9 ORGANIC FARMING

MESSAGE OF HOPE

Vidarbha leads the way for organic farming

Ecofirms at Yavatmal has organized 500 farmers for organic farming over 15,000
acres. Farmers are growing organic cotton, soyabean, pigeonpea , green gram, black
gram and many more cereals and pulses. Yet another group of farmers has formed an
association Vidarbha Organic Farmers Association having 200 farmers growing
organic cotton over 3500 acres. Organic cotton is being purchased by manufacturers of
organic garments from Germany and Japan for which a premium of Rs. 500-600 is
available to the farmers over every quintal of seeded cotton. IMO from Netherland and
Agrico from Germany are certifying the production as organic for more than 500
farmers in Vidarbha.

9.1 It is recommended that for promotion of organic farming, area and group
based approach should be adopted by the State Government. To provide technical
support, SAUs / KVKs / Central Agencies / reputed NGOs / Agro-clinics should act
as service providers. Approval of accreditation and certification should be left at
national level.

9.2 State Government should take up activities like publicity and creation of
awareness among farmers to educate them, organizing them in groups, training the
service providers in private sector and arranging their registration, promotion of local
certification agencies and assistance in marketing.
9.3 Regulatory mechanism which state government may take include: formation
of organic farmers group, registration of farmers groups with district authorities,
documentation of individual farm / farm records, service providers KVK / SAUs /
Agri-clinics / Private entrepreneurs, fixation of nominal fee, accreditation agencies,
certification and inspection agencies. Monitoring of farmers groups registered under
the State Government could be taken up.
9.4 The technology packages for organic farming as developed by farmers,
NGOs and others may be evaluated and the successful technology may be
expanded in larger areas. Bankable model schemes on organic farming may be
prepared and circulated amongst the farmers for its adoption.
9.5 A course at post graduate level may be started on organic farming by each of
agricultural universities in the state. Programmes need to be continued/initiated for
evaluation and promotion of organic source of nutrients through biofertilizers,
vermicompost press mud, coir pith manures, urban compost, bio-gas slurry and non-
edible cakes etc. In-situ composting of sugarcane trash should also be promoted in
a big way. Each KVK may set up a vermicompost and a biological control unit for
demonstration and dissemination of the techniques. These centres may also provide

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worms to the farmers after their training. Each KVK may lay out one demonstration
on organic farming by taking major crops of that area as test crops.
9.6 The organic markets for supply and purchase of inputs and outputs for
organic farming may be developed. Adequate number of certification agencies may
be identified, registered/recognized. The certification agencies may be encouraged
by the government to carry out certification at a reasonable cost for the farmers for
intended export of organic produce. Their easy accessibility and greater availability
should also be ensured by having more representatives of certification agencies in
the state. In the areas of high production, the shifting to organic farming system may
result into loss of produce in the initial years. For such switch over, farmers may
need to be supported for initial 2-3 years.
9.7 To establish urban compost plants as successful ventures with a view to
promote the use of urban compost, a critical cost analysis of such plants may be
made and the necessary managerial assistance may be given so as to make these
ventures economically viable. The required support may be given by the concerned
municipalities, Urban Development Department, Environment Department,
Department of Agriculture to the entrepreneurs promoting such ventures. Nature of
support could be in the form of introduction of the concept of segregation of urban
waste at the points of generation itself at places like market yards, vegetable
markets, residential areas and designated dumps.

9.8 All the State Government farms may set up vermicompost units and develop
and demonstrate the system of recycling of crop residues. This may be
demonstrated by reduced consumption of chemical fertilizers on the government
farms. The numbers and capacity of vermicompost units may be according to the
size of the farms. It is advised to consider to devise the system as introduced by the
Government of Madhya Pradesh about the experimentation and demonstration on
Government Farms on 50:50 area basis on organic farming and other forms of
farming.
9.9 The bio-dynamic means of preparing nutrients may be standardized and the
technology may be popularized. Since no mechanism exists at present to ensure
quality standards for bio-inputs used under organic farming, strict quality control
measures should be enforced through appropriate administrative measures. Quality
standards should be limited to bio products sold to farmers and not on products
made for their own consumption. The crop residues should not be burnt, for which
suitable public awareness campaigns should be organised. Adequate information
may be made available to the farmers about the cropwise residues arising and
equivalent nutrient value per unit area through such crop residues.
9.10 The ventures of vermicompost, press mud and other forms of generation of
organic nutrients for crop production may be exempted from levy of all kinds of
taxes, excise and income tax etc.

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9.11 State may set up a State Level Cell or create a suitable unit at the
headquarter of Commissionerate of Agriculture to oversee the promotion of organic
farming in the State. The cell should include all the stakeholders with representatives
of producers as well as consumers.
9.12 A National Centre on Organic Farming is likely to come up somewhere in the
country for which Nagpur has already been offered as one of the places being
centrally located to all the states active in organic farming. State should pursue
vigorously its claim for Nagpur and in case the centre is established elsewhere,
major regional centres at Nagpur and Pune may be set up as a part of National
Centre.