This document summarizes Andhra Pradesh's initiative to promote climate-resilient zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) among 500,000 farmers and on 500,000 hectares of land by 2022. The key points are: 1. ZBNF aims to improve farmer welfare through reducing costs, increasing yields, building soil fertility and resilience to climate change. Early results show increased yields and incomes for various crops like paddy, groundnuts and chillies. 2. Implementation is led by the Agriculture Department across all districts and agro-climatic zones. Training involves master farmers disseminating techniques to other farmers. 3. The program is funded through government schemes and has support from

1. Andhra Pradesh – enhancing
farmers’ welfare through
climate change resilient, zero
budget natural farming
(ZBNF)
T. Vijay Kumar, I.A.S (Retired)
Advisor, Agriculture,
Co- Vice Chairman, Rythu sadhikara samstha,
and, in charge of
Natural farming programme
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh

2. A climate resilient, chemical free,
ecological agriculture
500,000 farmers and 500,000 hectares
in 1500 villages,
all districts,
all agro climatic zones,
and 50% mandals of the State.
Funded through C.A.S.P schemes -
(RKVY, PKVY) and State Plan
2
ZBNF: AP’s focused initiative (2017-22)

3. Why ZBNF ?
To improve the well-being of 500,000 farmers by -
• reducing costs
• increasing yields, short run and the long run
• reducing risks
• reducing water requirement
• enhancing soil fertility
• promoting bio diversity
• higher price realization
• enhancing resilience to climate change - to
withstand prolonged dry spells, and also heavy
rains

4. 4
Inspired by Sh. Subhash Palekar, Father
of ZBNF
2 mega trainings conducted by him in A.P – 8 days
training in Jan, 2016 and 4 days training in Sept,
2016.
5000 farmers from the clusters: 30 farmers from
each cluster, master farmers; 500 – 600
Agriculture dept staff, Agri Univ scientists and
ZBNF NGO s
- tremendous motivational and inspirational
impact on farmers, agri dept officers

5. 5
Core principles of ZBNF
1. Go adharita vyavasayam - Soil fertility
enhancement through cowdung and cow urine
based formulations – ghana jeevamrutham,
dhrava jeemarutham, etc
2. Seed treatment through ‘beejamrutham’
3. Use of desi cow – one cow is adequate for 30
acres farming
4. Polycropping, intercropping, multi layer
farming, etc – keep the ground covered all the
time
5. Mulching – all crop residues to go back to the
soil.

6. 6
Core principles of ZBNF
6. Use of locally available plants for pest
management – agni asthram, brahma asthram, dasa
parini, etc, etc
7. Use of local seeds –lower costs, more resilience
How is it Zero budget:
• no purchased items, all items to be produced
within the village
• Multiple crops – so that the investment in the
main crop is recovered through short duration
inter crops

7. 7
Global support for natural farming
• U.N Right to food – Spl. Commissioner’s
report in 2010 – recommending agro-
ecology as a means of achieving Global
food security by 2050
• FAO – 2016 – Save and grow – ecological
intensification for achieving global food
security

8. United Nations
General Assembly
Human Rights Council Sixteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural
rights, including the right to development
A/HRC/16/49
Distr.: General 20 December 2010
Original: English
Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter

9. Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations ( 2016)
Save and Grow in
practice maize ·
rice · wheat
A guide to sustainable cereal
production

10. 10
Preparatory work and 1st year results
(2015 - 17)
• 2015-17: Intensive Phase launched in 704
villages in 131 clusters.
• Balance villages in 2017-18

11. The implementation process
• Implemented by Agriculture Dept.
• State and District units. Dedicated team at the
state level and in each of the districts
• 26 – 34 clusters in a district ( work started in
10 clusters in Kharif 2016 )

12. 12
Implementation process
• Unit of implementation - a cluster of 4 to
6 villages, 2000 farmers, 2000 ha, over 5
years
• Dedicated team in each cluster – one MPEO
(Ag Dept), 2 master farmers from outside
(community resource persons - C.R.Ps), one
local master farmer ( Cluster activist)

13. 13
2016-17 Results:
• 48565 Farmers covered in 2016-17 , as against a
target of 39300 farmers
• 9367 seed-to-seed farmers – 100% ZBNF
compliant
• 18974 – partial ZBNF farmers
• 20224 – new farmers in Rabi
• 704 ZBNF input shops – one per village
• 4000 Potential Master Farmers identified and are
being developed as Community Resource Persons
• 800 Farmer SHGs formed

14. 14
Kharif 2016 Crop Cutting Experiments by
the Agri dept have established – higher
average yields and reduced costs for ZBNF –
in all districts and for all crops
2016-17 – Crop cutting experiments ZBNF
vs. non ZBNF

15. 15
State-wide Crop Cutting Experiments
(2016-17)
Paddy
(285 sites across 13 districts) – 6416 kg/ha [5816
kg/ha – control]
10% increase in yield in the first year, i.e. about
Rs.9000/ha.
Cost of Cultivation reduced by Rs.5000-
20000/ha
Increase in net income – Rs.14000-29000/ha.

16. PADDY
ZBNF NON-ZBNF
# District CCEs
Yield
(Kg/Ha]
Yield
[Kg/Ha]
1 Srikakulam 50 6096 5660
2 Vizianagaram 97 6092 5752
3 Visakhapatnam 19 6101 5107
4 East Godavari 70 6560 5845
5 West Godavari 5 7787 6410
6 Krishna 13 6800 6000
7 Guntur 7 6916 7392
8 Prakasam 1 7700 6460
9 Nellore 2 5718 4875
10 Kadapa 12 7813 5666
11 Kurnool 7 7802 7390
12 Chittoor 2 7300 6337
Total 285
AVG 6416 5816

17. E.G district - Average yield of different Paddy varieties in
all clusters in 5*5 plots of ZBNF & Non ZBNF fields.
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
20.0
BPT
5204
MTU
1001
MTU
1061
MTU
1064
MTU
1075
MTU
7029
RGL
2537
RNR
15048
Yieldinkgs
ZBNF 5*5 PLOT
NON ZBNF 5*5
PLOT

18. 18
Groundnut Rainfed – Ananthapuramu district
696 kg/ha [342 kg/ha control]
100% increase in yield; Rs.17500/ha.
Cost of Cultivation reduced – Rs.2500/ha.
Net increase in income – Rs.20000/ha.
… in a drought year

19. 19
State-wide Crop Cutting Experiments
(2016-17)
Groundnut - irrigated Blackgram
2868 kg/ha
[2233 kg/ha control]
1300 kg/ha
[1027 kg/ha control]
29% increase in yield;
Rs. 30000/ha.
27% increase in yield;
Rs.13500/ha.
Reduced Cost of
Cultivation – Rs.10000
Reduced Cost of
Cultivation – Rs.3000
Net additional income
– Rs.40000/ha.
Net additional income
– Rs.16500/ha.

20. 20
State-wise Crop Cutting Experiments
(2016-17)
Maize Chillies
5.2 MT/ac
[4.8MT/ac control]
10240 kg/ha
[7740 kg/ha control]
28% increase in yield; Rs.
16380/ac.
32% increase in yield;
Rs.100000/ha.
Reduced Cost of
Cultivation – Rs.13800/ac
Reduced Cost of
Cultivation – Rs.13000
Net additional income –
Rs.30180/ac.
Net additional income –
Rs.113000/ha.

21. Achieving the vision of universalisation
• Results presented at this stage are early
results.
• Programme will evolve and stabilise in the
next 24 months

22. 22
ZBNF, A.P – cost benefit analysis
Investment - Rs.15,000 per farmer (average
holding 1.0 ha per farmer) over 5 years.
Benefits: additional net income of Rs.25,000 per
annum (5 year average ) – only from better
yields and reduced costs
Additional benefits from: premium pricing,
improved soil health, climate change resilience,
savings fertiliser subsidies, consumer health not
factored above.

23. Per Farmer Investment Break-up
Component Rs.
Capacity Building 5000
Support to Farmers and Farmers’
Institutions; Quality Control and
Database
2500
Facilitation and Monitoring 1500
Livelihoods Support Funds to Farmers (
based on 50% contribution from them)
6000
Total 1500023

24. 24
Financing the intensive phase 2017-22
Financed by Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY),
Paramparagath Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) (GOI
schemes) and State plan.
Outlay of Rs. 750 crores over 5 years
Improving outcomes by converging with other
agriculture and allied dept schemes; and, E.A.P
projects – IFAD – drought mitigation and W.B –
minor irrigation tank rehabilitation

25. Implementation plan of
Progression in 5 years (Cumulative
Figures)
2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Clusters 291 291 291 291 291
Villages 1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
Farmers 180000 360000 500000 500000 500000
MF/SF
Farmers
153000 306000 425000 425000 425000
Ultra-poor
Farmers
20000 60000 100000 100000 100000
Master
Farmers
12000 25000 40000 50000 50000
FPOs 131 291 291 291 291 25

26. 26
Rs.100 crore grant support from Azim
Premji Philanthropic Initiatives (APPI)
The trust is supporting the State Government in
this initiative, attracted by
• the State Govt.’s track record, and committed
leadership – administrative and political
• the initiative’s thrust on securing the livelihoods
of the marginal and vulnerable farmers and its
strong climate change resilience impacts on all
farmers
• the pan India significance of the work

27. 27
Nature of support from APPI
APPI’s 5-year, Rs.100 Crore Support is towards –
• Technical Support Unit:
 State Programme Director , and a strong technical
team sourced from the market
 Young Professionals and Natural Farming Fellows
 State Resource Persons
 Strengthening District units
• Partnerships with Technical Organizations on MIS,
Digital Extension etc.
• Independent Impact evaluation
• Partnerships with Civil society Resource Organizations
• International Partnerships

28. 28
Partnership with Art of Living
foundation
• Art of Living (AOL) Foundation – have adopted
10 Gram panchayats in Kurnool district and are
providing capacity building support – through
farmer trainings, and by placing ‘mentors’ in
each village for continuous handholding support
• Funding for this support is provided from the
RKVY project as a ‘Innovative scheme’
• Very good results in the first year, and demand
from neighbouring panchayats for similar
services

29. 29
Partnership with Art of Living
foundation
• Future plans 2017 – 18 to 2021-22 :
• supporting each of these 10 G.Ps for 4 more
years - till all farmers adopt ZBNF, support for
marketing, food processing units for local value
addition
• adding another 17 G.Ps
• In all they will work with about 12000 – 15000
farmers in 27 Gram panchayats
• Marketing support
• Value addition
• C.S.R support for the work in these G.Ps

30. Key features of the programme
1. Farmer to farmer dissemination is the key to
the success of the programme
• 3 – 4 master farmers as trainers in each
cluster. They are best practicing ZBNF
farmers ( C.R.Ps and C.As). Provide intensive
and continuous handholding support to
farmers.
• Master Farmers make farmers adopt ZBNF
through intensive persuasion, household
visits, Farmer Field School, video

31. 2. Video dissemination
• Digital extension – partnership with Digital
Green foundation for regular production of
short videos on ZBNF package of practices.
• Video films made with real farmers, and
many cases by farmers themselves ( video
resource persons)
• Master farmers and MPEOs trained in video
dissemination and provided with pico
projectors. Video dissemination happens
everyday, in one of the villages.

32. 3. ZBNF content made available
• A comprehensive ZBNF workbook published
by the Agri. Dept and Agri. University
• Farmer friendly content – 18 ZBNF primers
have been developed, simple language, and
pictorial. More will be developed
• Crop cards, with package of practices and
timelines for each crop for each farmer

33. 4: Strong ownership of Agriculture dept and thrust
on capacity building
• Creation of a state resource pool. A unique
collaboration of farmers, civil society
organizations, scientists and Agri dept
officials
• Creation of a pool of district resource
persons – trained by the state resource
persons
• ToT s for cluster functionaries

34. 5. Making ZBNF inputs available
• ZBNF input shops – one per village, run by a
ZBNF farmer.
• Provide need based inputs –
Ghanajeevamrutham, drava jeevamrutham,
panchagavya, agni asthram, brahma
asthram, etc.; Sprayers; seeds of border
crops and trap crops; yellow and white sticky
traps; pheromone traps; local vegetable
seeds; etc
• Cattleshed lining and urine collection tanks

35. 6. ZBNF Farmers institutions
• Building Farmers’ Institutions – men
farmer SHGs, Village Federation; Cluster
Federation and Farmer producer
organizations
• Link between men farmer’s organizations
and women’s federations
• Key benefits: Solidarity, self confidence,
knowledge dissemination, savings and
credit, vulnerability reduction, insurance,
aggregation of produce, local marketing,
quality assurance and traceability, etc

36. Case study: Poojitha Rythu mitra group (RMG),
Uyyalawada village, Orvakal mandal, Kurnool dist
• Date of formation: 12-02-2016
• No. of members: 10; practising ZBNF: 8
• Monthly savings: Rs. 200/month. In addition,
each member deposited Rs.2500 at the time
of harvest
• Group savings ( as on date): Rs. 53,000
• Matching grant from Orvakal M.M.S:
Rs.25000
• Internal lending ( till now): Rs.70,000 – 6
loans given to members ranging from
Rs.2000 to Rs.23000

37. 7. Focus on ultra poor households
• Special focus on the most vulnerable -
20% of the farmers
• Special models - poly cropping models,
36*36 model, ANNAPURNA model,
backyard poultry, small ruminants, etc
• Special credit facility and dedicated C.R.P
knowledge and handholding support

38. 8. Strong I.C.T backbone
A comprehensive I.C.T support is under
development:
• Farmer Database;
• e-Tracking progress on adoption of ZBNF
practices,
• Enabling traceability - certification
• Crop conditions
• Performance monitoring of functionaries
• e Marketing
• Geo-mapping
• Climate information

39. 39
A.P Govt’s Vision - scaling up
to the whole state
Based on the success of the 1st phase, it is
planned to scale it BY 2024-25 up to cover all the
farmers of the State, estimated at 60 lakhs.
We will build capacity to initiate work in all
villages by 2020 -21.

40. Thank You