Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set a target of bringing 25 lakh farmers under natural farming, expanding a state programme that the government says has already reached 17.73 lakh farmers and helped reduce cultivation costs and improve incomes.
Naidu announced the target during a teleconference with farmers, community resource persons and Agriculture Department officials. He said the initiative, which began with 40,000 farmers in 2016, had expanded significantly and positioned Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in natural farming.
According to the Chief Minister, natural farming had increased farmers’ incomes by 47 per cent. He cited a 96 per cent net income advantage in cotton cultivation and an 87 per cent advantage in red gram under the system. The figures were presented as evidence that reducing dependence on chemical inputs could improve farm-level returns.
Naidu said chemical fertilisers were depleting soil fertility and increasing cultivation costs, placing an additional financial burden on farmers. He also argued that natural farming could help maintain crop yields during severe droughts and periods of limited rainfall. The programme includes the use of traditional formulations such as jeevamrutham and kashayam, prepared from resources associated with indigenous cows.
The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh had reduced chemical fertiliser consumption by six per cent compared with the years preceding 2023–24, followed by a further reduction of 2.28 per cent over the previous year. The state government has written to the Centre seeking incentives worth ₹218 crore for reducing fertiliser use, he said.
The announcement links the expansion of natural farming to a wider set of rural water and climate-resilience measures. Naidu called for increased green cover to retain soil moisture and reduce the effects of rising temperatures and El Niño conditions. He also said natural farming could create income-generating opportunities throughout the year through fodder and other agricultural products.
The government’s regional approach includes a focus on horticulture in Rayalaseema and poultry in other parts of the state. Naidu said recent rains had reduced Andhra Pradesh’s rainfall deficit to 34 per cent. In Anantapur district, he cited the digging of 10 lakh farm ponds, along with the construction of check dams and trenches and the interconnection of local water-resource basins.
He also referred to river-linking projects as a way to address water shortages if rainfall fails for an entire year. The statement did not provide a timeline for completing the 25-lakh farmer target or details of the additional funding and administrative capacity required for the expansion.
Naidu said the state would showcase its natural farming practices at the Saras Mela on October 15. He also proposed constructing more Gokulams, facilities for housing indigenous cows whose resources are used in traditional natural-farming preparations.
