‘India on path of becoming global hub of organic farming’: PM Modi bats for pro-climate cropping

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is on the path to becoming the “global hub” of organic farming as he inaugurated the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025 in Coimbatore.

“The youth are increasingly recognising agriculture as a modern and scalable opportunity and this will greatly empower the rural economy,” PM Modi said. At the event, the prime minister also released the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN, amounting to more than Rs 18,000 crore to support nine crore farmers across the country.

PM Modi noted that under the PM-KISAN scheme, the government has already directly transferred Rs 4 lakh crore to the bank accounts of small farmers so far, allowing them to fulfil their agricultural needs.

‘Natural farming must be our goal’

Beginning his address by saying that natural farming was very close to his heart, PM Modi said, “The expansion of natural farming was the need of 21st-century agriculture. In recent years, rising demand has led to a sharp increase in the use of chemicals across farms and various agriculture-related sectors.”

He added, “Excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is reducing soil fertility, affecting soil moisture, and increasing the cost of farming year after year. He emphasised that the solution to this issue lies in crop diversification and natural farming.”

Natural farming is India’s own indigenous idea and it is rooted in the country’s traditions and suited to the environment, he said, adding “our goal must be to make natural farming a fully science-backed movement.” “Natural farming is an indigenous Indian concept—not imported from elsewhere—but born from tradition and aligned with the environment”, he asserted. In the coming years, the PM envisioned major transformations in Indian agriculture.

“India is on the path to becoming a global hub for natural farming”, he asserted and noted that the country’s biodiversity is evolving, and the youth are now viewing agriculture as a modern, scalable opportunity. Such a shift, he said, will greatly strengthen the rural economy.

How have govt policies helped?

During the past 11 years, the entire agricultural sector has undergone a significant change, he said. India’s agricultural exports have nearly doubled, and the government has opened every possible avenue to support farmers in modernising agriculture.

Through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme alone, farmers have received assistance exceeding Rs 10 lakh crore this year. Since the extension of KCC benefits to the livestock and fisheries sectors seven years ago, those engaged in such areas have also been availing its advantages extensively. The reduction in GST on bio-fertilisers has further benefited farmers.

Advocating ‘One Acre, One Season’ of natural farming, PM Modi said organic farming helps tackle climate change challenges and revive soil fertility and enhance the nutritional value of crops. The country must move forward on the path of natural farming and it is both a vision and a necessity and only then can biodiversity be preserved for future generations.

With inputs from PTI