Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil   

Need for organic farming stressed

Nagercoil: The Tourism Minister, N. Suresh Rajan has appealed to the Organic Farmers’ Association to ensure the utilisation of State and Central Governments entire assistance through panchayats for the benefit of the farming community.

Presiding over a conference on the need for organic farming, jointly organised by the association and Rural Uplift Centre, a non-governmental organisation based in Nagercoil on Monday, the Minister pointed out the Government was ready to extend all assistance to the farmers who preferred organic farming and those organisation, which wanted to promote such farming.

He also assured the organisers that immediate steps would be taken to invite the Agriculture Minister to visit the district for a discussion with the experts to set up of ‘centre of excellence on organic farming’. The Member of Lok Sabha, A.V.Bellarmine, assured the organisers that he would strive hard to explore ways to get Central Government’s financial assistance for promoting the farmers who wanted to prefer organic farming.

Steps would also be taken to establish marketing centres at taluk level with cold storage facility. The Government should also come forward to ensure mobile procurement facility for the benefit of farmers. He distributed certificates to 210 farmers, who under went training in organic farming for one year. G. Nammalvar, a leading scientist on organic farming, said that owing to the usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, there was a loss of fertility in the soil.

As the food production was Government responsibility, the officials should ensure the liability of food production at the cost of Sate and Central Governments, said the secretary of Rural Uplift Center, A. Maria James.

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