Agriculture Ministers from 22 states have not only endorsed natural farming at the policy level but have also personally adopted and experimented with it on their own farms, the Centre announced on Saturday, 30 May. The declaration came at the close of the two-day National Kharif Conference held at the PUSA campus, New Delhi, which brought state agriculture ministers together on a single platform to chart a coordinated roadmap for the sector.

Key Developments at the Kharif Conference

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan set the tone by stressing that protecting farmland goes beyond preserving agricultural acreage — it is, he argued, about safeguarding the environment, national food security, and the well-being of future generations. He called on state governments to simplify administrative procedures and strip away unnecessary bureaucratic layers so that farmers can access government schemes more effectively.

A notable emphasis emerged around balanced fertiliser use. Chouhan clarified that the government's goal is not to ban chemical fertilisers outright, but to promote their scientific, balanced, and judicious application. He called for a nationwide awareness movement backed by an institutional campaign to shift farmer behaviour gradually rather than abruptly.

Natural Farming Takes Centre Stage

The active participation of ministers from 22 states — many of whom have trialled natural farming on their own holdings — signals a shift from symbolic policy support to hands-on state-level commitment. Proponents argue that reducing chemical dependency lowers input costs for farmers while improving long-term soil health. The conference positioned natural farming as a pillar of the next phase of agricultural growth, not merely an alternative practice.

Chouhan also called for the establishment of coordinated implementation mechanisms, dedicated monitoring systems, and control rooms to ensure that the natural farming push translates into measurable on-ground outcomes rather than remaining an aspirational appeal.

Broader Agenda: Pulses, Oilseeds, and 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan'

Beyond natural farming, the conference charted a common roadmap on Kharif preparedness, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds, prudent management of input costs, and the proposed 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' campaign. Officials indicated that Kharif planning will no longer be confined to seasonal readiness alone; it will be embedded within a longer-term agenda linking soil health, productivity, and nutrition security.

This marks a structural shift in how the Centre frames agricultural policy — moving from production targets to a broader national responsibility that encompasses environmental sustainability and farmer prosperity.

What This Means for Farmers

For the farming community, the twin signals — simplified access to schemes and a phased transition toward balanced inputs — could reduce the financial burden of high-cost chemical inputs over time. Critics of past agricultural transitions, however, have cautioned that without adequate training infrastructure and assured market linkages for naturally farmed produce, state-level enthusiasm may not translate into farmer-level adoption at scale.

With guidelines and control-room mechanisms expected to follow, the next few months will test whether the political consensus forged at PUSA can be converted into verifiable change in India's fields.