The national centre of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF) in Ghaziabad is not only lightened by the morning sun, it is sprinkled by a silent shift of the Indian landscape. The extent of the success of a harvest was determined by the nature of the chemical inputs in decades. Nowadays, the discourse has changed.
At a regional seminar in late February, 2026, Dr. Gagnesh Sharma, Director of NCONF, expressed a vision that is more about rebuilding the spirit of the land than the national food security. Our purpose is not complicated or complex, he said, gazing out his window at a crowd of farmers who had come out across the northern plains. We are shifting towards a system of extracting out of the earth, to one of nurturing it. Going green in regard to the chemicals is not a policy but a restoration by Mother Earth.
The Turn to “Prakritik Kheti”: Why?
The NCONF mission is on a timeline that is fuelled by a sobering fact. Over the years, this overuse of urea and synthetic pesticides has resulted in the phenomenon of soil fatigue with each successive year in which the land needs more chemicals to produce the same amount of output.
The government has stepped up its efforts to convert millions of hectares under chemical-free zones under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). By February 2026, it is possible to measure the progress:
- Registered Farmers: There are registered natural farmers to the tune of 17.45 lakh.
- Land coverage: The hectares now in active transition or certified natural cultivation are almost 8.57 lakh.
- Investment: This fund allocation of 2025-26 has increased to 616 crore, which is a reflection of such an enormous scaling up of the mission.
This is enabled by PM-PRANAM scheme (Promotion of Alternate Nutrients to Agriculture Management). It is a rare-win-win policy: the government will save on huge subsidies on chemical fertilizers and half of the savings will be handed back to the states in the form of grants to construct infrastructure to organic and nano-fertilizers.
Making the Transition Human: The Faces of Change
The NCONF sustainable goal is a question of domestic economics to a farmer such as Rajeshwar Singh of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. During one of his recent training sessions, he told us that half of his profits were used to purchase sacks of chemicals. Nowadays I prepare my own Jeevamrut (nature microbial booster) with cow dung and jaggery. My contribution expenses are almost zero and my soil is alive once more.
NCONF is addressing this human factor by the Farmer Training-cum-Demonstration (FTFD) programs. They are not simply lectures, but practical workshops in which scientists and traditional practitioners are presented together.
The farmers are not being instructed not to use science, Dr. Sharma clarified. Their message to them is to accept the science of biology as opposed to science of chemistry. The sight of the earthworms returning to the field will give you an idea that the policy is working.
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Dealing with the Myth of the Yield Gap
Among the main issues the NCONF has to deal with is the fact that natural farming is said to result in decreased yields. Dr. Sharma is not long before responding to this with statistics. During the first year of transition, the soil may touch a low point as the toxins are washed out. However, in the third year natural fertility of the soil sets in. More to the point, the farmer will have more money to make as he will not need to spend on costly inputs.
To facilitate this shift, the government has introduced the Digital Agriculture Mission where it has generated more than 8.4 crore “Farmer IDs.” This online foundation enables to monitor soil health precisely so that farmers do not exercise excessive use of nutrients that are not needed by their particular piece of land.
Looking Toward 2030
The NCONF is growing its seminars on a regional scale, as the Gurukuls of Kurukshetra to the research centres of Palampur are taking shape. The 2030 vision is to have a nation of Chemical-Free, and not a luxury niche product.
