Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Schemes · Topic 3.4
The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, started in 2015-16 as part of the Soil Health Management programme under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, to promote organic farming through clusters. Farmers form groups of 50 or more with 50 acres, called a cluster, adopt organic methods for three years and get certification under the Participatory Guarantee System. Assistance is Rs 50,000 per hectare over three years, of which Rs 31,000 goes to the farmer for organic inputs, funded 60:40 by the Centre and states.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Schemes
At a Glance
- Started 2015-16
- Parent National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, Soil Health Management
- Cluster 50 farmers with 50 acres (20 hectares)
- Assistance Rs 50,000 per hectare over 3 years
- Certification Participatory Guarantee System, PGS-India
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Schemes
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fourth topic of the macro on agriculture and farmer welfare. It is the older and organic certified path, while the newer and wider path is natural farming. Compare it with National Mission on Natural Farming, and see soil testing in Soil Health Card Scheme (Government Scheme Profile). Previous topic: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Next topic: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
How Does PKVY Work?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cluster approach | A cluster has 50 or more farmers owning about 50 acres, or 20 hectares, in a contiguous area. Each cluster adopts organic practices as a group |
| Period | Three years of conversion, after which the area is certified organic |
| Assistance | Rs 50,000 per hectare for three years. This covers inputs, training, certification, marketing and value addition |
| Direct farmer share | Rs 31,000 per hectare of the amount goes through Direct Benefit Transfer to farmers for organic inputs such as manure, biofertiliser and bio-pesticide |
| Other use | The balance is used for the cluster formation, training, certification, packaging and marketing |
| Funding | Centrally Sponsored Scheme with the Centre and states sharing costs in 60:40, and 90:10 for north-eastern and Himalayan states |
| Certification | Participatory Guarantee System for India, where farmers certify each other under the national programme |
| Scale | The target at the start was 10,000 clusters covering 5 lakh acres in three years |
How Do the Certification and Related Programmes Fit?
- PGS-India: a quality assurance approach for local markets, run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with regional councils. It is cheaper than third party certification
- NPOP: the National Programme for Organic Production, run under the Ministry of Commerce through APEDA, gives third party certification for exports
- FSSAI: organic food is also covered by the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations and the Jaivik Bharat logo
- MOVCDNER: the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region, launched in 2015-16, covers the north-east with a value chain approach
- Organic states: Sikkim was declared the first fully organic state in 2016
- Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati: a sub-scheme of PKVY from 2020-21 that supported natural farming without external inputs
- Parent mission: the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture covers soil health, rainfed area development and climate change adaptation
- Status: The cluster support continues in the Ministry’s programmes, but the main push now moves to natural farming, so check current guidelines for any change
What Else Should You Remember?
- Full name: Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, short form PKVY, means the Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme
- Idea: Paramparagat means traditional. The scheme builds on the traditional practices of farmers in a modern, certified way
- Reasons: Overuse of chemical fertiliser and pesticides has hurt soil health, water quality and farmer finance
- Organic area: India has one of the largest numbers of organic producers in the world, but the area under organic farming is a small part of net sown area
- Yield dip: Yields often fall in the first years of conversion and recover later, which is why support for three years is given
- Market link: Price premium for organic produce depends on certification and access to buyers, so clusters need marketing support
- Input production: Farmers are asked to produce inputs locally, such as jeevamrit and compost, and Bio-input Resource Centres are being set up
- Fertiliser link: Fertiliser subsidy is large, and balanced use with soil testing is a parallel approach
- Criticism: Slow adoption, weak marketing, limited third party checks in PGS and dependence on subsidy
- Climate: Organic and natural methods store more soil carbon and conserve water, which links to climate goals
- Sikkim lesson: Sikkim shows that a state wide shift is possible with a ban on chemical inputs, but it needs strong support and a market
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Cluster: 50 farmers and 50 acres
- Money: Rs 50,000 per hectare over 3 years; Rs 31,000 to farmers
- Parent: National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
- Certification: PGS-India versus NPOP
- North-east: MOVCDNER and Sikkim
As an analytical point, converting to organic farming needs money in the first years and a market after that. Cluster support and PGS certification lower the cost, but price premium depends on buyers. A link with local public procurement or supply chains can help.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Cluster Numbers in Prelims
- Certification PGS versus NPOP
- Soil Chemical use concerns
What Came Next?
The next topic covers the state incentive programme for agriculture and allied sectors. Next topic: Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Key People and Terms
- PGS-India Peer certification system
- NPOP Export grade certification
- Jeevamrit Liquid natural input
- Cluster Group of farmers
- BPKP Natural farming sub-scheme
- MOVCDNER North-east organic value chain mission
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Started in 2015-16.
- Cluster: 50 farmers, 50 acres.
- Rs 50,000 per hectare over three years.
- Certification: PGS-India.
- Sikkim: first organic state, 2016.
Do Not Confuse With
- PKVY and NMNF Organic certified clusters versus natural farming mission
- PGS-India and NPOP Domestic peer certification versus export certification
- Organic and natural farming Organic allows approved inputs, natural farming uses farm made inputs only
Memory Hook
Fifty farmers, fifty acres, fifty thousand a hectare, three years to organic.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about organic farming promotion and its limits. These points give a balanced frame.
- Merits Soil health, lower input cost, cluster support
- Demerits Yield dip, marketing gap, weak checks
- Way ahead Market links, local inputs, quality assurance
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Evaluate the role of cluster based schemes such as PKVY in promoting organic farming and the challenges in scaling it.”
How to Answer
- Intro Scheme and approach.
- Merits Soil and cost.
- Challenges Market and yield dip.
- Way Value chains and assurance.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PKVY?
The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme started in 2015-16 under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture to promote organic farming through clusters. Farmers adopt organic methods for three years with financial help of Rs 50,000 per hectare and get PGS-India certification.
What is the cluster size under PKVY?
A PKVY cluster is a group of 50 or more farmers with about 50 acres, or 20 hectares, of contiguous land. The cluster adopts organic practices together, which makes training, input supply, certification and marketing cheaper than for individual farmers working alone.
How much assistance does PKVY give?
PKVY gives Rs 50,000 per hectare over three years. Of this, Rs 31,000 per hectare goes directly to farmers by Direct Benefit Transfer for organic inputs, and the balance is used for training, certification, marketing and value addition. The Centre and states share the cost 60:40, or 90:10 in the north-east and Himalayan states.
What is the Participatory Guarantee System?
The Participatory Guarantee System for India is a quality assurance method in which farmers and other stakeholders certify each other's organic practices, supported by regional councils. It is cheaper than third party certification and suits local markets, while exports need certification under the National Programme for Organic Production.
What is the latest status of PKVY?
PKVY continues as a cluster based organic scheme, but the Government has shifted its main emphasis to the National Mission on Natural Farming approved in November 2024. Guidelines and funding lines have been changing, so check the latest Ministry notices before quoting current coverage or allocations.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 A PKVY cluster has 50 farmers and 50 acres.
Equal to 20 hectares.
2 PKVY assistance is Rs 50,000 per hectare over three years.
Of which Rs 31,000 goes to farmers for inputs.
3 PKVY is a Central Sector Scheme.
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
4 Sikkim became the first fully organic state in 2016.
A frequently asked fact.
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