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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Odisha Wakes up to Organic Farming

Odisha Wakes up to Organic Farming

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published Published on Nov 25, 2014   modified Modified on Nov 25, 2014
-The New Indian Express

BHUBANESWAR: In its bid to ensure food security and sustainability in agriculture sector, the Odisha Government has woken up to the need of promoting organic farming.

In its draft Organic Farming Policy, the Agriculture Department has proposed formation of a State Organic Commodity Board which will not only facilitate organic farming but also promote trade of organic commodities through knowledge sharing.

The Department has decided to take a leaf out of the book of its Uttarakhand counterpart which has a separate board for the purpose. It will set an agenda for encouraging farmers to switch to organic farming by offering incentives. The proposed board will promote research and extension activities and agri-practices among farmers.

Activities such as standardisation of technologies of organic farming, selection of breeding of seed varieties and integration of animals with the cropping systems will be monitored by the Board.

Similarly, validation of various systems of farming including natural farming, bio-dynamic farming and their introduction will also be the responsibility of the body.

The draft policy has also proposed that the State agriculture university would focus on launching diploma and certificate courses on organic farming so that necessary manpower can be created for areas such as input management, certification and inspection, supply chain management and retail marketing.

Under the proposed policy, the Government plans to do away with the cumbersome processes associated with third party certification. Such third party certification would be necessitated only for exports.

The Odisha State Organic Certification Agency (OSOCA), an arm of the Odisha State Seed and Organic Products Certification Agency, will be entrusted with the task of certification required for all purposes, except exports.

The proposed policy also stresses the need to strengthen OSOCA with infrastructure, recognition, human resources and testing facilities. Establishment of testing laboratories for quality assurance under PPP mode is also envisioned under the policy.

Similarly, organic input requirements will be controlled through legal and statutory provisions and emphasis will be on on-farm inputs production, management and quality control.

The draft policy also lays importance on development of marketing strategies for organic farming promotion. Facilities necessary for grading, cleaning, primary processing, packing, transportation and storage will be taken up, both in public and private sector.

Existing institutional farms, owned and operated by State-owned agencies, will also be encouraged to switch to organic farms so as to project them as centres of excellence. Villages and panchayats which are into organic farming will also be identified and designated as ‘primary organic niches'.

Currently, organic farming forms a small part in the State Agriculture Policy 2013.

Since chemical farming rules the roost in 35 per cent of the cultivated area in the State where irrigation is available, the Government is hopeful that organic farming can be promoted in the rest. Organic farming though has seen a dip - from 95,740 hectare to 69,035 hectare - between 2009-10 to 2013-14 in Odisha.


The New Indian Express, 23 November, 2014, http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2014/11/23/Odisha-Wakes-up-to-Organic-Farming/article2536958.ece


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