This year also, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about natural, chemical free farming.

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Speaking about the 'Bhartiya Prakritik Kheti Bio-Input Resource Centres' project, Finance Minister in her Budget 2023 speech said, "Over the next 3 years, we will facilitate 1 crore farmers to adopt natural farming. For this, 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres will be set-up, creating a national-level distributed micro-fertilizer and pesticide manufacturing network."

Finance Minister spoke about natural farming in last year's budget as well. Budget 2022 states that, "Chemical free-natural farming to be promoted throughout the country, with a focus on farmers' lands in 5 km wide corridors along river Ganga in the first stage." In this year's budget also, Finance Ministerspoke about the government's plans of promoting natural, chemical free farming.

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Natural farming is promoted by the governemnt under Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP) which falls under centrally sponsored scheme Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). Natural farming agroecology based diversified farming system.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala have adopted Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP).

As per Niti Ayog, "It is roughly estimated that around 2.5 million farmers in India are already practicing regenerative agriculture. In the next 5 years, it is expected to reach 20 lakh hectares-in any form of organic farming, including natural farming, of which 12 lakh hectares are under Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP)."

Further, it said, "Several studies have reported the effectiveness of natural farming, BPKP in terms of increase in production, sustainability, saving of water use, improvement in soil health and farmland ecosystem. It is considered as a cost effective farming practice with scope for raising employment and rural development."

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Experts believe that today's announcement by the Finance Minister will give a boost to government's natural-chemical free farming plans.