Bhopal: With about 45 per cent of total area under certified organic farming in India, MP has the potential to take India's global share in organic exports from less than one per cent to about 2.5 per cent by 2015, says the report titled ‘MP: Inching towards Organic Farming’.
About 20 lakh additional jobs can also be generated if on-farm storing, processing, value addition, packaging and marketing facilities are included, considering organic farms provide more than 30 per cent more jobs per hectare as against non-organic farms. Study report of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) was released in Bhopal on Tuesday.
At least 45% of cultivable land can be converted into organic farms, in next five years, thereby converting seven per cent cultivable land annually into organic farming. Considering rising health consciousness and growing awareness among people, the demand for organic food products is likely to increase rapidly, thus ASSOCHAM calls for setting up organic farming clusters across the state.
Highlighting the role of Madhya Pradesh government, the study says that mapping the status of organic farming and certification along with agro-climatic zones must be carried out to tap the potential of organic crops and understand micro level production potential. Interventions must be carried out to raise production levels.
The ASSOCHAM has suggested formation of a state organic institution for training, certification, production, packaging, processing and marketing through PPP model for setting up a value chain and consultations especially with bodies like Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Significantly, MP already is pursuing promotion of organic farming in the last few years. As parts of efforts, the state government is making efforts to establish South Asian Borlaug Institute at Jabalpur.
Source : daily.bhaskar.com