Haryana needs certification labs to boost value of organic farm products, says CM

Chandigarh, Jan 28 (PTI) Concrete steps should be taken to establish laboratories for certifying organic farm products so that farmers are able to secure better prices for such crops, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Wednesday.

Chairing a meeting of the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran (HKKP) here, Saini directed officers to actively encourage farmers to adopt organic and natural farming practices.

As a first step, he directed that a "smart agriculture zone" covering about 5,000 acres be developed under a pilot project.

Farmers in this zone should be sensitised about natural farming and assured that they will not incur losses, he said.

While such produce generally fetches premium prices, the state government would compensate farmers if there is any loss in income, the chief minister said.

He further said that a laboratory for certification of natural farming produce should be established at the earliest to ensure better market prices for certified crops.

Emphasising sustainable practices, he called for the adoption of micro-irrigation systems through effective water management in the proposed Smart Agriculture Zone.

He also issued directions for the development of high-quality seeds.

The chief minister directed officers to prepare a calendar of farmer meetings, workshops, seminars, training programmes and awareness campaigns up to the block level to disseminate knowledge and policy initiatives among farmers.

During these campaigns, farmers should be made aware of the adverse effects of excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, as well as the benefits of natural farming.

Saini also held detailed discussions on several initiatives of the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran, including pilot cooperative farming clusters, use of advanced drainage techniques, solarisation of feeders under the PM-KUSUM scheme, crop diversification, joint dairy projects, promotion of shrimp farming, goat and sheep rearing, and encouragement of oilseeds and pulses during the Kharif season.

He asked officers to make more schemes women-centric to further empower women in the state.

Environment and Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh, Cooperation Minister Arvind Sharma, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry, Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Rajesh Nagar, and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Arun Kumar Gupta, were present in the meeting. PTI SUN HVA