The Indian government has repeatedly emphasised its commitment to organic and natural farming. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of “hand-holding farmers to shift to organic farming for a brighter future” in his 2024 Independence Day speech. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also highlighted these initiatives in recent Budgets. However, an investigation using Right to Information (RTI) requests reveals a significant gap between these pronouncements and on-the-ground implementation.
A national online marketplace for organic products, ‘Jaivikkheti.in’, launched in 2018, was meant to connect farmers directly with buyers. The Finance Minister mentioned strengthening this portal in her 2020 Budget speech. Yet, an RTI response dated October 14, 2025, showed that the portal, developed by MSTC, is no longer functional as its contract has expired. Crucial data regarding the number of orders, transaction values, and farmer beneficiaries was not provided.
Further promises made in the 2023 Budget, such as the PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) and the establishment of 10,000 bio-input resource centres, also appear to be lagging.
The PM-PRANAM scheme, approved in June 2023, aims to reduce chemical fertiliser use by incentivising states. Fifty percent of the fertiliser subsidy saved by states would be given to them as grants. However, a Department of Fertilizers RTI reply on October 16, 2025, confirmed that despite 14 states reducing fertiliser consumption, no funds have been disbursed. The mechanism for calculating grants is still not finalised. Information regarding awards for top-performing states was also unavailable.
This lack of support for organic farming is compounded by issues in the supply of organic fertilisers. Data presented in the Rajya Sabha on March 28, 2025, indicated a sharp decline in organic fertiliser production from over 4.49 crore metric tonnes in 2021-22 to just over 37 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23. Although production recovered to over 1.26 crore metric tonnes in 2023-24, it remains significantly below 2021-22 levels. Alarmingly, states like Telangana, Goa, and Delhi, along with seven others, reported zero metric tonnes of organic fertiliser production in 2023-24.
The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), another scheme to promote organic farming, offers financial assistance to farmers. However, government data shows minimal increase in the area covered under PKVY over several years. For instance, the area in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh has remained stagnant for five years.
Similarly, the initiative to promote chemical-free natural farming along 5-km wide corridors of the Ganga river, announced in the 2022-23 Budget, lacks clear progress data. While an annual action plan approved 1.48 lakh hectares along the Ganga, the actual extent of natural farming within this area is not documented. An RTI request seeking this information was transferred, with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stating data could only be obtained from states, raising concerns about central accountability.
The plan to set up 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres to help 1 crore farmers adopt natural farming has also seen limited success. An RTI reply on October 7, 2025, revealed that only 2,200 centres have been established. Furthermore, data on the number of farmers who have benefited is not maintained centrally, making it difficult to verify the government’s claims.
Even the GOBARdhan scheme, aimed at promoting a circular economy through ‘waste to wealth’ plants, has unclear implementation status. RTI applications to access progress information were met with a lack of response from relevant departments.
While natural farming offers a vital solution to soil degradation and declining productivity caused by chemical fertilisers, its success hinges on robust farmer support. This includes accessible organic inputs, financial aid, proper storage, strong value chains, and guaranteed minimum support prices. Without these essential components, the vision of widespread natural farming risks remaining an unrealised promise for India’s farmers.