Maharashtra Boosts Natural Farming on 2.5M Hectares

26-Dec-2025 11:21 AM

Pune. The Maharashtra government has decided to accelerate and intensify its natural farming mission to improve the productivity and quality of agricultural crops and maintain soil fertility.

Under this initiative, the state aims to cultivate crops using natural methods on 2.5 million hectares over the next two years. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will be eliminated or significantly reduced for these crops.

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra stated that the state government is committed to rapidly advancing this mission as it will greatly benefit farmers and maintain soil health. The natural farming system will also prove highly beneficial in preventing soil erosion.

This government initiative is particularly significant at a time when the agricultural sector is grappling with numerous challenges, including declining soil fertility, rising input costs, and the threat of climate change.

This year, excessive rainfall and prolonged waterlogging during the southwest monsoon season in Maharashtra caused significant damage to Kharif crops, increasing farmers' concerns.

According to the Chief Minister, the rapid development of a circular economy is also essential alongside natural farming. This will require increased institutional participation.

The combination of these two approaches will enable the creation of green jobs on a large scale in the agricultural sector and facilitate the rapid development of food processing and allied sectors.

Maharashtra is a major producer of pulses, oilseeds, coarse grains, and cotton, among other crops. It is a leading producer of sugar and ranks second in the production of soybeans and cotton.