Organic farming is all set to get the offical nod for the goverment through it’s new department in the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).
“Following the number of negative reactions to the ‘green revolution’ programme and after witnessing the people’s positive response to organic farming, the TNAU has decided to start the ‘Sustainable Organic Agriculture Department’, focusing on organic farming practices. This new department is expected to function from this May,” said S Ramasamy, TNAU.
Ramasamy, who is a professor of Agronomy and Head of the proposed new department recently arrived at Chennai to participate in the project launch of ‘Sustain’, organised by Bayer Material Science, here on Tuesday. Speaking to City Express, he said, “The new department has been established with a view of taking organic farming both in low intensity crop fields and high intensity crop fields.”
He added, “Through the department, organic farming can be carried out in three forms. In the first, we maintain and extend the organic farming, in the second, we develop the potential of ‘default organic farming areas’ and in the third, we integrate agricultural practices in high intensity crop fields”.
He said that maintaining and extending organic farming exclusively will lead to an ‘organic certification’ of the products from the farms. “By this we can achieve ‘premium price’ for the product,” he said.
He stated that Tamil Nadu has 10 to 15 percent of ‘default organic farming areas’ where the soil has good nutrients naturally. “Regions like Ramnad district, Kolli Hills are able to cultivate one or two annual crops. Identifying such areas and developing the potential of organic farming there will increase the economy of the local farmers. Implementing integrated agriculture practices like following both organic and chemical used farming in the high intensity crop fields will enhance the yield and increase the economy of the farmers,” he added.
He further noted that, “Though Sikkim has very limited annual crops, it has been declared as the first organic state in the year 2003. But Tamil Nadu has numerous crops and if we practice organic farming in a systematic way we too are able to become an organic state”.
He also pointed out that the policy for organic agriculture of the state is being prepared by the concerned departments and it may be brought to public domain soon.