How to double farmers’ income? Adopt 'zero budget natural farming', suggests NITI Aayog

According to NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar zero budget natural farming is one of the most potent methods to double the farmers' income by 2022.

New Delhi, July 10: At a time when the nation is facing farm crisis and rise in suicide of farmers, the NITI Aayog or National Institution for Transforming India--a policy think tank of the Government of India--has come up with a solution.

According to NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar zero budget natural farming is one of the most potent methods to double the farmers' income by 2022. He stated this at a meeting in the national capital on Monday.

"A paradigm shift is needed in Indian agriculture because if you want to double farmers' income. You have to not only look after the prices, but it is much more important to reduce the cost of agriculture. Zero budget natural farming is one of the most potent methods of achieving it," Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

A paradigm shift is needed in Indian agriculture because if you want to double farmers' income, you've to not only look after the prices,but much more importantly reduce cost of agriculture. Zero budget natural farming is one of the most potent method of achieving it:Rajiv Kumar pic.twitter.com/mlGQkvU97a

— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2018

The vice chairman of NITI Aayog added that already five lakh farmers from different states are working on zero budget natural farming and it has greatly impacted their crop production and income.

"Not only does zero budget natural farming has the potential for India, but also has a global appeal and global potential," he stated.

There are already about 5 lakh farmers now working on zero budget natural farming in different states. Not only does this have a potential for India, but also has a global appeal & global potential: NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar pic.twitter.com/VBmLU6DfJN

— ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2018

Further explaining about zero budget natural farming, Kumar said that neither fertilizer nor pesticide is used; rather only 10 percent of water is used for irrigation, as compared to the traditional farming technique.

A scientist said that once zero budget natural farming becomes popular among the farmers it would have a huge impact on agriculture for the betterment of the farming community.