Shillong, Jan 11: The state Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Meghalaya State Organic Farming Policy.
Cabinet has approved the Meghalaya State Organic & Farming Policy 2023 to further our efforts towards Organic Farming in Meghalaya. The Policy will streamline our plan of action and will look into aspects of organic certification of produce.@nstomar @AgriGoI pic.twitter.com/rrle9P7HkJ
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) January 11, 2023
Addressing media persons after the meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the policy seeks to give a complete structure on how to move forward in terms of the organic mission and in terms of organic farming in the state.
He said the policy will also ensure that certification is something that people will not have to go too far. “The Bio Resources Development Centre is already empanelled to give the organic certification and many other state organizations will also then be empanelled,” he said.
According to him, the policy will also ensure the setting up of outlets and consumption centres where people can go and buy organic food.
Asked on the government’s decision to lift the ban on the use of chemical fertilizer and its plan to achieve the mission organic, the chief minister said there is need to balance things out as it is not simple to say “today we are using fertilizers and tomorrow we just stop it and we are just going to shift to organic farming in one go.”
Stating that everything has to be in a transition format, he said chemical fertilizers are still required in some areas such as the vegetable growing section, and it is taking time for the organic fertilizers to really have meaningful impact.
“So, yes, if you are saying we are going to simply shift to organic tomorrow, that is not going to happen; it takes time, it is a process, we need to continue to ensure that the people are taken on board, we need to ensure that people are given the options and are given the alternative to move forward,” he said.
He said the policy intend to ensure the shift towards organic farming is done slowly and steadily.
“Therefore, areas which are not using chemical fertilizers will at least be getting incentives, structures or systems to move into organic farming and get the support that they want… we will (also) see that we slowly shift them (farmers) from chemical fertilizers to organic fertilizers. But as I said, for us to do that we have to keep in mind that there are people who are depending on this chemical fertilizer, there are vegetables that need this and, hence, for us to completely cut it off and say we will not do it from tomorrow, it will not be just and it will require us to really consider the livelihood of the people and that is why it is a process and we are moving towards that,” he explained.
