Creating Market, Key To Growth Of Organic Farming: Experts

Bhubaneswar: While the country is trying to move fast on the path of development, the health of citizens has become a matter of serious concern for the government. It is high time we start eating healthy to maintain a healthy life, said Odisha’s former Chief Secretary Bijay Patnaik on Thursday. 

He was addressing a webinar titled, “Marketing Opportunities for Organic Farming.” The webinar was organised by Odisha Corporate Foundation (OCF), a state-based non-profit organisation.

Patnaik pointed out that excessive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture is the main cause of poor public health. It not only affects our health negatively, it deteriorates our ecology too. Encouraging farmers to opt for organic farming is the only solution to this problem, he noted. 

Organic farming holds great potential so far as the future of farming in Odisha is concerned, he said, while urging farmers to go back to our traditional methods of farming.  He encouraged them to shun chemical fertilizers and pesticides and use cow-dung and vermi-compost and organic pesticides to grow food grains, vegetables and fruits.

“The state government has a major role to play in promoting organic farming. Creating dedicated markets for organic farm products is of utmost importance to encourage farmers,” Patnaik emphasized.

OCF can play a role in bridging the gap between the farmers and the market. It can also work for setting standards of organically produced stuff, he added.