‘Kissan Hut’ to promote organic food in city

JALANDHAR: To boost the marketing of organic food, including vegetables and pulses, the District Agriculture Department along with the district administration inaugurated the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) ‘Kissan Hut’ at the Red Cross Bhawan here today.

Residents have a look at organic food products at the 'Kissan Hut' in Jalandhar on Friday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 1

To boost the marketing of organic food, including vegetables and pulses, the District Agriculture Department along with the district administration inaugurated the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) ‘Kissan Hut’ at the Red Cross Bhawan here today.

Prior to this, organic food growers in the district had been making their own efforts to sell their produce. Consumers have been facing difficulties to find organic food items in the the city and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, some organic food growers in collaboration with local residents have been selling such products every Sunday at schools.

Speaking to Jalandhar Tribune, Gurtej Singh, an organic food grower from Mehatpur village, said: “We are members of the Kheti Virasat Mission, an organisation that has been promoting organic food in the state. We sell almost all seasonal vegetables, pulses, grains and organic ghee.”

“We have formed a group of around eight farmers from the Jalandhar district, who grow different kinds of organic food that we sell at schools on Sundays. Last Sunday, we sold products worth Rs 80,000,” he said.

He said: “We have around 100 permanent customers who buy organic products regularly on Sundays, besides other consumers.”

The ATMA ‘Kissan Hut’ that has been inaugurated today by the Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, KK Yadav, with a sole purpose to boost the marketing of organic food would probably encourage growers.

While addressing a gathering, the Deputy Commissioner said the ‘Kissan Hut’ would serve as a platform for organic food growers to sell their produce and city residents would be able to get benefit of the same.

“As per demand of consumers, more such outlets will be opened in the future. Farmers should approach more people to boost its sale. Farmers should also provide quality products to win the trust of people,” the DC said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Kumar Amit said organic farming would also help in improving the environmental condition of the country.

Chief Agriculture Officer Bakshish Singh Chahal said it would also be helpful in breaking the stagnation in the farming sector, adding that farmers were being given training regarding the same.