**Executive Summary**
This document pertains to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 46, addressing the promotion of organic farming, particularly in Maharashtra, under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). The question was slated for February 3, 2026. The response details the steps taken by the government, financial assistance provided, and the impact assessment of organic farming practices.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **PKVY Scheme in Maharashtra:**
* Organic farming promoted through PKVY since 2015-16.
* End-to-end support provided, from production to processing and marketing, focusing on creating organic clusters with a preference for small and marginal farmers.
* Assistance of ₹31,500 per hectare provided over 3 years.
* ₹15,000 per hectare given via Direct Benefit Transfer for on-farm/off-farm organic inputs.
* **Cluster and Financial Progress:**
* 2,978 clusters formed covering 68,012 hectares with 89,595 farmers (as of December 31, 2025).
* ₹160.93 crore released out of the ₹265.82 crore allocation, with ₹142.13 crore spent by Maharashtra.
* District-wise data not maintained centrally.
* **Impact Assessment:**
* NITI Aayog’s 2025 evaluation noted 75.85% of farmers reported improved soil fertility, reduced chemical input costs, or enhanced produce quality due to organic methods.
* **Financial Assistance and Marketing:**
* ₹4,500 per hectare for marketing and branding, ₹3,000 for certification, and ₹9,000 for training/awareness provided over three years.
* ₹22.50 lakh provision per Farmer Producer Organization (FPC) for value addition/marketing; 68 FPCs covered.
* **Certification and Training:**
* Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)-India launched for premium prices for organic produce.
* 144,583 certificates issued to 36,403 Maharashtra farmers under PGS-India.
* Training, demonstration, and awareness programs conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) and Agricultural Universities.
* **Training Programs:**
* During 2024-25, KVKs conducted 571 training, 501 demonstrations, and 561 awareness programs.
* ICAR operates with 20 centers across 16 states via the All India Network Programme on Natural Farming.
* A center at Karjat conducted 164 awareness/training programs and 440 demonstrations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Farmers:**
* **Impact:** Beneficiaries of the PKVY scheme, receiving financial assistance, training, and marketing support to promote organic farming. Farmers have seen improved soil fertility, reduced costs, and enhanced produce quality.
* **Action Required:** Participate in training programs, adopt organic methods, leverage available financial assistance for inputs, certification, and marketing, and utilize FPCs for value addition.
**Farmer Producer Organizations (FPCs):**
* **Impact:** Supported through provisions for value addition and marketing facilities.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the provided financial assistance to enhance value addition, improve marketing facilities, and promote the organic produce of their member farmers.
**Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) and Agricultural Universities:**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conducting training, demonstrations, and awareness programs.
* **Action Required:** Continue to organize and conduct effective training programs, demonstrations, and awareness campaigns to educate farmers on organic farming practices and the benefits of PKVY.
Key Entities Referenced
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): A scheme to promote organic farming through end-to-end support, focusing on forming organic clusters and creating a supply chain, implemented through states.
Maharashtra: The state where PKVY is implemented, with specific data on cluster formation, area coverage, and beneficiaries.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare: The central ministry responsible for the implementation of PKVY and related organic farming programs.
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK): Institutions involved in training, demonstration, and awareness programs related to organic farming.
Participatory Guarantee System (PGS)-India: Organic certification programme launched by the Ministry of Agriculture to enable farmers to get premium price for organic produce.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO.46
TO BE ANSWERED ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2026
PROMOTION OF ORGANIC FARMING
*46. SHRI MOHITE PATIL DHAIRYASHEEL RAJSINH:
SMT. SUPRIYA SULE:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी
be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken effective steps to promote organic farming in State
of Maharashtra, particularly through the implementation of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas
Yojana (PKVY), if so, the details thereof;
(b) the total area brought under organic cultivation and the number of certified organic
farmers in Maharashtra, district-wise;
(c) the number of PKVY clusters sanctioned, funds released and utilised, and the extent to
which the prescribed assistance has actually reached farmers;
(d) whether the Government has assessed the economic viability, yield performance and
income outcomes of traditional organic farming practices under PKVY, if so, the details
thereof;
(e) the details of additional incentives, market linkages, certification support and price
realisation mechanisms provided to organic farmers in Maharashtra;
(f) whether adequate training, demonstration and awareness programmes have been
conducted through Krishi Vigyan Kendras, agricultural universities and NGOs; and
(g) the shortcomings identified in implementation and the corrective measures proposed to
improve adoption and farmers income?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (g): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (g) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 46 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 3RD FEBRUARY, 2026 REGARDING
‘PROMOTION OF ORGANIC FARMING’.
(a) to (c) : Organic farming is being promoted through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
(PKVY) in the state of Maharashtra since 2015-16. The PKVY scheme stresses on end-to-
end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing,
certification and marketing. Primary focus of the scheme is to form organic clusters, with
preference to small and marginal farmers, to create a supply chain. The scheme is
implemented through States /UT Governments. Under the scheme, assistance of Rs.
31,500 per ha is provided over 3 years 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.
Since 2015–16 (as on 31.12.2025), a total of 2,978 clusters have been formed in
Maharashtra under PKVY, covering an area of 68,012 ha and benefiting 89,595 farmers.
Against an allocation of ₹265.82 crore, an amount of ₹160.93 crore has been released
during the period. Out of this, ₹142.13 crore has been incurred by the state of Maharashtra.
The district-wise data is not maintained centrally.
(d): The evaluation conducted by NITI Aayog during 2025 assessed the promotion of
organic farming practices for its effectiveness in terms of agronomic benefits in the country.
As per the evaluation report, 75.85% farmers reported that adopting organic methods led to
significant improvement in soil fertility, reduced chemical input cost or enhanced produce
quality.
(e): Under PKVY, financial assistance of ₹4,500 per hectare for marketing and branding,
₹3,000 per hectare for certification, and ₹9,000 per hectare for training, awareness and
capacity building is provided over a period of three years. In Maharashtra, a provision of
₹22.50 lakh per Farmer Producer Organization(FPC) has been made for value addition and
marketing facilities and 68 FPCs have been covered till date.
To promote marketing for organic produce, the Government has launched
Participatory Guarantee System(PGS)-India organic certification programme through
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare which enables farmers to get premium price for
organic produce. So far, 1,44,583 certificates have been issued to 36,403 farmers in
Maharashtra in the PGS-India Organic Certification System under PKVY.
(f) & (g): Adequate training, demonstration and awareness programmes on organic
farming are organized involving Krishi Vigyan Kendras(KVK) and Agriculture Universities.During 2024-25, the KVKs in the State conducted 571 training programmes, 501
demonstrations and 561 awareness programmes for the farmers. Further, the Indian Council
of Agricultural Research (ICAR), through All India Network Programme on Natural Farming
(earlier AINP on Organic Farming), is operating with 20 cooperating centres across 16
States to develop comprehensive packages of practices for organic crop production from
both cropping system and farming system perspectives. The programme involved 11 State
Agricultural Universities, 8 ICAR institutes/centres and 1 deemed university. One centre at
Karjat, under Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krushi Vidyapeeth (Dr. PDKV), Dapoli, Maharashtra,
is actively working under the project. A total of 164 awareness and training programmes
have been conducted by the center along with 440 demonstrations for the promotion of
organic farming.
*****