Tamil Nadu CM Unveils Organic Farming Policy with Emphasis on Chemical-Free Agriculture

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin released the long-awaited Organic Farming Policy (OFP) for the State on Tuesday, with the goal of supporting chemical-free organic agriculture in Tamil Nadu and providing safe food for the people. Organic farming has several advantages, including the ability to improve and sustain oil fertility while using fewer off-farm resources.

The policy will go into effect on the date the government order is issued and will be reviewed after five years. The policy will be implemented through the integration of all related Central and State Department schemes such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Agriculture Marketing, Agriculture Engineering, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Khadi, and Textiles.

The policy defined organic farming and natural farming as different types of agroecological practises. Farmers and others in India frequently use the terms organic farming and natural farming interchangeably. Natural farming emphasises the use of bio-inputs prepared from the farm and local ecosystems rather than those purchased from outside sources, whereas organic farming includes the use of off-farm purchased inputs such as biofertilizers.

According to the policy, India ranks fifth with a total area of 2.66 million hectares, while Tamil Nadu ranks 14th in the country with 31,629 hectares of organic agriculture land. Madhya Pradesh has the most area certified as organic, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Karnataka.

In 2020-21, India produced approximately 3.48 million metric tonnes of certified organic products such as oil seeds, cereals and millets, cotton, and pulses. In terms of exports, processed foods (45.87 percent) are the most popular, followed by oil seeds (13.25 percent) and cereals (7.61 percent). Tamil Nadu shipped 4,223 metric tonnes of organic products worth Rs 108 crore in 2020-21.

Concerning the need for organic farming, the policy stated that many health issues observed around the world were found to be agro-chemical residues. Pesticide residues have been shown to pose numerous health risks to humans and animals. The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes "One Health," which calls for organic farming to improve soil health. According to the policy, Tamil Nadu has a high potential for organic produce production and supply in relation to global demand.

"The need for an environmentally safe food supply system has prompted the need for the formulation of an organic farming policy that will ensure upscale and support chemical-free organic agriculture in Tamil Nadu while also providing safe food for the people," according to the policy. Because the components are interdependent, organic farming would encourage mixed farming. It stated that integrated organic farming systems would be promoted and season-based cropping system diversification would be implemented.

Nutritional crops such as millets, pulses, and vegetables will be promoted to ensure food security. It stated that Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) would be encouraged to reduce input costs for the purchase of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides.

A steering committee would be formed to monitor the implementation of organic farming policy and the finalisation of schemes, and various committees, including a high-level team led by the Chief Secretary, would be formed to review the policy every five years. It was stated that a district-level committee would be formed, led by a Collector, with members from various departments and institutions.