against sucking pests and small caterpillars |
| Brahmastra / Agniastra | Neem and other bitter leaves, chilli, garlic, cow urine | Spray against borers and larger caterpillars |
| Mulching (Achhadan) | Crop residue, dry leaves, cover crops | Retains moisture and feeds soil life |
Quantities differ by state training manual, so follow what your Krishi Sakhi demonstrates. During the transition, some farmers also use certified microbial inputs where their state programme permits, such as a compost decomposer culture to turn crop residue into manure faster instead of burning it. Check with your cluster team whether a bought product is allowed under your certification before using it.
How is natural farming certified?
Natural farming produce is certified through the Natural Farming Certification System, run under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India) by the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF). It is free for farmers in the mission.
PGS works through peer groups: farmers in the same cluster inspect each other's fields, record practices and the regional council approves certification. By early 2026, close to 12 lakh farmers were registered for certification and about 4.7 lakh certificates had been issued, as reported by Neo Science Hub in September 2026.
Certification is useful for selling at a premium in local farmers' markets, APMC mandis with natural produce counters and online platforms. It does not replace lab testing if you sell to exporters, who may ask for residue reports.
How is NMNF progressing?
Enrollment has grown fast but is still below target. Over 10 lakh farmers had enrolled by July 2025, and more than 18 lakh farmers across about 18,000 clusters and 8.8 lakh hectares by March 2026.
- Bio-input Resource Centres: 7,934 identified and 2,045 established as per the PIB note of July 2025, against a target of 10,000.
- Krishi Sakhis trained: 70,021 as of 28 March 2025.
- Training institutions engaged: 806, including KVKs and agricultural universities.
- West Bengal example: 346 clusters covering 17,300 hectares and 43,250 farmers, reported in June 2026.
The area target of 7.5 lakh hectares appears to have been crossed, while the farmer target of 1 crore is still some way off. This means more clusters are likely to open, and villages that ask early have a better chance of being selected.
Does natural farming reduce yield?
Yield often dips in the first one to three seasons on land that has used heavy chemical inputs, then recovers as soil biology improves. The size of the dip depends on crop, soil and how well inputs are prepared and applied.
This is exactly why the mission pays an incentive for two years and limits it to one acre: it lets you test natural farming on part of your land without risking the whole farm. Start with a crop you know well, such as pulses, millets or vegetables for home and local sale, before converting wheat or paddy.
Soil microbes do much of the work in natural farming. Farmers who cannot make fresh Jeevamrit every fortnight sometimes support it with microbial products such as a liquid bio-NPK consortia for nutrient cycling, a Trichoderma harzianum biofungicide against soil-borne diseases, or a Beauveria bassiana biopesticide for caterpillars and sucking pests. Confirm with your cluster whether these are accepted under your certification, and follow the product label and local agriculture officer advice.
What to do next
Visit your block agriculture office or KVK this month and ask one question: is my gram panchayat an NMNF cluster, and if not, how do we get proposed? Rabi is a good season to start on a small plot, especially with gram, lentil or mustard.
FPOs and input dealers can play a role too, by setting up or partnering with a Bio-input Resource Centre and supplying consistent quality inputs to cluster farmers. Katyayani Organics supplies microbial inputs in bulk to FPOs and dealers who want to support natural farming clusters.
Why trust this guide
Written by Team Katyayani, Editorial Team at Katyayani Organics. Cross-checked against published research and university extension programs.
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