Param Paragat Krishi Vikas Yojana

“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” ― Gustav Mahler

Organic farming has been prevalent in India’s agricultural sphere ever since the 20th century. It is a method of farming wherein the land is cultivated and raised in a manner that nourishes the soil through the use of organic wastes and other biological materials. This system of farming paves the way for an eco-friendly environment in which pollution is curtailed. Param Paragat Krishi Vikas Yojana was initiated in the year of 2015 for the purpose of supporting and promoting organic farming to improve the health of the soil. The scheme strives to persuade the farmers to adopt eco-friendly concept of cultivation and reduce the usage of fertilizers, pesticides, etc., to improve yields. Know more about organic farm certification.

Objectives

The scheme seeks to promote the production of agricultural products without the usage of chemicals and pesticide residues, or in other words, through organic farming. The following are its areas of focus:

Promote organic farming among rural youth, farmers, consumers and traders.
Propagate the latest technologies in farming.
Avail the assistance of experts from India’s public agricultural research system.
Conduct at-least one cluster demonstration in a village.

Features

The following are the salient features of the initiative:

The scheme is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM). The latter is a part of National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
Organic farming will be promoted by adopting the "Village by cluster approach" and "Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification".
More organic farming products can be found in the market.
Farmers will not be incurred with liabilities for expenditure on certification.
Farmers will be accorded with a sum of Rs.20,000 for a period of three years to assist them in the harvesting of crops.
Financial assistance up to Rs. ten lakhs is provided to farmers and Rs 4.95 lakhs will be granted for mobilization and PGS Certification with a subsidy ceiling of one hectare per farmer.
A minimum of 30% of the budget will be allocated for women beneficiaries and farmers.

Mode of Operation

The scheme is implemented in a time-frame of three years by way of a cluster approach. Under the initiative, 50 or more farmers form a cluster having 50 acres of land to pursue organic farming. Every farmer will be accorded with a sum of Rs.20,000 per acre, so as to facilitate them in the harvesting of crops.

Activities to be Pursued

The following activities will be pursued under the scheme:

Adoption of Participatory Guarantee System (PSG) Certification.
Manure management and biological nitrogen harvesting.

The former approach intends to mobilize the farmers or local people to form clusters and ensure quality control. The latter approach will be used to convert a non-organic land into an organic one, integrate manure management, as well as packing, labeling and branding of produce.

Financial Assistance

A sum of Rs 14.94 lakh is allocated per cluster for mobilization, adoption of PGS certification and manure management. Farmers will be provided with an amount of Rs. ten lakhs per cluster of 50 acres or 20 acres for activities related to manure management and biological nitrogen harvesting. Besides, a sum of Rs.4.95 lakhs per cluster will be accorded to Implementing Agencies (IAs) for mobilization and adoption of PGS Certification and Quality Control.