New Delhi: The government is promoting sustainable agriculture through schemes focusing on balanced nutrient management, efficient water use, conservation farming, agroforestry, natural and organic farming, and climate-resilient technologies, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Under the Soil Health and Fertility Scheme, 26.18 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated. The Per Drop More Crop scheme has brought 114.60 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation, benefiting around 100 lakh farmers.
Organic farming initiatives under PKVY and MOVCDNER have covered 21.29 lakh hectares and benefited more than 36 lakh farmers. The National Mission on Natural Farming, approved in November 2024, has covered 11.81 lakh hectares across 24,031 clusters, benefiting 24.69 lakh farmers.
The government is also promoting agroforestry, crop diversification and water conservation through various schemes, including PMKSY. Under the agroforestry programme, 826 nurseries have been established and around 1,062.18 lakh saplings raised over the past three years.
According to NITI Aayog evaluations, 90.1% of farmers under the Natural Farming Mission reported lower input costs, while 75.85% of farmers practising organic farming reported improvements in soil fertility, chemical input costs or produce quality.
The Central Ground Water Board’s pre-monsoon 2026 assessment found that 87.8% of 9,085 monitoring wells were in the normal category, indicating a largely stable groundwater situation.
Despite biotic and abiotic challenges, agricultural production has continued to grow. Foodgrain production increased from 252.03 million tonnes in 2014-15 to a record 357.73 million tonnes in 2024-25, while horticulture production rose from 280.98 million tonnes to 370.73 million tonnes during the same period.
