Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF)
A state-run programme that teaches farmers chemical-free natural farming, village by village, through women’s groups and trained farmers.
Run by: Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Department of Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh
- Started under
- G.O. Rt No. 764 (10 Nov 2016)
- Farmers reached (programme site)
- 1.76 million
- Area (programme site)
- 0.92 million hectares
- Award
- 2026 Food Planet Prize
Overview
Farming costs keep rising, soils are tired and weather is unsteady. APCNF is Andhra Pradesh’s answer: farmers stop using synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides and use natural methods and farm-made inputs instead. Note that this is a training and support programme. We found no published cash subsidy amount, so this page does not list one.
The programme is run by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), a not-for-profit body fully owned by the Government of Andhra Pradesh and placed inside the Agriculture Department. It works under G.O. Rt No. 764 of 10 November 2016. Instead of building a new government machine, it works through the state’s women’s Self-Help Groups. Trained farmers called Community Resource Persons (CRPs) teach by showing on the field and stay with each village for eight to ten years.
The programme’s own site says that under the National Mission on Natural Farming it works in 5,000 clusters and reaches 1.76 million farmers on 0.92 million hectares. In June 2026 it won the Food Planet Prize, worth US$1.5 million, and Down To Earth reported about 1.8 million farming families and more than 10,000 community resource persons. The Chief Minister has said the state wants to become “100 per cent natural” by 2047.
It is built for small and marginal farmers, tenant farmers, landless farmworkers and women. Landless families join through kitchen gardens and small income models. The programme’s own studies say first-year net income of farmers rose by about 19% to 36% on major crops and by 38% to 66% over the years. Treat these as the programme’s own reported figures, and expect results to differ by crop and season.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Guidance from a trained farmer (CRP) who visits, shows on the field and keeps supporting the village for years. The programme’s site mentions no fee.
- Low-cost, farm-made inputs in place of bought fertiliser and pesticide.
- Support for the first years of change, so a farmer is not on his own.
- Kitchen-garden and small income models for landless families.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- A farmer in Andhra Pradesh willing to give up synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides.
- The programme is designed for small and marginal farmers, tenant farmers, landless farmworkers and women.
- Farmers join through their village women’s Self-Help Group and the programme’s village trainers. No fixed land size is published.
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- No fixed list is published. Carry your Aadhaar and land or tenancy details when you meet the trainer.
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Meet the village trainer
Ask your women’s Self-Help Group, the village agriculture staff, or the programme’s Community Resource Person (CRP) for your village.
- 2
Start on a part of your land
Most farmers begin small and cover the whole holding over several years. The programme says a village is supported for eight to ten years.
- 3
Follow the nine principles
Keep living roots in the soil all year, grow many crops together, cover the soil with residue, till as little as possible, use your own seed, keep livestock, use small amounts of bio-stimulants, manage pests with good practice and plant extracts, and avoid all synthetic inputs.
- 4
Keep learning in the group
Join field days and meetings. Compare your costs and yields with the season before.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For questions or complaints about the programme, use the contact form on apcnf.in/contact-us or write to Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, First Floor, Sahashra Apartment Block-2, Amaravati Road, Gorantla, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522034.
- For the state, use Spandana, the grievance system, at spandana.ap.gov.in or dial 1902.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get money for joining?
We could not find a published cash subsidy. The main help is training and handholding by trained farmers, and lower costs from farm-made inputs.
What is Beejamrutham?
A seed-treatment mix made from cow dung, cow urine, lime, chemical-free soil and water. Seeds are coated with it before sowing to help germination and protect against soil-borne disease.
What is Ghanajeevamrutham?
A solid bio-fertiliser made from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and a handful of good soil, dried into granules and applied as powder to feed soil life.
What is pre-monsoon dry sowing?
Sowing seeds before the rains. Seeds are pelleted with Beejamrutham, clay powder, Ghanajeevamrutham and wood ash so they stay safe and viable for up to six months.
Will my income fall in the first year?
The programme says first-year farmers can see net income gains from lower costs and stable yields, with reported gains of 19% to 36% on major crops. These are the programme’s own figures, so watch your own costs and yields.
How long do I have to use bio-stimulants?
The programme says that after four to five years of steady use the soil life stabilises and farmers need not use them further.
Is this the same as the central natural farming mission?
No, but they are linked. APCNF is the state’s own programme. The programme’s site says it works in clusters under the National Mission on Natural Farming as well.
Facts checked against apcnf.in on 26 September 2026. editorial policy.