A sudden spurt has been witnessed in the states opting for organic farming. Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya are planning to ban the use of chemicals in their agricultural processes. In Madhya Pradesh, over 3,300 villages have been identified for organic farming.
These states are hoping that the makeover will help them to fetch premium prices for their produce from the export and domestic markets. While Mizoram has declared itself 'totally organic', Sikkim hopes to follow suit in five years. Uttaranchal has set up an Organic Commodities Board to promote this mode of farming.
India is among 39 countries that have regulations for organic farming. According to the Horticulture Society of India, there are over 5,347 registered organic farms in the country. Environment-friendly agriculture is, however, practised on a much larger scale. The export of organically grown products from India is a recent development. The global market for organic fruits is pegged at Rs 11,700 crore, of which India's share is Rs 89.42 crore.
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