North-East being developed as organic farming hub: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday underscored that North-East was being developed as the hub of organic farming, as part of the government's mission to promote organic farming in the country.

"The government is engaged in promoting organic farming throughout the country under the traditional agricultural development plan. So, based on that, the North-East is being developed as a hub of organic farming. My emphasis on organic products is because they are as ancient as they are, as well as modern," he said while addressing the annual 'Krishi Unnati Mela' at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute here.

"The truth is that we are one of the oldest organic farming countries in the world. Today, the country has done organic farming on more than 22 lakh hectares," he added.

Prime Minister Modi added that during the National Agricultural Conference last month, he had considered an e-marketing portal for marketing of organic products.

"E-Marketing Portal will play a big role in delivering biological or organic products from farm to market and from consumer to consumer door. Information about products, its market, and supply chain information will now be available to farmers and consumers easily," he added.

He further said that while India was ahead in organic farming, it was behind in terms of value addition. However, he expressed hope that the limitation would be solved by the e-marketing portal.

Prime Minister Modi also stated that the advancement of such new sectors in the agriculture will help in the advancement of the farmers in the future.

"Along with Green and White Revolution, the more we focus on Organic Revolution, Water Revolution, Blue Revolution and Sweet Revolution, the more the income of the farmers will increase," he asserted.

Commenting on solar farming, the Prime Minister said that this type of farming was another way to generate new income adding that solar farming was not only addressing the irrigation needs but was helping the environment as well.

"With solar panels, the farmer takes the power necessary for pumping water so that it can simultaneously sell extra electricity to the government. In the past three years, the government has transported about Rs. 3 lakh solar pumps to farmers and has been approved for a sum of about half a thousand crores," he said.

He further said that 25 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (agricultural science centres) was inaugurated today and there were now about 700 of them in the country.

Terming the Krishi Vigyan centres as the 'new lighthouse of modern agriculture in India', Prime Minister Modi said that the most important work of these centres "is delivering new information and technology to farmers.