Incentives provided to adopt organic farming

Several incentives are being provided to urge planters to adopt organic farming with a view to decrease reliance on chemical inputs and improve the quality of local food production. A demonstration was held on the Cooperative Organic Farm of Clemencia on Wednesday 13 September in the presence of the Minister of Financial Services, Good Governance and Institutional Reforms, D. Sesungkur, and Sumil Bholah, Minister of Cooperatives.

In his address, Minister Bholah highlighted that cooperatives are being guided to opt for a sustainable agricultural development. The increased use of pesticides and insecticides, he cautioned, engenders serious harmful impacts on human health and the environment. He underlined that organic farming helps to sustain the quality of soil and crops, protect the ecosystem and ensure a healthy population at the same time. In its endeavour to empower planters, Government is providing a number of incentives ranging from appropriate training by experts, grant facilities, and various new schemes.

On that occasion, some 12 members of cooperative societies, who will attend a course on organic farming at the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) in Ghaziabad, India, were handed over training materials and cheques under the Cooperative Development Fund Education Scheme.