MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a): No study has been conducted by Government of India. The Task Force on Organic Farming (2002), constituted by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has identified 3 priority zones for organic farming:
Category 1: Are those areas which are rainfed and mostly under monocrop and traditionally no chemical input has ever been used. They can easily be classified as organic produce areas. Broadly, these areas exist in the States of N.E. Region, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal and Rajasthan.
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Category-II: Are those areas primarily under rainfed farming having little irrigation support. These are normally under monocropping rarely under double cropping. Broadly the States of Orissa, HP, J&K, MP, Chattisgarh and Gujarat and also parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka will fall under this category.
Category-III: Are those areas which have moderate to heavy use of chemical fertilisers as well as pesticides. The areas are mostly under multiple cropping. The conversion of these areas into organic farming will initially cause some loss of productivity. For these areas balanced and conjunctive use of biomass, organic and inorganic fertilisers and controlled use of chemicals through Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management (INM & IPM) will be promoted to achieve the sustainable increases in agricultural production.
However, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has constituted another “Task Force on Organic Farming and Non Chemical Farming” on 23.06.2015. One of the terms of reference of the Task Force is to identify the potential of further growth of production, processing, trade and consumption of organic products. The Task Force is examining this issue.
(b): The details of state-wise organic certified production (excluding wild harvest) under National Programme on Organic Production maintained by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) during last three years is attached at Annexure-I and the volume of organic, cash & food crops grown in the country during the year 2014-15 is attached at Annexure-II.
As per APEDA report India stands at 16th position in the world in the organic cultivation.
(c): There is no evidence of declining trend in Organic Cultivation. However, APEDA has introduced a new internet based electronic service known as TRACENET,2011 and the data on organic certification is updated as and when the operators and certification bodies commence activities related to registration, inspection, freezing of actual yield, non conformities raised and certification (scope certificate and transaction certificate). Therefore, after the implementation of TRACENET, there are changes in the data collected manually before 2011 and electronic information available after 2011 & 2012.
(d): Government is promoting organic farming across the country through various schemes/ programmes viz. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana(PKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH and National Programme on Organic Production NPOP). Under these schemes assistance is provided for:
i. Adoption of Organic Village for manure management and biological nitrogen harvesting.
ii. Promotion of Organic Input production on farmers’ fields.
iii. Promotion of NPOP certification for export of organic products.
The pattern of assistance for these interventions is at Annexure-III.
During the year 2015-16 under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) funds to the tune of Rs.179.00 crore has been released to the State Governments for promotion of Organic Farming. A state wise detail of number of clusters approved is attached at Annexure- IV.
(e): Skill development and capacity building programmes to promote organic cultivation in the country are being conducted by National Centre of Organic Farming(NCOF), Ghaziabad and its six Regional Centres situated at Panchkula, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Imphal.
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