Agartala, 29th August 2026: With growing concerns over soil degradation, chemical pollution and rising farm input costs, scientists and policymakers are increasingly looking towards natural farming and traditional cow-based bio-inputs such as Gomaya (cow dung) and Gomutra (cow urine).
India consumed 32.93 million tonnes of synthetic NPK fertilisers in 2024-25, with fertiliser use intensity reaching 151 kg per hectare. The highly nitrogen-biased consumption pattern has raised concerns over soil health, environmental pollution, food safety and the long-term sustainability of conventional agriculture. The financial burden on farmers has added to the urgency of finding low-cost alternatives.
Natural farming, which integrates crops, livestock, soil, water and beneficial microorganisms, seeks to reduce dependence on externally purchased chemical inputs. Under the Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), the government has promoted traditional practices including biomass recycling, mulching and cow dung-urine formulations. In 2024, the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) was launched with a target of covering 7.5 lakh hectares through 15,000 clusters.
Indigenous cows are considered particularly important in this system. A cow can produce around 15-20 kg of dung and 10-13 litres of urine daily. These products form the basis of Jeevamrutha and Beejamrutha, widely used in natural farming as microbial formulations.
Jeevamrutha is prepared using cow dung, urine, gram flour, jaggery, soil and water and fermented for about four days. It can be applied through irrigation or foliar spraying, while Beejamrutha is primarily used for seed treatment. Such formulations are intended to stimulate beneficial soil microorganisms and improve nutrient cycling and soil fertility.
However, natural farming also faces challenges, including lower productivity during the transition period and variations caused by soil type, temperature, moisture and rainfall. Experts therefore stress the need for government subsidies, training, institutional support, market linkages and fair pricing to encourage wider adoption.
If supported appropriately, natural farming could help rejuvenate soil health, conserve resources and reduce farmers’ dependence on costly synthetic agricultural inputs.
