All agricultural settlements to have model organic village

Tuesday, 26 June 2007, 10:38 a.m.

Dharamshala: Because of logistical constraints faced in replicating the organic experience of one model settlement in various other places, the Home Department has now decided to create a Pilot Organic Model Village in each of the 12 major agricultural settlements spread across the length of India.

In fact, the project has already begun from two settlements in the central India – the village 4 of Orissa and the village 5 of Mainpat, with a combined land holding of over 400 acres. In addition to these two villages, some 21 families of Herbertpur’s Khera village have also adopted organic farming on over 60 acres of land.

With the settlements of Mundgod, Bylakuppee and Hunsur already slotted in the next year’s order of business, this long-term project would have to be phased out in several years, the head of the agriculture and cooperative division of the Department, Ngodup Dorjee, told TibetNet.

As an integral part of its rehabilitation program, the Department has, over the last four decades, established 52 Tibetan settlements in India (35), Nepal (10) and Bhutan (7). Out of the 35 settlements in India, which are either based on agriculture or agro industries/handicrafts, some 18 qualify as agricultural settlements.

Tibetan organic produce being showcased at the trade fair in Bangalore.

The model villages will receive all the inputs required in the process of organic conversion, ranging from arranging training programs and exposure tour to organic farms, to procurement of seeds and preparation of compost and vermin compost, to the eventual assistance in getting the organic produce certified from a recognized agency.

According to Mr Dorje, the project is expected to rev up the nascent movement of organic farming in Tibetan settlements. Since it was first introduced in 2003, the organic farming has thus far progressed at a snail’s pace – or at least at a rate far below the desired level.

The organic farm of few villages of just one model settlement cannot disseminate the required level of knowledge and motivation to all other settlements, Mr Dorje noted. “If all the major agricultural settlements have a model village within their own settlements, it would raise both the pace and scale of organic farming in our settlements.”

The policy of sustainable agriculture based on organic farming – one defining initiative of this Kashag – is aimed at preserving the viability of the Tibetan settlements. Since the introduction of organic farming at Kollegal, the Department has carried sustained awareness and motivation programs in all the major settlements. With funding from the Italian NGO COSPE, the Department has also deputed fully-trained Agriculture Extension Officers in all the 12 major agricultural settlements.

Since 2003, the process of organic conversion has been successfully carried out in three villages of the model agricultural settlement at Kollegal – its every village has about 32 five-member households, with an average land holding of over 100 acres. Now, at least two more of its remaining 19 villages are geared up for organic farming.

Although the organic produce from Kollegal has been duly certified by the Bangalore-based IMO as “organic in conversion quality”, Mr Dorje said that the yield as of now is too low for effective marketing, which he said is only possible when one can produce enough to supply the market round the year.

When asked about the challenges before the organic farming in Tibetan settlements, Mr Dorje said that the monetary reward from conventional farming, at least in the short-run, is proving to be a major distraction. “However, those who are serious about their farming are the ones most receptive to the advantages of going organic in the long-run.”