Chamling exhorts farmers to increase production of organic

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has exhorted the farmers of his state to increase production of organic foodgrains to cater to domestic demands.

"We have set a target to make Sikkim self-reliance and self-sufficiency in foodgrains within five years for which our farmers must increase production of organic foodgrain to at least meet the domestic demand," he said at the Sikkim Organic Day-cum-'Krishi Unnati Mela' here on Friday.

In order to ensure self-sufficiency in organic foodgrains in Sikkim, the people should ensure that no land remains barren or fallow, Chamling said, adding even terrace gardens and vertical gardens should be explored for farming purposes.

The chief minister also asked the farmers to get their lands certified by Agriculture and Horticulture departments as land under organic farming.

In order to encourage farmers to take up organic farming in a big way, he said that organic demonstration farms must be constructed in all districts and organic farming in-charge be appointed in all gram panchayat units.

Sikkim was declared as an organic state in 2016 and the state government last year banned supply of non-organic food items from outside to ensure success of the organic mission.