Ajay Ramola
GG NEWS Bureau
Mussoorie, 5th March.
A day-long seminar was held at Active Media Press club premises at Mussoorie on Thursday where the speakers spoke in length on the problems and prospects of organic farming and a need was felt to promote it at grassroot level.
The chief Guest on the occasion Amit Shrivastava, the technical Manager Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB), outlined the processes being envisaged by the agriculture ministry to promote organic farming in big way in the state. He said that after the formation of Uttarakhand state, the Organic Technology Council was formed in the year 2003 and it is working to encourage the farmers to sell their products in and outside the country.
He said that the agriculture ministry was coming out with a plan to establish outlets from where the farmers can sell their crops. The board is also working to promote crops in a particular area and separate clusters have been created for this where the data is for sowing, weeding and harvesting is assimilated and after thorough investigation the organic product certification is provided and in addition to this transact certificates are also provided to the farmers selling their product outside the state.
A buyer-seller meet is also held twice in a year where through competitive bidding the farmer is provided best price for his produce.
Sunil Silwal the apple grower from Naugaon said that absence of market connectivity was biggest hindrance for the farers and the government should come out with a plan that the produce from hilly regions get market easily as most of the items are perishable in nature. Former Mussoorie Municipal council president Manmohan Sigh Mall said that there was still absence of awareness among the farmers about the farm techniques and processes involved in organic farming hence work should be done in this field, otherwise the disinterest towards farming will grow and lead to more migration.
Eminent expert on agro-forestry and agriculture Kundan Singh Panwar from Jaunpur in district Garhwal said that the less rains have affected the cereals crop this ear and the impact of climate change could be much more adverse in near future hence there was a need to devise a plan according to the varying condition in the state. He said that the promotion of organic farming in the hilly region so that the exodus from the mountains can stop and the economics of the villages is strengthened. Kundan Singh Panwar said that the organic certification was cumbersome and lengthy, and it becomes difficult for the farmer who has brought his crop to the market but is not allowed to enter due to absence of the certificate.
The process should be eased, and the certification should be done in one hour by establishing onsite labs near the market. He said that the speed of propagating farming in the hills has remained slow since the inception of the state of Uttarakhand and a need is being felt to extend the benefits of farming at the remote corners of the hilly state. Panwar said that in addition to rural areas the government should identify Rurban areas and find ways of innovative farming.
Our state is basically a tourism state and we should make linkages with agriculture and try to promote agriculture tourism so that the farmers can double their income said Kundan Singh Panwar.
Speaking on the occasion, Priyanka Panwar, a student from Gaid village in district Tehri said that she is one of the few women who ploughs the field and does traditional farming. She said that there are three types of cultivation traditional, chemical, and organic farming. The traditional farming is essential for human beings as it is organic by default and the produce provided rich nutrients and is healthy for the people. Ashish Bhatt raised the issue of establishing a resource and storage centre in Mussoorie where the traditional crops and other produce can be sold to tourists. The active media press club souvenir was also presented to the guests on the occasion.
Active Media Press Club president Pradeep Bhandari thanked all the guests. The program was anchored by general Secretary Upendra Lekhwar. Surya Singh Panwar, Virendra Mayal, Bisjendra Pundir, Surat Sih Rawat, Sunil Silwal, Shoorvir Bhandari, Deepak Saxena, Mohsin Tanha, Deepak Rawat, Ashish Bhatt, Harish Kalra, Sumit Kansal, etc were present on the occasion.
