New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS): The total export value of organic farming has the potential to reach Rs 20,000 crore in the next three years, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech on 78th Independence Day last year, noted the growing importance of organic farming across the world and its far reaching benefits on individual health and restoring soil nutrients.
Speaking at the launch of 8th edition of National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in the national capital, Minister Goyal unveiled a dedicated NPOP portal as well as ‘Organic Promotion Portal’ which will provide more visibility and ease of operations for organic stakeholders.
“Organic farming as a form of sustainable farming practice will help combat water scarcity and over-application of fertilisers and pesticides harming soil quality and crop yields in the country,” the minister noted.
Highlighting the farmers’ efforts in ensuring food security, Goyal said that there is a significant push from the government to promote organic farming.
“Organic farming has become a priority for the nation and will be regarded as a valuable way of farming across the world. Farmers adopting organic farming have seen an increase in yields and income,” he noted.
TraceNet 2.0, the upgraded online traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight, was also unveiled at the event.
The redesigned APEDA portal was also showcased with enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders.
The redesigned AgriXchange portal was also launched, which will enable more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports and data of agricultural exports making it accessible for the general public.
The minister further stated there is a need to put emphasis on packaging and marketing of the organic products for the farmers to receive the right price for their produce. He also pointed out that this value chain will also help generate employment and the nation will gain popularity across the world.