“Zero Budget Farming”

- A sustainable farming approach?

- Poornima Gade

Agriculture has been the mainstay of the Indian economy for centuries. About 70% of rural households depend primarily on agriculture, and nearly 86% of India’s farmers are categorized as “small and marginal”. Input cost in the form of seed and chemical fertilizers are one of the biggest expenses for a farmer. Modern farming techniques focused on high input cost as a precursor to high output, have adverse effects on the environmental and financial health of the farmers. Alternative low-input farming practices are being recommended for use in pockets across the world with the promise of reduced input costs, higher yields for farmers, improved soil fertility and chemical free food for consumers. Zero Budget Farming (ZBF) is one such low-input farming method that encourages farmers to use low-cost locally-sourced inputs, eliminating the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.

The finance minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on Jul 5, 2019 announced a proposal of zero budget farming, which she said is like “going back to basics” and could be a solution to tackle the ongoing agrarian distress. Sitharaman said zero budget farming will help reduce farmers’ cost of production and double their income. However, the response to this suggestion has been a mixed bag with experts being wary about the efficacy of ZBF and farmers welcoming it while acknowledging the challenges involved in it. The government has sought the advice of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in this regard.