Lok Sabha Question No. 891 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Organic Farming
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: P.P. CHAUDHARY, RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, A.T. (NANA) PATIL, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, SUBHASH CHANDRA BAHERIA, DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH, DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD, R.P. MARUTHARAJAA, RAM PRASAD SARMAH, DEVUSINH JESINGBHAI CHAUHAN, M. I. SHANAVAS, RANJANBEN BHATT, KAMLA DEVI PATLE, SHASHI THAROOR, PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY, RAMCHARAN BOHARA, DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI, RABINDRA KUMAR JENA, PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL, DILIP PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.891

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  MARCH, 2016

## ORGANIC FARMING

891.   SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY:

SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI SUBHASH CHANDRA BAHERIA:

SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH:

SHRI D.S. RATHOD:

SHRI R.P. MARUTHARAJAA:

SHRI M.I. SHANAVAS:

SHRI RAM PRASAD SARMAH:

SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN:

SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT:

SHRIMATI KAMLA DEVI PAATLE:

DR. SHASHI THAROOR:

SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY:

SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA:

SHRI PRAHLAD SINGH PATEL:

SHRI DILIP PATEL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) the States in the country where organic farming is done in large scale during the last three years;
- (b) whether the State of Sikkim has emerged as a leader in organic farming in recent past;
- (c) whether  the  Union  Government  proposes  to  popularize  organic  farming  in  the country especially in North-Eastern States;
- (d) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard;
- (e) the  notable  achievements made by agricultural  universities  during  the  last  one year for promotion of organic farming in the country; and
- (f) the estimated number of farmers in each State/UT practicing organic farming in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं किसान िल्याण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ Àã·¾ã ½ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIYA )

- (a): The States where organic farming is done in large scale under the National Programme for  Organic  Production  (NPOP)  are  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan,  Odisha  and Sikkim  as  per  information  provided  by  the  accredited  certification  bodies  under  NPOP  on Tracenet.
- (b): As per data under NPOP on Tracenet, Sikkim is one of the largest State in terms of area under organic certification.
- (c) to (e): Government is promoting organic farming through various schemes/programmes under  the  National  Mission  of  Sustainable  Agriculture  (NMSA),  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas Yojana  (PKVY)  and  such  as  'Mission  Organic  Value  Chain  Development  for  North  Eastern Region'.
- (i) The  Annual  Action  Plan  of  7  North-Eastern  have  been  approved  with  total  outlay  of Rs.3487.6 lakhs to develop 527 clusters. Rs.1275.32 lakhs has been released to the NorthEastern States till 31.01.2016.
- (ii) Realizing  the  potential  of  organic  farming  in  the  North  Eastern  Region  of  the  country Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched a Central Sector Scheme entitled 'Mission Organic Value Chain Development of North Eastern Region' for implementation in the states  of  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Mizoram,  Nagaland,  Sikkim  and Tripura during 2015-16 to 2017-18.
- (iii) In order to provide research and technological backstopping to organic farming in the country in general and NEH Region in particular, ICAR - National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) at Gangtok, Sikkim is established. The institute will undertake basic, strategic and  adaptive  research  on  efficient,  economically  viable  and  environmentally  sustainable organic  farming  systems  for  improving  productivity,  resource  use  efficiencies  and  quality  of produce. Besides, it will impart vocational and advanced training to stakeholders for promotion of organic farming in the country.
- (iv) Presently,  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  through  its  Plan  Schemes 'Network Project on Organic Farming' (NPOF)  and 'Soil Biodiversity-Biofertilizers' is undertaking research to provide technological backstopping to organic farming in the country involving  SAUs  and  ICAR  institutes.  The  notable  achievements  made  by  these  institutions are:-
1. Developed location specific organic farming package of practices for crops and cropping systems.
2. Developed  technologies  to prepare various types of  organic  manures  such  as phosphor-compost,  vermin-compost,  bio-enriched  compost,  municipal  solid  waste  compost, etc. from various organic wastes.

3. Developed efficient and improved strains of bio-fertilizers specific to different crops and soil types.
4. Liquid Bio-fertilizer technology with higher shelf life has also been developed.
5. These organic fertilizers  have  been  tested  on  different  soils  using  various  crops  and found useful in improving soil health and crop productivity.
6. All  these  technologies  are  being  popularized  among  the  farmers  through  Front  Line Demonstrations (FLDs), farmer's trainings, publishing extension materials in local languages.
5. (f): (i) Under  the  PKVY  the  approx.26350  farmers  are  practicing  organic  farming (527x50).
6. (ii) The number of registered farmers in States/UT practicing organic farming is 1467 under NPOP for 2014-15.

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