Haryana to help set up training centre for organic farming: CM

Haryana government will provide all assistance for setting up of a centre to train farmers in organic farming at Gurukul, Kurukshetra.
This would also help them in enhancing their income, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said while addressing farmers at 'Swarna Jayanti Kisan Sammelan on organic farming' at village Mirzapur, Kurukshetra today.
Khattar offered assistance after the announcement by Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat to set up the training centre, an official release said.
The Chief Minister said that state government had decided to bring 10 per cent of the total cultivable area under organic farming in the state, which is being done in a phased manner.

He said that out of one crore acres of land in the state, area under cultivation is 70 lakh.
Thus the government would cover seven lakh acres under organic farming.

In the first phase, the gaushalas are also being associated with this initiative. The first phase was launched today under which 20 clusters would be established in 10 districts.
Each cluster would include 50 acres of agricultural land. He said that government intends to start five clusters in every block so that about 50,000 acres of land could be made cultivable under organic farming in the first phase.
He urged the farmers to adopt organic farming, which would increase their income and improve quality of produce.

Referring to declining land holdings in agriculture, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also committed to double the income of farmers by 2022.
The state government also wants that income of farmers should be minimum Rs 1 lakh per acre per year so that they are not forced to sell their land.
During the Green Revolution, chemicals and pesticides were used in a big way to increase the productivity which badly impacted quality of foodgrains.
Now there is a need to switch over to the traditional system of cultivation, he added.
Khattar said the state government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The government has given Rs 2,400 crore as compensation to farmers for damage to their crops during last two years.

He said that another decision on SYL canal case, which had been pending for 12 years in the Supreme Court, will come soon and it might be in the state's favour.