Lok Sabha Question No. 272 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Policies on Organic Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: DNV Senthilkumar. S.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 272

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 nd  MARCH, 2022

## POLICIES ON ORGANIC FARMING

## *272. DR. DNV SENTHILKUMAR. S.:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has fixed any criteria to define organic farming and is there any national level policy or center (both national and regional) for organic farming and if so, the details of initiatives from the Government to promote such farming;
- (b) whether  there  are  some  region  specific  developmental  activities  and  if  so,  the system in place to certify such organic products;
- (c) whether there is any criteria for States to become fully organic and if so, the details of products exported from organic farming in increasing order for last five years, State/yearwise;
- (d) whether the organic farming is widely believed as sustainable, agri-practice and if so, the steps/measures taken regarding soil health management policies and along with the defined role of farmers in such kind of policies; and
- (e) whether the Government has any proposal to create an organic farming research center and if so, the details regarding any such proposal in near future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  IN  RESPECT  OF  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. *272 FOR 22.03.2022 REGARDING 'POLICIES ON ORGANIC FARMING'

(a): Organic  Farming  has  been  defined  as  a  process  of  production  system  where  in synthetics  are  avoided  or  largely  excluded  to  preserve  the  ecosystem  and  to  maintain biodiversity  within  the  farm.  The  modern  concepts  of  organic  farming  combines  Tradition (mixed farming and indigenous technical knowledge), Innovation (hybrids, bio-fertilizers, farm yard  manure,  enriched  composts,  oilcakes,  micro  irrigation,  improved  agronomic  practices including  crop  rotation,  intercropping  &  mulching  in  possible  areas/  crops    and  cultural  & biological  control  of  pests  and  diseases  including  ecological  engineering)  and  Science (supplying required nutrients and management of pests and diseases without synthetics).

National Center of Organic & Natural Farming (NCONF) (erstwhile National Center of Organic Farming- NCOF) and its regional centers have been established to promote organic and natural farming through technical capacity building and quality control of organic inputs.

Government  is promoting organic farming through dedicated  schemes  namely Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development in North East Region (MOVCDNER).  Both the schemes provide end to end support to organic farmers  from  organic  production  to certification  and  marketing  including  post  harvest management support like processing, packaging, storage etc.

(b): PKVY  is  implemented  in  all  the  States  across  the  country  while  MOVCDNER  is specifically implemented for promotion of certified organic production in North Eastern States.

As regards certification of organic products, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export  Development  Authority  (APEDA)  under  Ministry  of  Commerce  has  notified  National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). Under NPOP, the third party certification is done by  accredited  Certification  Body.  Until  now,  29  accredited  Certification  Bodies  have  been authorized by APEDA for certification. Whereas, Ministry of Agriculture has launched low cost farmer's group centric decentralized PGS-India organic certification programme for development  of  domestic  organic  market.  PGS-Organic  certification  is  done  by  authorized Regional  Council  under  PGS- India  Programme under  Ministry  of  Agriculture.  Until  now  65 numbers of Regional Council have been authorized under PGS- India programme.

(c): States are required to certify their entire cultivable land under NPOP or PGS organic certification systems to become fully organic. The state of Sikkim has become fully organic in January 2016 by certifying its entire cultivable land of 76,000 ha into organic. Whereas, the Union  Territory  of  Lakshadweep  and  Ladakh  have  become  fully  organic  by  certifying  their entire area under Large Area Certification (LAC) programme. Under LAC, 14,445 ha area of Car Nicobar and Nancowry group of islands in Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been certified to transform into organic. Year -wise export of organic products from India during last 5 years (2016-17 to 2020-21) is given at Annexure I.

(d): Organic  farming  is  a  sustainable  production  system  which  improves  soil  health  and fertility.

Government  is  implementing  Soil  Health  Management  (SHM)  and  Soil  Health  Card (SHC)  schemes  under  National  Project  on  Management  of  Soil  Health  and  Fertility  since 2014-15 to promote soil test based Integrated Nutrient Management  (INM)  through conjunctive use of chemical fertiliser, organic fertiliser and bio-fertiliser to improve soil health and fertility for sustainable production by increasing the organic sources of plant nutrient like organic fertiliser. Soil Health card provides information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate doses of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and fertility.

Demonstrations about balanced used of fertilizers based on soil health card recommendations and training to the farmers on proper and integrated use of fertilizers are integral  part  of  the  scheme.  Since  2015,  around  6.45  lakh  demonstrations,  93,781  farmers training and 7425 farmers' melas are organized/ conducted under the programme.

(e): Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  through  ICAR-Indian  Institute  of  Farming Systems Research, Modipuram operates a research scheme of All India Network Programme on Organic Farming with 20 cooperating centres covering 16 States to develop package of practices for organic production of crops in cropping and farming systems perspective. The scheme involves  11  State  Agricultural  Universities,  8  ICAR  institutes/centres  and  1  special heritage  university.  As  a  result  of  the  scheme,  organic  farming  packages  for  62  cropping systems suitable to 16 States and 8 integrated organic farming system models suitable to 7 States have been developed to provide technological backstopping.

Export of organic products during last 5 years

| Product Category          | Years and quantity exported in MT   | Years and quantity exported in MT   | Years and quantity exported in MT   | Years and quantity exported in MT   | Years and quantity exported in MT   |
|---------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Product Category          | 2016-17                             | 2017-18                             | 2018-19                             | 2019-2020                           | 2020-21                             |
| Cereals & Millets         | 38083.46                            | 52964.77                            | 61184.79                            | 48677.64                            | 59907.788                           |
| Coffee                    | 8262.01                             | 8414.27                             | 2918.96                             | 4584.91                             | 4381.514                            |
| Dry Fruits                | 1558.00                             | 4270.34                             | 3804.77                             | 3714.48                             | 3658.167                            |
| Essential oil             | 386.86                              | 12.862                              | 121.84                              | 145.33                              | 219.314                             |
| Flowers                   | 214.026                             | 309.70                              | 558.62                              | 346.55                              | 190.133                             |
| FODDER                    | 1653.00                             | 209.055                             | 1569.65                             | 4999.13                             | 6876.943                            |
| Fresh Fruits & Vegetables | 9003.31                             | 10383.126                           | 333.50                              | 511.29                              | 1404.315                            |
| Medicinal Plant Products  | 1275.44                             | 1920.415                            | 2902.72                             | 2806.06                             | 4230.570                            |
| Miscellaneous             | 19.912                              | 22.788                              | 5.69                                | 53.46                               | 42.025                              |
| Oil Seeds                 | 153789.01                           | 243936.90                           | 176112.80                           | 100815.43                           | 84072.655                           |
| Oils & Oleoresins         | 148.02                              | 12.862                              | 0.21                                | 0.44                                | 1.441                               |
| Others                    | 0                                   | 3614.091                            | 6098.63                             | 5429.05                             | 655.775                             |
| Processed Food            | 42200.08                            | 102823.09                           | 299406.32                           | 405383.99                           | 655986.206                          |
| PULSES                    | 13447.09                            | 5617.931                            | 5180.23                             | 4829.61                             | 8781.970                            |
| Spices & Condiments       | 4006.59                             | 5656.88                             | 6756.16                             | 8053.30                             | 10022.276                           |
| Sugar                     | 31420.12                            | 15950.768                           | 41119.63                            | 41940.89                            | 40541.511                           |
| Tea                       | Included in Coffee                  | Included in Coffee                  | 5807.30                             | 6210.89                             | 6164.236                            |
| Tuber Products            | 132.58                              | 138.309                             | 204.61                              | 495.95                              | 1042.850                            |
| Total                     | 305599.508                          | 456258.157                          | 614086.40                           | 638998.40                           | 8,88,179.69                         |

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Annexure- I