Despite govt’s call, most farmers wary of going organic way

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 2

While an increasing number of population is reaching out and demanding organic produce sick of the side effects of pesticides and health problems, the lack of certification and an organised system on the ground level to authenticate organic produce, is one of the prime snags in the limited amount to which organic farming has started in the district.

While the agricultural department says it is put to streamline the system, it might still take a while. Meanwhile, presently only a handful of farmers in the distrsict have fully adopted organic farming.

Sources in the department said, “About 15 to 20 farmers in the district have already taken to organic farming and the department is spreading awareness that more also join the fold. However, the prime detriment for farmers is the fact that the yield will be lesser than usual. Subsidies, fillips and certification from the government are very important, so that more farmers take to organic farming.”

Even though other districts have it, in Jalandhar, there is no formal outlet run by the agricultural department to sell organic produce.

Chief Agricultural Officer Sukhpal Singh, who holds additional charge of the district (along with Ludhiana), said: “While organic farming at present proves costly for farmers, the government has started a number of schemes which shall enable them to have a profitable deal with organic farming. While work on getting the farmers registered to a formal society for the purpose, is also on, the central government shall also provide these registered famers with various subsidies at various levels. They will get financial benefits for their input, transportation etc. Organic farmers shall also receive free training from the government. Work on the provision for all these benefits is being streamlines. Like other districts, outlets under the agricultural department for the sale of organic chutneys, honey among other agricultural produce are also being mulled.”

He also said due to staff shortage as well, some of the works remains to be done, but the department work is being streamlined and the process shall be completed shortly.

Prof Sandeep Chahal, who runs the NGO Dastak, said, “Farmers need to be mobilised and educated very systematically to promote organic farming in a big way. While in countries outside India, fruits can’t be labelled with stickers, in India stickers are being out on produce. Who allows that and what companies are these? Does the department ask? In a number of organic stores fruits laced with calcium carbide are being kept. But since a layman lacks basic know how of what organic produce is like, he buys it. There should be strict certification of organic produce to prevent substandard produce from being sold in markets.”

However, sources in the agricultural department confirmed that presently none of the farmers or retailers selling organic produce was receiving any kind of certification.

Retailer Rahul Madan, who sells fruits, including some organic produce sold to him by some farmers, says, “There is mixed response to the produce in the market currently and the prime reason is quality. While we have personally seen farms or produce of some farmers and know for sure it is organic, there is other stuff coming in from other areas or from Himachal Pradesh which is said to be organic but we can’t say for sure because we don’t know these farmers. Similar apprehensions are expressed by farmers. If there is a certification system for the organic produce, it will make things much easier both for retailers and producers.”