To start organic farming in India you first stop using synthetic fertiliser and pesticide on a chosen plot, then complete a conversion period before your produce can be sold as certified organic: at least 2 years for annual crops and 3 years for perennials under both NPOP and PGS-India. You decide the certification route by the market you want: PGS-India (a peer-group system) for domestic sale, NPOP (third-party certification) for export.
Government support for this is the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), which currently gives ₹31,500 per hectare over three years. Some websites and older guides still quote ₹50,000 per hectare; that is the earlier version of the scheme. The Ministry's July 2025 reply in Lok Sabha gives ₹31,500, of which ₹15,000 per hectare is paid to the farmer by direct benefit transfer.
Step-by-step
- Choose the plot and the market. Start with 1-2 acres. Decide whether you will sell locally (PGS-India) or supply an exporter or processor (NPOP). Pick a plot that is not next to a heavily sprayed field, or be ready to leave a border strip unharvested as organic; ask the certifier what buffer is required.
- Test the soil (Soil Health Card) and write down what the plot has grown and which chemicals were last used. Certifiers ask for this history.
- Join or form a group / cluster. PKVY works in clusters of about 20 hectares (around 50 farmers). Under PGS-India, a local group needs at least 5 farmers; 20-25 is considered ideal.
- Register with your state. Approach your Regional Council or district agriculture office. They compile applications into a state Annual Action Plan, and assistance is paid to farmers by DBT.
- Stop prohibited inputs and start records. The conversion clock starts from the last use of a prohibited input or the date you take the group pledge, whichever is later. Keep a diary of seed source, inputs, sowing, spraying, harvest and sales.
- Build soil fertility with compost, vermicompost, green manure and legumes (see how to make compost at home and vermicompost).
- Manage pests with crop rotation, resistant varieties, traps and permitted botanicals such as neem products. Check any bought input against the standard before using it.
- Get inspected and certified under the chosen system, and then label and sell.
Conversion period
NPOP (8th edition, 2024) requires at least two years of organic management before sowing for annual and biennial crops, and three years before the first organic harvest of perennials. The certification body can lengthen or shorten this depending on the land's past use. PGS-India uses the same 24 months (seasonal crops) and 36 months (perennials), and during conversion your produce carries the PGS-Green label and may only be described as "under conversion to organic". A member cannot stay at PGS-Green for more than 3 years for annual crops or 4 years for plantation crops.
For land where chemicals were never used, such as some tribal areas and islands, the Large Area Certification programme (launched 2020-21) can cut the conversion to a few months. Sikkim's 63,000 hectares were certified this way.
PGS-India vs NPOP
| Point | PGS-India | NPOP |
|---|---|---|
| Who certifies | Farmer groups through peer inspection and mutual verification, overseen by Regional Councils | Certification bodies accredited under the scheme run by APEDA (Ministry of Commerce) |
| Market | Domestic only | Export and domestic; recognised for trade with several partners |
| Best for | Small and marginal farmers selling locally | Farmers or FPOs supplying exporters and processors |
| Cost | Low; PKVY includes ₹3,000 per hectare over 3 years for certification and residue analysis | Fees are set by each certification body (see APEDA's tariff list); usually higher, so often shared by a group |
| Labels | PGS-Green (in conversion), PGS-Organic | India Organic logo, tracked through APEDA's TraceNet |
Under FSSAI's Organic Foods Regulations, food sold as organic must comply with NPOP or PGS-India, and certified producers can use the Jaivik Bharat logo. Selling uncertified produce as "organic" is a legal risk, however natural your methods are.
What PKVY pays
| Component (3 years) | Per hectare | Per acre (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Organic inputs, direct to farmer by DBT | ₹15,000 | ₹6,070 |
| Marketing, packaging, branding, value addition | ₹4,500 | ₹1,820 |
| Certification and residue analysis | ₹3,000 | ₹1,210 |
| Training, awareness, capacity building | ₹9,000 | ₹3,640 |
| Total | ₹31,500 (max 2 ha per farmer) | about ₹12,750 |
The four components add up to ₹31,500 per hectare. Only ₹15,000 of it is paid to you by DBT for inputs; the rest is earmarked for marketing, certification and training. North-Eastern states use a different scheme, MOVCDNER (₹46,500 per hectare over 3 years). PKVY is run by states, so timing and eligibility follow your state's Annual Action Plan. See the subsidy finder for other schemes.
What to expect on yield and income
- Yields can fall in the early years. In an ICAR-IIFSR basmati rice-wheat trial, organic management gave 15.2% less basmati and 49.5% less wheat than integrated crop management. A separate earlier IIFSR trial (2013-15), however, found organic and integrated nutrient management at par with each other and organic ahead of 100% inorganic. Outcomes depend on how much manure you can apply and on your soil.
- Price premium is not automatic. It exists mainly when you can reach a buyer who pays for certification: a processor, an exporter, an organic store or direct customers. Check local organic prices before you commit; we do not quote a general percentage because it varies widely by crop and city.
- Scale of the sector: APEDA's 2024-25 NPOP data show about 22.5 lakh hectares certified organic and another 17.1 lakh hectares in conversion, with organic exports of ₹5,394 crore. Most is wild collection and export crops, not vegetables for local markets.
- Selling: the Jaivik Kheti portal lets organic farmers list produce; by December 2024 about 6.23 lakh farmers were registered there.
Sources
- PIB: Initiatives to Promote Organic and Climate Smart Farming (22 Jul 2025)
- PIB FAQ: Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (7 Oct 2025)
- APEDA: National Programme for Organic Production, 8th Edition 2024
- APEDA: Organic Certification Data under NPOP 2024-25
- PGS-India Operational Manual (revised guidelines, hosted by HP State Organic Produce Certification Agency)
- Ghasal et al. (2024), Journal of Plant Nutrition, ICAR-IIFSR basmati rice-wheat trial
- Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences (May 2019), ICAR-IIFSR basmati-wheat nutrient management trial 2013-15