Kerala Agriculture Department to Establish an Organic Farming Mission in 2022

According to Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, the Agriculture Department will launch an organic farming mission in 2022 to ensure the production of safe food. 

Food production in 2022 will give emphasis to the protection of health, Mr. Prasad said while briefing the media as part of a two-day workshop on ‘Carbon Neutral Agriculture in Kerala’ organized by the Agriculture department on Thursday and Friday. 

By incorporating the workshop recommendations and suggestions, the department will give shape to programs targeted at attaining carbon neutrality in the farm sector. 

Farmers will receive training on carbon-reducing farming methods. Prasad stated that workshops on carbon neutral agriculture will be given in all panchayats. He also stated that the department intends to implement benchmarks at the unit level (individual agricultural holdings) as part of assessing the emission levels. 

Carbon Balance 

According to experts who attended the workshop, assessing carbon balance is the first step towards achieving carbon-neutral farming in the state. How to go about reducing carbon dioxide emissions forms the second. 

Prasant Kumar Swain, Additional Secretary (Agriculture), Government of India; S. M. Vijayanand, Chairman of the State Finance Commission; T. Vijay Kumar, Ex Officio Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh (Natural Farming); State Planning Board members, experts from various institutes, including the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi; Kerala Agricultural University, and Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, attended the event. 

Benefits of Organic Farming: 

• Organic farming in India is particularly cost effective since it does not rely on expensive fertilizers, pesticides, or HYV seeds to sow crops. It has no expenses.

• A farmer can achieve a strong return on investment by using less expensive and more local inputs. This is one of the most important benefits of organic farming in India. 

• Organic products are in high demand in India and throughout the world, and they may earn more income through export.

• Organic products are more nutritious, flavorful, and beneficial to one's health to chemical and fertilizer utilized products.

These are some of the benefits of organic farming, demonstrating that it is lucrative for everyone. To support organic farming in India, we need to raise awareness about the benefits of organic farming.