The farmers adopting organic farming will be promoted by means of the following measures.
i) In collaboration with Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) organic Package of Practices for important crops for 5 States have been prepared.ii) Efforts are being made to document available information on organic farming for farmers.
iii) For promotion of marketing and dissemination of information about organic products a web based information portal is being launched, where farmers can post their details or organic products for marketing. Under NPOF efforts are being made to create awareness for organic products.
iv) For facilitation of certification at affordable cost, assistance is being provided under the component of “Capacity Building through Service Providers” for Internal Control System (ICS) management & facilitation of certification. An assistance of RS. 200/- per farmer is provided to the agencies for such Service.
Important problems being faced by the farmers adopting organic faring are non-availability of package of practices for organic farming, fear for loss of yield in the initial years, lack of well developed market for organic produce and high cost of certification.
Almost all the States have requested the Union Government to promote organic farming in their respective States and sent proposals for releasing funds under National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) for capacity building through service providers, training, demonstrations, market development, creation of awareness etc. Centre has released over Rs. 48 crore to states under NPOF so far.
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This information was given in the Lok Sabha today by Shri Kanti Lal Bhuria, Minister of State for Agriculture in a written reply.
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