MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA)
(a): The major crops being produced and certified under National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) for export include Basmati rice, wheat, Maize, non basmati rice, soyabean, sesame, pulses, sugarcane, seed spices, tea, coffee, cotton. The State wise area under cultivation of organic farming for the year 2012-13 and 2013-14 is at Annexure-I.
(b) & (c): Government is promoting organic farming and production of organic inputs across the country through various programmes under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Network Project on Organic Farming under ICAR and National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) under Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Government is promoting Integrated Nutrient Management with conjunctive use of organic and inorganic fertilizers for monitoring soil health.
(i) Under Soil Health Management (SHM) component of NMSA, financial assistance upto 50% of cost subject to a limit of Rs.5,000/- per hectare and Rs.10,000/- per beneficiary is provided for promotion of organic inputs. Also, financial assistance upto 33% of financial outlay, subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.63.00 lakhs for establishment of agro / vegetable waste compost production units, and 25% of financial outlay subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs.40.00 lakhs for bio-fertilizers production units, is provided as back-ended subsidy through National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development (NABARD). Financial assistance @ Rs. 20,000/ha subject to maximum of Rs. 40,000/- per beneficiary for three year term is provided for adoption of organic farming through cluster approach as well as through adoption of organic village under Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification. Financial assistance of Rs. 10 lakh per village is provided for organic village adoption (maximum 10 villages per annum/state).
(ii) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) is a State Plan scheme giving flexibility and autonomy to the States in planning, selecting and executing projects in agriculture including organic farming, organic & Bio-fertilizers and allied sectors as per their priorities and agro-climatic situation.
(iii) Under MIDH, Government is providing financial assistance in horticulture sector for adoption of organic farming @ Rs. 10,000 (maximum) for 4 ha (50% of total cost) while Rs 300 per ha upto 4 ha (limited to 50% of cost) is provided for promotion of use of liquid bio- fertilizers. For adopting organic farming for perennial and non perennial fruit crops, vegetables, aromatic plants, spices etc., additional assistance is given @ 50% of cost over and above the area expansion programme for a maximum area of 4 ha per beneficiary, spread over a period of three years. For organic cultivation of vegetables, assistance is limited to Rs. 10,000/- per ha spread over a period of three years. Financial assistance is provided for establishing vermi-compost units and HDPE Vermi- beds @ 50% of cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 50,000/- per beneficiary for a unit having size of 30’ x 8’ x 2.5’. For smaller units, assistance will be on prorate basis. For HDPE Vermi-bed of 96 c ft size (12’x4’x2’), the cost will be Rs. 16,000/per bed and assistance will be limited to 50% of cost. Under INM component subsidy can be availed for use of liquid bio-fertilizers of N, P and K such as Rhizobium/ Azospirilum/ Azotobactor, Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB) and Potash Mobilizing Bacteria
(KMB) to be applied in combination, in demonstration and other programme, for which total assistance is limited to 50% of cost, or Rs.300.00 per ha., for a maximum area of four ha. per beneficiary.
(iv) ICAR, under Network Project on Organic Farming is developing package of practices of different crops and cropping system in different agro-ecological regions of the country. The project is running at 13 co-operating centers including State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) spread over 12 States. Organic farming packages and practices for 18 crop/cropping systems have been developed. In order to promote use of organic fertilizers, the Council in association with SAUs has developed technologies to prepare various types of organic manures such as phospho-compost, vermi compost, municipal solid waste compost, bio-enriched compost etc. from various organic wastes. Improved and efficient strains of bio-fertilizers specific to different crops and soil types are being developed under Network project on bio-fertilizers. These are being popularized among the farmers through Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs), farmers trainings, publishing extension materials in local languages.
(v) Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the National Programme on Organic Production
(NPOP) in the year 2000, which was formally notified in October, 2001 under the Foreign Trade & Development Act (FTDR Act). Regulatory body of NPOP under FTDR Act is Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under Ministry of Commerce. APEDA provides a focused and well directed development of organic agriculture and quality products.
The details of production of organic and bio-fertilizers in the country during each of the last three years, State-wise is given in the Annexure- II, II A, II B & II C.
(d): Under NMSA Government is providing financial assistance for adoption of organic village for manure management @ Rs. 10 lakhs/ village for adoption of integrated manure management, planting of fertilizer trees on bunds and promotion of legume intercropping through groups/ SHGs etc.
(e): To ensure production & supply of quality bio-fertilizers/ organic fertilizers to the farmers, the Government of India has included ten bio-fertilizers including liquid & carrier base consortium and four organic fertilizers in Fertilizer Control Order (FCO-1985). Regular quality testing of samples of bio-fertilizers and organic fertilizers covered in FCO (1985) are being done by notified central/ State laboratories for checking up their quality.
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