Sikkim aims to become fully organic by 2015

The north eastern hill state of Sikkim aims to go fully organic by 2015. Going organic is the new mantra in the state as government promoted organic farming has picked up in a big way among 50,000 farming families of hill state. By 2015, it plans to be converted into a certified organic state.

The north eastern hill state of Sikkim aims to go fully organic by 2015.

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Going organic is the new mantra in the state as government promoted organic farming has picked up in a big way among 50,000 farming families of hill state. By 2015, it plans to be converted into a certified organic state.

In 2003, chief minister Pawan Chamling brought the resolution to convert the entire state into organic state in the state assembly and constituted Sikkim State Organic Board. More than 8000 hectare land was covered under organic certifications in the state during till 2009. Under the scheme, the state banned the sale of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The state government has completely stopped the lifting of Government of India quota of chemical fertilizers since 2006-2007. The state government introduced organic farming and promoted a large scale use of bio fertilizers and provided certified manufactured organic manure to farmers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers.

The bio-village programme was also adopted in 2003 and around 400 villages were adopted by the state government till 2009 to benefit some 14,000 farmers and 14,000 acres of land in four districts of the state.

According to latest data, Sikkim produces some 80,000 million tonnes of farm products, including 45,890 million tonnes of ginger, 3,510 million tonnes of large cardamom, 2,790 million tonnes of turmeric, 4,100 million tonnes of buckwheat, 3,210 million tonnes of urad daal and 20,110 million tonnes of mandarin oranges.