Greenpeace lauds Bihar's organic farming initiatives

Greenpeace India, the environment protection organisation, has welcomed and lauded the Bihar government's decision to give priority to organic farming.

"This initiative will prove sustainable for the agriculture and food security in the long run," a Greenpeace official said here on Monday.

According to the organisation, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the state's Agriculture Department officials to give priority to organic farming, and said it should be the basis of agicultural roadmap.

"Organic farming is the only way for the farmers to ensure better profit and to protect and conserve biodiversity. Bihar government has good schemes for organic farming, it should be implemented on a large scale with the help of the farmers," Greenpeace India senior campaigner Ishteyaque Ahmad said.

Ahmad said Greenpeace expects the Bihar government to give at least 40 per cent of the budget of the agricultural roadmap of 2017-22 to organic farming.

"It will encourage the farmers to say no to chemical fertilisers. Farmers would certainly shift from chemical-based farming to almost completely organic," he said.

--IANS

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