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Jaivik Kheti - Rasayan Mukt Bharat

प्रविष्टि तिथि: 17 DEC 2021 15:39 PM

Jaivik Kheti- Rasayan Mukt Bharat

(Ministryof Agriculture& Farmers Welfare)

December 17,2021

“The Government is constantly trying to provide new solutions and new options in farming. Promoting organic farming is also one of such efforts. Organic farming delivers more profit and is now being practiced across the nation by young farmers.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Introduction:

Organic farming is a sustainable agriculture system that excludes the use of synthetic inputs in farming and relies on on-farm inputs such as crop residues, farmyard manure, enriched composts, vermi-compost, oil cakes, bio-fertilizers etc. for nutrient management of crops. Similarly, pests and diseases are managed by eco-friendly farming practices of crop rotation, trap crops, bio-pesticides like neem-based formulations, bio control agents, mechanical traps, stale seed bed etc.

Adoption of organic farming practices produces safe food, reduces cost of production, improves soil health and helps in mitigating the climate change and global warming by reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.

Government of India has been promoting Organic farming in the country through dedicated schemes namelyParamparagatKrishiVikas Yojana(PKVY) andMission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region(MOVCDNER) since 2015-16 to cater to the needs of domestic and export marketsrespectively. Both the schemes stress on end-to-end support to organic farmers i.e., from production to certification and marketing. Post-harvest management support including processing, packing, marketing is made integral part of these schemes to encourage organic farmers.

Advantages of organic farming

It helps to maintain environment health by reducing the level of pollution.
It reduces human and animal health hazards by reducing the level of residues in the product.
It helps in keeping agricultural production at a sustainable level.
It reduces the cost of agricultural production and also improves the soil health.
It ensures optimum utilization of natural resources for short-term benefit and helps in conserving them for future generation.
It not only saves energy for both animal and machine, but also reduces risk of crop failure.
It improves the soil physical properties such as granulation, good tilth, good aeration, easy root penetration and improves water-holding capacity and reduces erosion.
It improves the soil’s chemical properties such as supply and retention of soil nutrients, reduces nutrient loss into water bodies and environment and promotes favourable chemical reactions.

Following Assistance is being provided under different schemes by the Government of India forpromoting organic farming in the country:

ParamparagatKrishiVikas Yojana(PKVY):It is a sub-component of Soil Health Management (SHM) scheme under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). The scheme promotes cluster-based organic farming with PGS certification. Cluster formation, training, certification and marketing are supported under the scheme. Financial assistance of Rs.50,000 per ha /3 years is provided out of which 62 per cent i.e., Rs. 31,000 is given as incentive to a farmer towards organic inputs.
Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): The scheme promotes third-party certified organic farming of niche crops of north east region through Farmers Producer organizations (FPOs) with focus on exports. Farmers are given assistance of Rs 25000/ha/3 years for organic inputs including organic manure and biofertilizers etc. Support for formation of FPOs, capacity building, post-harvest infrastructure up to Rs 2 crores are also provided in the scheme.
Capital investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under Soil Health Management Scheme: 100 per cent assistance is provided to State Government / Government agencies for setting up of mechanized fruit/vegetable market waste/ Agro waste compost production unit up to a maximum limit of Rs.190.00 Lakh /unit (3000 Total Per Annum TPA capacity). Similarly, for individuals/ private agencies assistance up to 33 per cent of cost limit to Rs 63 lakh/unit as capital investment is provided.
National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): Financial assistance at the rate of 50 per cent subsidy to the tune of Rs. 300/ha is being provided for different components including bio-fertilizers, supply of Rhizobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB)/Zinc Solubilising Bacteria (ZSB)/ Azatobacter/ Mycorrhiza and vermi compost.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM): Financial assistance is provided for promotion of Bio-Fertilizer (Rhizobium/PSB) at the rate of 50 per cent of the cost limited to Rs.300 per ha.

National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF)

National Centre of Organic Farming is a nodal organization for promotion of organic farming under Integrated Nutrient Management(INM) Division, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India under Soil Health Management component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
NCOF came into force in 2004, for implementing National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) along with its Regional Centres at Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Imphal, Jabalpur, Nagpur and Panchkula. NPOF was launched with an outlay of Rs. 57.05 crore as a pilot project with effect from 01.10.2004 (during 10^th Plan).
The project was continued in 11^th Plan with an allocation of Rs. 101.00 croreswhereas in the 12^th Plan, the project merged into the Central Sector Scheme “National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)” under program component Soil Health Management with total outlay of Rs 293 Crores (out of which Rs. 57 Crore meant for continuation of NCOF for the activities of organic farming.

Objective of NCOF

Promotion of organic farming in the country through technical capacity building of all the stakeholders including human resource development, transfer of technology, promotion and production of quality organic and biological inputs.
To act as nodal quality control laboratory for analysis of biofertilizers and organic fertilizers as per the requirement of Fertilizer Control Order(FCO, 1985).
Revision of standards and testing protocols keeping in view the advances in research and technology and bringing remaining organic inputs under quality control regime.
Organic input resource management, technology development through support to research and market development.
To maintain National and Regional culture collection bank of biofertilizer for supply to production units, development & procurement and efficacy evaluation of biofertilizer strains and mother cultures.
Promotion of Organic Farming through low-cost certification system known as “Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India).
To provide financial assistance through NABARD under Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme(CISS) for agro-waste compost production units, bio-fertilizers/bio-pesticides production units.
Awareness creation and publicity through print and electronic media.

JaivikKheti Portal

JaivikKhetiportal is initiative of Ministry of Agriculture& Farmers Welfare,Department of Agriculture (DAC) along with MSTCto promote organic farming globally. It is a one-stop solution for facilitating organic farmers to sell their organic produce and promoting organic farming and its benefits.E-commerce section of the portal provides the whole bouquet of organic products ranging from grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables.

Buyers can now avail organic products at their door step through the portal at much lower prices. Organic farmers toil day and night to produce these best organic products and made them available for consumers via farm gate as well as door step delivery at very low prices as compared to market.
This portal links various stakeholders like regional councils, local groups, individual farmers, buyers, government agencies and input suppliers for the all-inclusive development and promotion of organic farming.
Through this portal we provide various price discovery mechanisms to help farmers get the best prices for their products through forward auction, price-quantity bidding, book building and reverse auction mechanisms.

Converting crisis into opportunity:

When the pandemic struck India, access to quality food was as high on priority for the country as much as health. Advisories to States on supporting direct marketing in order to decongest mandis led to number of States issuing orders and amending legislations, thereby opening up market options to farmers. Working within the constraints posed due to disruption in logistics, access to regular markets, decrease in demand, the following States and clusters innovated and converted this crisis into an opportunity:

The Green Caravan of Kohima created market linkages from all villages of Nagaland to urban areas for vegetables, handicrafts and handlooms.
There was online sale of fruits and vegetables by FPOs in Maharashtra.
Doorstep delivery in specially designed electric vans in Punjab.
Manipur Organic Agency (MoMA) mobilised all the 15 FPCs of MOVCD to collect produce and transport to two organic wholesale centers at Sanjenthong and Chingmeriong in Imphal for onward delivery to consumers.

Way Forward

Natural farming is not a new concept in India, with farmers having tilled their land without the use of chemicals - largely relying on organic residues, cow dung, composts, etc since time immemorial. The philosophy underlying organic farming of integration of the elements – soil, water, microbes and ‘waste’ products, forestry and agriculture is the correct recipe for sustainable use of natural resources, which are coming under severe stress due to ever increasing requirement of food and feedstock for agri-based industry. This is also in sync with the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targeting ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’.

India ranks first in number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. Sikkim became the first State in the world to become fully organic and other States including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set similar targets.

Hence, with greater awareness and capacity building of the producers on compliance with international standards, Indian organic farmers will soon be reinforcing their rightful place in global Agri-trade.

References:

· https://transformingindia.mygov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/E1g-rx9VkAIFjlU-350x350.jpg

· https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1705179

· https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1697160