New Delhi: More than 18 lakh farmers across India have adopted natural farming as the country steps up its transition towards regenerative agriculture, with farmers increasingly embracing practices such as natural farming, agroforestry, micro-irrigation, integrated farming systems and scientific soil management, according to a factsheet released on Sunday.
Government support has accelerated the transition, which aims to restore soil health, strengthen ecosystem functions and improve resilience to climate variability while supporting long-term environmental balance and farm prosperity.
As of March 2026, natural farming clusters covered 8.80 lakh hectares and enrolled 18.19 lakh farmers. About 109 lakh hectares have been brought under the Per Drop More Crop scheme, while 25.89 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated since the scheme's inception.
India's agriculture and allied sectors have also recorded sustained growth. During FY16-FY25, the sector registered decadal growth of 4.45 per cent, the highest recorded in previous decades.
However, years of intensive cultivation, heavy use of chemicals and erratic rainfall have left many soils depleted and less responsive. Yields that once required fewer inputs now demand higher investments, while heatwaves, dry spells and excessive rainfall can wipe out months of farm labour.
For millions of small and marginal farmers, declining soil health often means higher costs and uncertain harvests. Against this backdrop, the sustainability of farming has emerged as an increasingly important concern, with regenerative agriculture expected to play a key role, the official statement said.
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach centred on restoring soil health and enhancing biodiversity while ensuring long-term productivity and resilience in farming systems.
Healthy soils support greater food and nutritional output, store more carbon and promote biodiversity. Unlike sustainable farming, which primarily seeks to maintain existing conditions, regenerative agriculture aims to improve them by actively rebuilding soil health, enhancing biodiversity and strengthening ecosystem resilience.
The approach is based on principles such as minimising soil disturbance, protecting the living roots of perennial crops, maintaining soil cover, integrating livestock, limiting chemical inputs and enhancing biodiversity.
Regenerative agriculture draws on a wide range of farming practices already being adopted in India. While the spectrum of regenerative approaches is much broader, some prominent practices can be broadly classified into the following categories.
Micro-irrigation: Systems such as drippers, sprinklers and foggers deliver water directly to plant roots, reducing water wastage and improving water-use efficiency. By optimising farm-level water management, these systems improve crop productivity and strengthen resilience to drought and water stress, making farming systems more climate-resilient and economically viable.
Farm mechanisation: The use of agricultural machinery and equipment helps streamline and automate various farm operations. It optimises the use of key inputs such as water, fuel and fertilisers, reducing wastage and lowering the carbon footprint. Timely and precise farm operations improve resource management, enhance productivity and reduce the environmental impact of farming.
Nitrogen fertiliser management: This approach aims to reduce nitrous oxide emissions while improving crop productivity by selecting appropriate fertilisers and optimising the timing and dosage of their application. Other measures include deep placement of supergranular urea and the use of leaf colour charts to assess nitrogen requirements precisely. It also promotes biological inputs such as cyanobacteria and legume intercropping, improving nitrogen-use efficiency and minimising environmental losses.
Natural farming: Natural farming is a chemical-free agricultural approach rooted in India's traditional knowledge systems. It relies on on-farm biological inputs such as Beejamrut, Jeevamrut, GhanJeevamrut, Neemastra and Dashparni, prepared using inputs from native livestock.
The approach also promotes traditional seed varieties and the integration of trees along farm boundaries. Pest management is carried out through locally prepared, on-farm botanical formulations, the statement added.
With IANS inputs