GOVT TARGETS TO CERTIFY 31% OF AGRI LAND AS ORGANIC BY 2021, SAYS MINISTER

DEHRADUN: The government has a target to certify 31% of the state’s total agricultural land as organic by 2021 to expand area under organic farming, agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal said on Tuesday in Dehradun.

He informed about the same while addressing a seminar on State Focus Paper 2021-22 by the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) with a theme of collectivisation of agricultural produce for enhancing farmers’ income.

“At present, the total area certified for organic farming is about 23%, which we would increase to 31% by the end of 2021. This is a significant move because today, 40% of the country’s total organic farming is being done in Uttarakhand which is also the first state in the country to have an act on organic farming,” said Uniyal.

Working on mechanisms on zonal farming and enabling SHGs to sell their products directly to tourists On the steps taken by the government to improve agriculture, especially in the hilly areas of the state, he said, “The agriculture department is working on mechanisms to enable the self-help groups (SHGs) to sell their products directly to the tourists and to develop zone based farming”

“There are about 6,000 SHGs working in the state producing various products. We are working to develop a system in which they would be able to sell their products directly to a large number of tourists every year without the involvement of middlemen,” said Uniyal.