PM Modi releases Rs 18,000 crore PM-KISAN installment, pushes for organic farming

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is moving towards becoming the global hub of organic farming, calling it native and traditional to the country. He was speaking at the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025, where he also inaugurated an exhibition.

Modi said young people were increasingly viewing agriculture as a modern and scalable opportunity, adding that such a shift would strengthen the rural economy. Referring to the audience waving their gamcha as he arrived, he remarked that it felt like “Bihar winds” had reached Tamil Nadu before him, coming days after the NDA’s win in Bihar.

The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu is preparing to take on the ruling DMK-led alliance in next year’s Assembly polls, with the opposition front seeking to unseat the MK Stalin government.

At the summit, Modi released the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN, transferring more than Rs 18,000 crore to over nine crore farmers. He said lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu had also received the funds. He noted that Rs 4 lakh crore had so far been directly transferred to small farmers under the scheme.

Modi said natural farming was “very close” to his heart and called it a need for 21st century agriculture. He said rising demand in recent years had led to increased use of chemicals across the sector.

He said excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides was reducing soil fertility, affecting soil moisture and increasing farming costs year after year. He said the solution lay in crop diversification and natural farming.

Calling natural farming indigenous to India, he said it was rooted in tradition and suited to the environment. “Our goal must be to make natural farming a fully science-backed movement.” He added: “Natural farming is an indigenous Indian concept—not imported from elsewhere—but born from tradition and aligned with the environment.”

He said India was “on the path to becoming a global hub for natural farming” and that the country’s biodiversity was evolving. He said the youth now viewed agriculture as a modern, scalable opportunity, which he said would strengthen the rural economy.

Modi said the agricultural sector had seen major change over the past 11 years, with exports almost doubling. He said the government had opened every possible avenue to support the modernisation of farming. This year alone, assistance through the Kisan Credit Card scheme had crossed Rs 10 lakh crore.

He said that since KCC benefits were extended to livestock and fisheries seven years ago, people in those sectors were also using the scheme widely. He added that the reduction in GST on bio-fertilisers had supported farmers further.

Promoting ‘One Acre, One Season’ of natural farming, he said organic methods helped address climate change, revive soil fertility and improve nutritional value. He said natural farming was both a vision and a necessity to preserve biodiversity for future generations.

He said the Centre was actively encouraging natural farming, and that last year’s launch of the National Mission on Natural Farming had already connected lakhs of farmers. About 35,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu were under organic and natural farming.

Modi said he was pleased that farmers in south India were adopting practices such as Panchagavya, Jeevamrit, Beejamrit and mulching, which he said improved soil health, kept crops chemical-free and reduced input costs.

He emphasised integrating Shree Anna (millets) with natural farming, calling millets part of traditional diets in southern states. He said the government was committed to taking millets to global markets and that natural, chemical-free farming would support this effort. He said the summit must discuss this further.

Pointing to multi-crop agriculture in hilly regions of Kerala and Karnataka—where coconut, areca nut, fruit plants, spices and black pepper are grown on the same site—he said such integrated models reflected the core philosophy of natural farming and should be promoted across India.

Modi also acknowledged two girl students holding placards praising his economic vision, asking security personnel to bring their placards to him. He began his address with references to Lord Murugan of the Marudhamalai temple and praised the ancient Kalingarayan canal. He added that organic farming leadership would also emerge from the Coimbatore region.

(With inputs from agencies)