The Union Cabinet approved the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) on 25 November 2024 as a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at scaling chemical-free agriculture. NMNF ties natural farming to soil health improvement, ecosystem restoration, reduced input costs and climate resilience, supported by extension and training infrastructure at the cluster level. The government also shared state/UT-wise coverage indicators for 2024–25 and 2025–26 through a Rajya Sabha written reply.
What happened (Cabinet approval and coverage reporting)
The Union Cabinet approved NMNF on 25 November 2024. A Rajya Sabha written reply by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Ramnath Thakur, provided implementation and coverage details for NMNF for 2024–25 and 2025–26, including clusters formed, farmers enrolled and land area under NMNF.
Background and earlier position (premise and delivery model for natural farming)
Natural farming under NMNF is framed around ecosystem interdependence: soil, water, microbiome, plants, animals, climate and human requirements. The mission’s delivery model is built to work at the cluster level using institutions that can train stakeholders and provide on-ground handholding.
What changed now (formal centrally sponsored framework and reported scale)
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