100 per cent organic certification achieved in Haryana
Posted by Labels: Certifications and Standards, India, Organic Farming(Punjab Newsline Network) With organic farming gaining ground in Haryana as a result of the constant efforts of Haryana State Cooperative Supplies and Marketing Federation (Hafed), 295.5 acres of land in districts of Kaithal, Karnal and Kurukshetra has achieved the status of 100 per cent organic certification.
While stating this, a spokesman of HAFED said that the HAFED had been providing hand holding support for Organic Farming for a total area of 2500 acres in six districts of Haryana, which included mainly free field advisory services and free organic certification. These six districts are Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra,Jhajjar, Sirsa and Mewat. The organic farming project was started in the year 2007 in Kaithal, Karnal and Kurukshetra districts with an aim to promote sustainable farming in the State.
He said that the HAFED Organic Grower Group Project had benefitted a total of 167 farmers in 41 villages in Kaithal, Karnal and Kurukshetra districts. To implement the HAFED Organic Grower Group project, the HAFED took the services of Dharani Suphlam, a Sirsa based Non-Government Organisation. Organic Farming was a specialized
agri-stream with certain principles like natural resource management through generation of agricultural inputs at farm level, he added.
He said that HAFED had adopted cluster formation approach for Organic Farming Project and thus a cluster of 750 acres with focus on Basmati Paddy was being developed in the districts of Kaithal, Karnal and Kurukshetra. Another cluster of farmers with 750 acres and focus on Desi Wheat was in Jhajjar and Mewat districts and 1000 acres with focus on pulses in district Sirsa. Farmers under these projects were being provided advisory services and organic certification free of cost by HAFED. This cost was being borne by HAFED, which was about Rs.10, 000 per hectare.
He said that Grower Group Organic Certification was a process that had to meet strict conditions, under section 5 of National Program for Organic Production (NPOP). There were two internal audits every year and one external audit. The external inspection was carried out by APEDA accredited organic certification agency as per NPOP standards. Complete certification was a three stage process- C1, C2 and C3/Organic, managed through voluminous record keeping and updation of records on “Tracenet” software of APEDA. The crop produced through such scientific methods of organic certification was 100 per cent organic, nutritious and safe for the human consumption and had high market value. Organic farmers get premium prices for their certified organic produce.
