What is Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)?
- It is a type of natural farming on a small budget and is a chemical-free agricultural approach based on ancient Indian traditions.
- Subhash Palekar, an agriculturist, pioneered it in the early 1990s as a substitute for the Green Revolution’s practises, which rely on chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and heavy irrigation.
- It is a one-of-a-kind approach based on agroecology.
- It aspires to reduce production costs to near zero and return farms to pre-green revolution levels.
- It says costly inputs such as fertilisers, herbicides, and heavy irrigation are unnecessary.
ZBNF is built on four pillars:
Jeevamrutha
- Generally, it is a farming fertiliser made from fresh cow dung, pulse flour, old cow urine (from India’s indigenous cow breed), water, molasses, and soil.
Bijamrita
- The mixture comprises green chillies, neem leaves, pulp, and tobacco, which can be used for pest and parasite management.
Acchadana (Mulching)
- It preserves topsoil during farming and prevents tilling from destroying it.
Whapasa
- It is the state in which the soil contains both air molecules and water molecules. As a result, water requirements are reduced.
Advantages of ZBNF:
- The growing expense of external inputs (fertilisers and pesticides) is the primary cause of agricultural poverty and suicide.
- According to NSSO data, about 70% of farm households invest in input more than they make, and much more than 50% of all farmers are in debt.
- Because it is necessary to spend money or take out loans for external inputs in ZBNF, the cost of production might be lowered, and farming could become a “zero budget” exercise.
- This would stop the debt spiral for several small farmers and contribute to the goal of doubling farmer income by 2022.
- ZBNF is an ecologically friendly farming system that is undoubtedly a relevant attempt at a time when chemical-intensive agricultural practices are causing soil and environmental deterioration.
- With the ZBNF approach, limited watering, intercropping, soil aeration, bunds, and topsoil mulching are encouraged, while heavy irrigation and deep plowing are discouraged.
- It is suitable for all varieties of crops across all agro-climatic areas of the nation.
- Considering the benefits of ZBNF, Andhra Pradesh announced in June 2018 its goal to become the first state in India to adopt 100% organic farming by 2024.
Concerns Regarding ZBNF:
- Sikkim is India’s first organic state; however, agricultural yields have declined dramatically after switching to organic agriculture.
- Many farmers have resorted to traditional farming after noticing their ZBNF revenues drop after a few years.
- While ZBNF has undoubtedly helped to protect soil fertility, its impact on increasing production and farmer income has yet to be shown.
- The ZBNF aims to promote the requirements for an Indian breed cow in short supply.
- The country’s aggregate population of indigenous and nondescript livestock has declined by 8.1%, as reported by the Livestock Census.
Final Thoughts
- Several fundamental marketing challenges must be addressed before ZBNF can achieve its lofty goal. As an example:
- Infrastructure for agricultural markets is being strengthened.
- Extending the purchase system to all states for all foodgrain and non-foodgrain crops.
- Implementation of a price-deficit payment scheme for some crops.
- Determining minimum support prices (MSP) by agricultural costs.
- Getting rid of the minimum export price for agricultural goods.
- MGNREGS must also be linked with agricultural work to lower the cost of cultivation, which has been steadily increasing in recent years.
