Why in News? 

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare issued guidelines for the establishment of Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). 

 Purposes of Bio-Resource Centres (BRCs) 

• BRCs are responsible for maintaining and selling cultures of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, ensuring their multiplication and availability for farmers. 
• Ready-to-use organic inputs for farming are prepared and sold to support sustainable practices. 
• BRCs offer comprehensive training on the preparation of botanical extracts and animal-based inputs, empowering farmers with essential skills. 
• Providing farmers with vital information on natural farming techniques, enabling them to adopt sustainable practices. 
• BRCs also sell pest control tools such as pheromone traps, lures, sticky traps, and other related products to aid in pest management. 

 Financial Assistance: Each centre will receive Rs 1 lakh in two installments of Rs 50,000, excluding infrastructure costs such as shed construction or land rent, which must be arranged by the entrepreneurs themselves.