Haryana to set up natural farming committees in every district: CM Saini
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday, 8 July announced the formation of 'Prakriti Shri Anna Prerak Kisan Committees' in every district of the state, marking a significant push to mainstream natural farming among Haryana's agricultural community. The announcement was made at the 'Prakritik Kheti Samvad' organised by the Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Department in Panchkula.
What the Committees Will Do
According to Chief Minister Saini, the primary mandate of these district-level committees will be to reach out directly to farmers, visit their fields, and act as a bridge between cultivators and the state government. 'Their primary responsibility will be to reach out to farmers, visit their farms and coordinate with the government to connect them with natural farming. They will in fact serve as ambassadors of natural farming,' he said.
The committees are envisioned as grassroots-level units that translate policy intent into farm-level action — a model that moves beyond seminar-room advocacy into direct field engagement.
Key Directives Issued at the Event
During the programme, Chief Minister Saini interacted with farmers and assured them that suggestions received from them would be implemented at the earliest. He also directed officers of the Agriculture Department to release pending subsidies to farmers practising natural farming who have applied for assistance to purchase cows — a critical input under natural farming methods that rely on cow-based preparations.
He further directed that similar natural farming dialogue programmes be organised every month, institutionalising the outreach rather than treating it as a one-off event. Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, widely regarded as a leading proponent of natural farming in India, is also set to be invited to major seminars so that farmers can benefit from his experience.
The Broader Vision: Ecology, Economy, and Culture
Chief Minister Saini framed natural farming not as a technical shift but as a civilisational one. 'Natural farming is not merely a method of cultivation but a campaign to restore the bond among farmers, nature and society that has weakened over time,' he said. He described it as 'a means of serving Mother Earth, reducing the cost of cultivation, conserving water and soil, and securing a safe future for coming generations.'
He also invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stated vision, saying the Centre views natural farming as 'the need of the 21st century' — not just an agrarian technique but a movement to protect the environment and build a prosperous future for India. This aligns with the broader national push under the Viksit Bharat framework, which increasingly links sustainable agriculture with long-term economic resilience.
Context and What Comes Next
Haryana's move comes amid growing national momentum around natural and zero-budget farming, which has gained policy traction since the Centre began promoting it as an alternative to chemical-intensive agriculture. The state's decision to institutionalise outreach through district committees — rather than relying solely on departmental extension workers — signals a more decentralised approach to agricultural transformation.
With monthly dialogue programmes now mandated and subsidy releases directed, the administration's next test will be the speed and scale of actual farmer enrolment. How many of Haryana's districts operationalise their committees — and how quickly — will determine whether this initiative moves from announcement to measurable ground-level impact.