Organic Farming Awareness held in Sikkim

Gangtok, February 17, 2014

An Orientation cum Awareness Programme in Organic Farming and Certification was held at the Panchayat Ghar in Rateypany GPU by SIMFED on February 14. The overall benefits and vast scope of organic farming and Certification was highlighted in the programme. The area covered being 364.859 Ha with 312 farmers.

Mr Gangaram Chettri, Sr. Supervisor, ICS, Simfed, provided the attendees in detail the Internal Control System Procedures followed, for obtaining Organic Certification of the region. He also provided the reasons for the Certification procedures taken.

The DGM (ICS), in his deliberation provided the present ICS status of the GPU. He briefly highlighted the future importance of various documentations done during the ICS Programme.

Mr Chettri stressed the vital roles that the Organic Growers’ Group Committees will be playing in the near future in respect to sustenance of the Region’s Organic Status as well as marketing of the organic produces from the GPU.

Dr. Ashish Yadav, Sr. Scientist (Horticulture), ICAR, Sikkim in his extensive interaction with the Farmers answered and provided solutions to various problems faced by the latter in cultivation of Kharif fruits and vegetables.

Mr. Kuber Bhandari, Managing Director, Simfed, congratulated the farmers and panchayats of the GPU for attaining full Organic Status. He made it clear that their cooperation to the Sikkim Organic Mission, Govt. of Sikkim in this regard would not go in vain as the future benefits and scope of becoming organic was immeasurable.

He stressed on the fact while citing all the marketing activities being done presently by the Federation, that Simfed as a Marketing Federation would be marketing all the surplus Agri/Horti produces of the GPU and appealed to all the growers to rectify their cultivation pattern and adopt cluster approach.

The Area panchayat while thanking all the visiting officials and staffs of all the line Departments encouraged the farmers to maintain their zeal for organic farming and explained the economic benefits from organic produces.

“The programme was attended by both the Horticulture and Agriculture VLWs along with all Simfed ICS officials and Field staffs of the area.” Said Mr Dev Raj Dewan, Deputy General Manager, SIMFED.