Food Basket Organic Farming Model to Be Expanded to 340 Villages
Research has also been carried out to develop organic farming packages for different cropping systems.
Kakinada:Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Bhagirath Chowdary said the “Food Basket” model of organic farming, currently implemented in 59 Health and Nutrition villages, will be expanded to another 340 villages.
The model is being implemented through self-help groups to supply natural farming commodities for household needs. Farmers are also being encouraged to participate in organic melas, exhibitions and conferences at regional, state and national levels along with farmer aggregators and natural farming practitioners.
Responding to a question raised by Eluru Lok Sabha member Putta Mahesh Kumar Yadav, the minister said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has undertaken studies to identify ways to reduce the cost of organically grown agricultural produce. Research has also been carried out to develop organic farming packages for different cropping systems.
He said organic farming is being promoted through the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), which provides end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming, from production to processing, certification and marketing. The scheme focuses on forming organic clusters to build an efficient supply chain.
Under the scheme, financial assistance of ₹31,500 per hectare is provided over three years to promote organic farming.
The minister also said that 1,089 farmer markets have been established to reduce intermediaries and strengthen direct marketing channels for farmers. These markets also promote value addition of organic and natural commodities through primary processing, grading, packaging and small-scale processing to improve shelf life and minimise losses.