HP government launches Zero Budget Natural Farming project to promote organic farming

Jai Ram Thakur, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, has launched Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) project to promote organic farming. The purpose of the project is to increase agriculture produce and the income of farmers by the year 2022. The ZBNF is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any other foreign elements. The word “Zero Budget” refers to the zero net cost of production of all crops (inter crops, border crops, multi crops). The inputs used for seed treatments and other inoculations are locally available in the form of cowdung and cow urine. A ZBNF practicisng farmer has lower cost of inputs and thus has better capacity to increase the incomes. At the same time, ZBNF crops helps in retaining soil fertiliting and is climate change resilient.