Organic & Natural Farming

PKVY supports organic farming through a cluster approach: groups of farmers in adjoining fields convert together, which is necessary because a single organic plot surrounded by sprayed fields is difficult to certify. Assistance covers the conversion period, organic inputs, and Participatory Guarantee System certification — a peer-verification model that costs far less than third-party certification. The scheme also supports packing, branding and marketing, since the economic case for organic farming depends entirely on actually getting a premium price, not merely on growing the crop differently.

Natural farming replaces purchased chemical inputs with preparations made on the farm from cattle dung and urine, along with mulching and mixed cropping. The mission promotes it through cluster formation, farmer training, and a network of model demonstration farms so that farmers can see the method before adopting it. The honest framing is that the main and most reliable benefit is a sharp fall in input cost rather than a guaranteed increase in yield, and that yields commonly dip during the transition years — which is exactly why the scheme funds hand-holding through that period.