Organic farm produce to get certification

Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran said here on Saturday that the government would promote certification of organic farm produce. Inaugurating the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Organic Bazaar, a monthly market organised by a group of NGOs, he said certification procedures were necessary to ensure a good market for organic crops produced by farmers in Kerala. The Minister said organic farming was emerging as a means to revive the flagging agriculture sector in the State. "The increasing acceptance of organic methods of cultivation among farmers in the State signals the beginning of a 'Return to Nature' trend."Mr. Ratnakaran said organic farming also had the potential to restore lost values which once ensured a harmonious relationship between man and Nature. "The blind craze for profit has destroyed our organic link with the environment. All over the world, communities ravaged by the use of chemicals are now realising the imperative to return to Nature."The Minister said the government would introduce laws and policies to promote organic farming. "More than 50 schools have taken up paddy farming with government support," he said.C. Jayakumar, co-ordinator, Thanal Conservation Action and Information Network, and director Usha also spoke. Farmers who had taken up organic methods of cultivation were honoured at the function. Former president of the Venganoor panchayat Rufus Daniel was also present. Started in 2003 as an experimental venture, the Organic Bazaar offers farmers the chance to sell their produce directly to consumers without middlemen. The products available at the market include vegetables and fruits, cereals, pulses, spices, eggs, honey, processed food, herbal items, soap, bees wax candles, traditional textiles and paper products. According to Mr. Jayakumar, the prices of goods sold through the Organic Bazaar are dictated by a combination of factors like the wholesale and retail market prices and the input costs of farmers. "As many as 72 farmers in the Kovalam, Vizhinjam and Balaramapuram areas regularly supply us with their produce. By bypassing middlemen, the farmers make a greater profit while customers are assured of quality and unmanipulated prices. Today, we sell about 2,000 kg of vegetables every month," he said. The organic manure used by the farmers is produced at the Zero Waste Centre operated by Thanal at Kovalam.

The Hindu, 9^th   November 2008