Lok Sabha Question No. 2458 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-04
Subject: Promotion of Organic Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

O.I.H

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & COOPERATION

**LOK  SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2458**

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  4 TH AUGUST, 2015

**PROMOTION OF ORGANIC FARMING**

2458.	    DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘‘NISHANK’’:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE 	     कृषि मंत्री

be pleased  to state:

(a)	 whether the Government has been formulated any special scheme to promote organic farming in Himalayan States; and

(b)	 if so, the details thereof ?

### 1 ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

कृषि मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री  (SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA)

(a) & (b):	 Government is promoting organic farming across the country including  Himalayan States through various schemes/ programmes *viz* : National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)/ Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana(PKVY), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP) Network Project on Organic Farming of Indian Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR) and National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) of  Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority **(** APEDA). The pattern of assistance provided to state governments through various schemes for promotion of organic farming at **Annexure-I.**

- Indian Council of agricultural Research through a research scheme “Network project on Organic Farming (NPOF) “ undertakes research on Organic farming in Western (Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand) and Eastern Himalayan (Meghalaya and Sikkim) states . Out of 20 centres of NPOF, five centres  are located in Himalayan region.

- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)/Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS) have undertaken research and development work on organic farming in the country. ICAR-VPKAS, Almora has identified several crop varieties suitable for organic farming in hilly regions as per details at **Annexure-II** .

- Organic farming package of practices for 11 cropping systems suitable to Himalayan states have been developed at **Annexure III.**

**Annexure-I**

**Pattern of assistance for promotion of organic farming**

| **Component**                                                                                                                                                      | **Pattern of assistance**                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **NMSA**                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 1. Setting up of mechanized Fruit/Vegetable market waste/ Agro waste compost production unit.                                                                      | 100% Assistance to State Govt/Govt. Agencies upto a maximum limit of Rs. 190.00 lakh /unit and 33% of cost limited to Rs.63 lakh/unit for individuals/ private agencies through NABARD as capital investment for 3000 TPA production capacity | 100% Assistance to State Govt/Govt. Agencies upto a maximum limit of Rs. 190.00 lakh /unit and 33% of cost limited to Rs.63 lakh/unit for individuals/ private agencies through NABARD as capital investment for 3000 TPA production capacity                                                                                                              |
| 2. Setting up of State of art liquid/ carrier based Biofertilizer/ Biopesticide units                                                                              | 100% Assistance to State Govt/Govt. Agencies upto a maximum limit of Rs.160.00 lakh /unit and 25% of cost limited to Rs.40 lakh/unit for individuals/ private agencies through NABARD as capital investment of 200 TPA production capacity    | 100% Assistance to State Govt/Govt. Agencies upto a maximum limit of Rs.160.00 lakh /unit and 25% of cost limited to Rs.40 lakh/unit for individuals/ private agencies through NABARD as capital investment of 200 TPA production capacity                                                                                                                 |
| 3. Setting up of Bio-fertilizer and Organic fertilizer testing Quality Control Laboratory (BOQCL) or Strengthening of existing Laboratory under FCO.               | Assistance up to maximum limit of Rs. 85 lakh for new laboratory and up to a maximum limit of Rs. 45 lakh for strengthening of existing infrastructure to State Government Laboratory under Agriculture or Horticulture Department.           | Assistance up to maximum limit of Rs. 85 lakh for new laboratory and up to a maximum limit of Rs. 45 lakh for strengthening of existing infrastructure to State Government Laboratory under Agriculture or Horticulture Department.                                                                                                                        |
| 4. Promotion of Organic Inputs on farmer’s field (Manure, Vermi-compost, Bio-Fertilizers Liquid / solid, Waste compost, Herbal extracts etc.)                      | 50 % of cost subject to a limit of Rs. 5000/- per ha and Rs. 10,000 per beneficiary. Propose to cover 1 million ha area.                                                                                                                      | 50 % of cost subject to a limit of Rs. 5000/- per ha and Rs. 10,000 per beneficiary. Propose to cover 1 million ha area.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 5.  **Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana**  - (PKVY) Adoption of organic farming through cluster approach under Participatory Guarantee  System (PGS) certification. | **Under PKVY scheme- Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster and their 50 acres of land will be brought under Organic Farming.**                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| 6.  Support to research for development of organic package of practices specific to state and cropping system                                                      | Against specific proposal                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Against specific proposal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 7. Setting up of separate Organic  Agriculture Research and Teaching Department                                                                                    | Against specific proposal                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Against specific proposal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| **MIDH**                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Vermi compost Units/organic input production)                                                                                                                      | Vermi compost Units/organic input production)                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 50% of cost conforming to the size of the unit of 30’X8’X2.5’ dimension of permanent structure to be administered on pro-rata basis. For HDPE Vermibed, 50% of cost conforming to the size of 96 cft (12’X4’X2’) and IS 15907:2010 to be administered on pro-rata basis (Rs. 100,000/ unit for permanent structure and Rs. 16,000/unit for HDPE Vermibed). |

**RKVY:**

Under RKVY, State Governments have flexibility and autonomy in the process of selection, planning, approval and execution of schemes including Organic Farming, as per their priorities.  Accordingly, projects under Organic Farming are approved by respective State Level Sanctioning Committees.

Contd…2/-

-2-

**NPOP:**

NPOP was notified under Foreign Trade Development & Regulation Act (FTDR) in  year 2001, primarily for regulation and certification of organic commodities meant for export.  It provides institutional mechanism for the implementation of National Standards for Organic Production, through a National Accreditation Policy and Programme.

NMOOP:

Has launched a scheme for increasing production and productivity of oilseed crops in the country. The expenditure on subsidies is mostly shared on 75: 25 sharing basis between Central and State Government. Financial assistance is being provided for different type of components including bio-fertilisers, Supply of Rhyzobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB)/ Zinc Solubilising Bacteria (ZSB)/ Azatobacter/ Mycorrhiza and vermi compost.

**ICAR:**

ICAR Research Centres are involved in developing Package of Practices for different crops and cropping system under Organic Farming in different agro-eco regions of country.

**Annexure – II**

**Varieties of cereals, oilseeds and vegetables identified for organic cultivation by ICAR-VPKAS, Almora**

| **Crop**                        | **Variety**                                 |
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| ***Kharif***  **Crops**         |                                             |
| June sown rice (upland)         | VL 154                                      |
| Spring sown rice                | VL Dhan 208, VL Dhan 209                    |
| Rice (Irrigated)                | VL Dhan 86                                  |
| Maize                           | Vivek Maize Hybrid 23                       |
| Finger millet                   | VL Mandua149, VL Mandua 146,  VL Mandua 315 |
| Finger millet                   | VL Mandua 324                               |
| Barnyard millet                 | VL 172, VL 29, VL 201                       |
| Rajmash                         | VL Rajma 125                                |
| Horse gram                      | VL Gahat 10                                 |
| Horse gram                      | VL Gahat 15                                 |
| Soybean                         | VLS 47, VLS 21, VLS 2                       |
| Bhat                            | VL Bhat 65                                  |
| Okra                            | VL Bhindi 1, VL Bhindi 2                    |
| French bean                     | VL Bauni bean 1, VL Bean 2                  |
| ***Rabi***  **Crops**           |                                             |
| Wheat (Rainfed)                 | VL 804, VL 829, VL 802                      |
| Wheat (Supplemental irrigation) | VL 892                                      |
| Wheat (Supplemental irrigation) | VL 829                                      |
| Barley                          | VL Barley 85                                |
| Field Pea                       | VL Matar 42                                 |
| Lentil                          | VL 4, VL 103, VL 125, VL 126, VL 507        |
| Lentil                          | VL 133, VL 507, VL 514, VL 516              |
| Gardenpea                       | VL 9, VL 8                                  |

**ANNEXURE-III**

Statement  showing  cropping system   in Himalayan States

| States           | Crops/ cropping system                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Himachal Pradesh | 1.Maize- garlic  2. Cauliflower-pea-tomato  3. Corinder-pea-tomato                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Meghalaya        | 4. Rice-carrot ( raised bed in low lands)  5. Rice- tomato( raised bed in low lands)  6. Maize+ soybean- French bean( upland)                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Uttarakhand      | 7  *Sesbania*  ( green Manure) – basmati rice-wheat  8.  *Sesbania*  ( green Manure) – basmati rice-lentil  9.  *Sesbania*  ( green Manure) – basmati rice- vegetable pea  10.  *Sesbania*  ( green Manure)- basmati rice- Brassica napus  11.  *Sesbania*  ( green Manure)- basmati rice- chickpea( under biodynamic practices) |

************