Andhra Pradesh - Others   

Reaping `organic' benefits

S. Harpal Singh

TO RYOTS' RESCUE: Louis-Marie Vautier (right), president of Ekyog with Nathalie Lebas, partner of the firm and Rajat Jaipuria, MD of Rajyalakshmi Cotton Mills.

ADILABAD: Organic cotton farmers of Asifabad and Kerameri mandals in Adilabad district will soon have another reason to be happy, thanks to a French connection. Brittany-based French garment company Ekyog will extend them finances for irrigation and provide them milch animals in line with its social objective.

Ekyog's president Louis-Marie Vautier, Nathalie Lebas, partner of the company, along with Rajat Jaipuria, managing director of Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills, Kolkata, which supplies garments made of organic cotton to the French firm, visited the organic cotton farming villages in the two mandals recently.

Fair trade

"People are happy to take to organic cotton farming which falls in line with our goal of sustainable development and fair trade. To help farmers tide over initial difficulties, we will assist them financially," disclosed Mr. Louis-Marie Vautier.

"This season, we purchased organic cotton at Rs. 3,100 per quintal which is 80 per cent more than the current price of conventional cotton. This goes into production of ethical garments for Ekyog. This year, we expect them to purchase garments worth one million dollars," said Mr. Rajat Jaipuria.

Chetna Organic, an NGO, which has implemented the organic cotton-farming project in the two mandals, will also look after the nitty-gritty of the social project. "We endeavour to give back more to the farmers. The 243 farmers who have gone in for organic cotton farming are now 10 per cent share holders of Rajlakshmi's new garment mill in Kolkata," revealed Arun Chandra Ambatipudi, manager and team leader of Chetna Organic.

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