Naidu Targets 25 Lakh Farmers For Natural Farming

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for expanding natural farming across Andhra Pradesh, setting a target of encouraging 25 lakh farmers to be brought under the system. He underlined that the move could reduce input costs, improve incomes, and help crops withstand drought conditions.

Addressing farmers, community resource persons, and agriculture department officials through a teleconference, the CM said the initiative, which began with 40,000 farmers in 2016, had grown to cover 17.73 lakh farmers.

Naidu asserted that Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a national leader in natural farming, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently acknowledging the state’s progress compared with Gujarat. He pointed out that chemical fertilisers deplete soil fertility and increase cultivation costs, placing a financial burden on farmers. Natural farming, in comparison, had helped increase farmers’ incomes by 47 per cent. He pointed out that cotton cultivation has yielded a net income advantage of 96 per cent and red gram 87 per cent under the system.

The Chief Minister said natural farming could sustain crop yields even during severe droughts and help farmers protect crops with limited rainfall. He suggested increasing green cover, saying this would help retain soil moisture and reduce the impact of rising temperatures and El Niño conditions. The system would also provide farmers with income-generating opportunities throughout the year, including fodder and other agricultural products.

Naidu said Andhra Pradesh had reduced chemical fertiliser consumption by six per cent compared with the years preceding 2023–24, with a further reduction of 2.28 per cent over the previous year. The government had written to the Centre seeking incentives of ₹218 crore for reducing fertiliser use, he stated.

The CM underlined that despite adverse conditions, AP has continued to expand natural farming, focusing on horticulture in Rayalaseema and poultry in other regions. Recent rains, he said, had reduced the rainfall deficit to 34 per cent.

Naidu said to mitigate drought, 10 lakh farm ponds have been dug in Anantapur district, while check dams and trenches have been constructed and local water-resource basins interconnected. River-linking projects could help overcome water shortages even if rainfall fails for an entire year, he remarked.

The Chief Minister appreciated farmers and officials for their efforts in making Andhra Pradesh a model for natural farming. The state would showcase its natural farming practices at the Saras Mela on October 15, he emphasised.

Naidu proposed construction of more Gokulams to house indigenous cows, whose resources are used to prepare traditional formulations, such as kashayam and jeevamrutham, used in natural farming.