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KVK / BRC bio-input resource centres

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are district-level farm science centres of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research that test technology, train farmers and demonstrate improved practices. Many KVKs run bio-control agent production units that mass-multiply microbial and fungal bio-pesticides, and a parallel network of Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) is being scaled up under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).

Overview

KVKs are hosted by State Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes and accredited non-government organisations and are coordinated through 11 regional Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs). As of January 2025 there are 731 KVKs across India. Their bio-control units produce Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Beauveria, Verticillium and Paecilomyces formulations for distribution to farmers at controlled prices.

Eligibility

Any farmer in the KVK's mandated district can obtain advisory support and purchase bio-control agents subject to availability. Under the NMNF, registered natural-farming clusters and farmer collectives can apply to set up or partner with a Bio-input Resource Centre.

Benefit and structure

  • KVK bio-control units mass-produce microbial agents at low unit cost
  • BRCs are envisaged as village-level supply nodes for jeevamrita, beejamrita, ghana jeevamrita and other natural-farming inputs
  • The National Mission on Natural Farming, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2024 as a standalone centrally sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, provisions for approximately 10,000 BRCs across the country

Implementation

ICAR operates the KVK system with central funding through ATARIs, while the NMNF is implemented through state agriculture departments and partner institutions. The mission scales up the earlier Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati that ran under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY).

See also Farmer Producer Organisation Fpo, Fertilizer Subsidy Policy and Urea Fertilizer Subsidy.

References

  1. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre). Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
  2. National Mission on Natural Farming. Drishti IAS daily news analysis.