Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has approved the establishment of four Centres of Excellence for natural farming in the state as part of its efforts to expand and strengthen natural farming practices.
The centres will be established under the guidance of Governor Acharya Devvrat, who has been promoting natural farming initiatives in the state. According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the state government has made a provision of ₹20 crore for the 2026-27 financial year for the initiative.
The Centres of Excellence will come up in Navsari, Morbi, Bhavnagar and Chhota Udepur districts and will serve as training, demonstration and support centres for farmers.
Centres to Train 100 Farmers at a Time
The new centres will be equipped with modern facilities to provide training to 100 farmers at a time.
They will cater to both farmers who are already practising natural farming and those interested in adopting the farming method. Farmers will receive training, technical guidance and other agriculture-related support at the centres.
The first four centres will be established at:
- Nani Bhamti village, Vansda taluka, Navsari
- Halvad, Morbi district
- Walavad village, Sihor taluka, Bhavnagar
- Chudel village, Jetpur Pavi taluka, Chhota Udepur
The Gujarat Natural Agriculture Development Board has been assigned responsibility for implementing the initiative.
Centres to Function as Natural Farming Model Farms
The Centres of Excellence will not be limited to classroom-based training. They will be developed as model natural farming campuses, where farmers can learn practical farming techniques and find solutions to agriculture-related problems.
Farmers will receive training in preparing natural farming bio-inputs such as:
- Jeevamrut
- Ghan Jeevamrut
- Beejamrut
- Neemastra
These bio-inputs will also be produced at the centres and made available to farmers at subsidised rates.
The centres will also produce and sell various agricultural materials, including mulching materials, crop seeds, horticultural plants, cuttings, grafts and other planting materials.
Soil Testing and Quality Guidance for Farmers
The Centres of Excellence will provide farmers with guidance on soil testing and quality testing of agricultural produce.
Farmers will also receive support related to new technologies, agricultural inputs, value addition and post-harvest processing.
The initiative is designed to provide farmers with access to multiple services at a single location, from cultivation practices to post-harvest management.
Practical Demonstration of Natural Farming Techniques
The centres will conduct practical demonstrations of various natural farming models and techniques.
These will include:
- Five-layer natural farming models
- Mixed farming
- Intercropping
- Preparation and use of Beejamrut
- Preparation and use of Jeevamrut
- Preparation of natural pesticides
- Standard natural farming practices for different crops
Apart from demonstrations at the centres, farmers will also receive field-level demonstrations and guidance at their own farms.
This approach is expected to help farmers understand how natural farming techniques can be implemented under actual field conditions.
Focus on Lowering Farming Costs and Improving Farmer Income
According to the CMO, the initiative will provide farmers adopting natural farming with training, technology, technical guidance and essential agricultural materials at a single location.
The proper use of bio-inputs and adoption of natural farming practices are expected to help reduce cultivation costs.
The centres will also focus on helping farmers improve the value of their agricultural produce through training in:
- Value addition
- Processing
- Storage
- Packaging
These skills are expected to help farmers obtain better prices for their produce and strengthen their income opportunities.
Four Centres to Become Hubs for Natural Farming
The four Centres of Excellence are expected to become major hubs for natural farming training, experimentation and practical demonstrations in Gujarat.
Through a combination of farmer training, bio-input production, technology support, field demonstrations and post-harvest assistance, the government aims to create a stronger ecosystem for natural farming.
The initiative is expected to provide a new direction to the expansion of natural farming across Gujarat while helping farmers reduce cultivation costs, adopt sustainable practices and improve the value of their agricultural produce.
