Organic farming is being promoted through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs except North Eastern States and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) for the North Eastern States. Both schemes stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification and marketing. Primary focus of the schemes is to form organic clusters, with preference to small and marginal farmers, to create a supply chain.  Both schemes are   also promoting natural resource based integrated and climate resilient sustainable farming systems, natural resource conservation and on-farm nutrient recycling. Both the schemes are implemented through States /UT Governments.

Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha in 3 years is provided for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on- farm /off –farm organic inputs including organic compost.

Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha in 3 years is provided for creation of Farmers Producer Organizations, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32,500/ ha is provided to farmers for off -farm /on –farm organic inputs such as  bio-fertilizers, vermicompost, and organic pesticides including Rs. 15,000 as Direct Benefit Transfer to the farmers. Farmers can avail assistance for maximum 2 ha area under both the schemes.

Yield index based Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) and weather index based Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) introduced in the country from Kharif 2016 season, is available for all States/UTs and is voluntary for the States as well as farmers. States/UTs are free to subscribe under the scheme keeping in view their risk perception and financial considerations etc. The PMFBY is designed to cover those crops where past yield data of requisite number of years based on Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs), is available and the State Government has the capacity to conduct requisite number of CCEs to assess the yield of the crop to calculate claims.

For the crops not meeting the aforesaid conditions, the concerned State Government is free to notify them for coverage under Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) under which claims payment are structured on the basis of weather index parameters.

Under PKVY, financial assistance of Rs. 4,500/ha for 3 years is provided for marketing, packaging, branding, value addition etc. Rs. 3,000/ha in 3 years is provided for certification and residue analysis. Assistance is also provided @Rs. 9,000/ha in 3 years for training, awareness & capacity building. Under MOVCDNER, financial assistance of Rs 4000 per ha in 3 years is provided for value chain marketing at state level, financial assistance of Rs 10000 per ha in 3 years is provided for activities of ICS management, training and certification.

To ensure market linkage States organize seminars, workshops, buyer-seller meetings, exhibitions and organic festivals either within their own region or in key markets of other states. Additionally, Farmer Producer Organisations have been onboarded on GeM platform and Open Network for Digital Commerce for digital market linkage and e-commerce.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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RC/KSR/AR

(Release ID: 2146939)