Telangana Leads in Natural Farming, Trails in Funds

Hyderabad: Telangana has emerged as the country’s leader in natural farming coverage, but lags in central funding support under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Figures from the Natural Farming Certification System (NFCS) as of February 4 show Telangana registering 4.52 lakh farmers, bringing 5.53 lakh hectares under natural farming, and issuing 1.17 lakh certificates — the highest acreage among all States and Union Territories.

Even states with a long history of organic farming trail Telangana in area coverage: Maharashtra (1.47 lakh ha), Odisha (36,089 ha), Chhattisgarh (23,262 ha), and Bihar (23,482 ha). Telangana’s farmer enrolment accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the national total of 11.86 lakh.

Yet, in certification, Telangana ranks second. Maharashtra has issued 2.20 lakh certificates, nearly double Telangana’s tally, while Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar follow. This suggests that while Telangana has rapidly expanded acreage, its certification process has not kept pace.

Under NMNF, the Centre provides ₹2,100 per hectare for two years towards certification and related support. Telangana received ₹17.96 lakh in 2024–25 and ₹13.23 crore in 2025–26 — well below allocations to Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, each securing between ₹30–50 crore in 2025–26.

In the Telugu states, the contrast is sharper. Andhra Pradesh has enrolled just 13,074 farmers and covered 18,454 ha, but secured ₹11.62 crore in 2025–26—nearly ten times Telangana’s allocation.

Minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Ramnath Thakur, in a written reply, indicated that central focus is now on scaling up certified natural farming, even as Telangana pushes ahead on enrolment and acreage.