It is heartening to note the announcement of ambitious chemical-free natural farming as being the focus area of the Government of India. The emphasis on organic farming should cheer the biogas industry. All of the biogas plants produce organic fertilizer (FCO defines it as Fermented Organic Manure). Allocation of the requested budget for such development under “Biogas Fertilizer Fund” would make it happen. We hope that the details of the scheme will entail these. Five such projects across the Ganges plain region can kickstart the paradigm shift.
The announcement of support for farm-produced start-ups fund of INR 44,605.00 through NABARD is good news and can be extended to agricultural residues like paddy straw treatment; making a decentralised energy hub a possibility. A credit guarantee scheme in the form of ECGMLS and CGTS to the tune of INR 5 lakh crores, which shall be extended for onward borrowing to MSME is also a positive step. The funds are to be raised through sovereign-backed green bonds to channelize capital for the RE sector. IBA welcomes the government’s decision to focus on agriculture education. All states will be urged to update agriculture university syllabuses to suit the demands of natural zero-budget farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition, and management. We hope that biogas fertiliser plants will get a proper place in it.
