Boost to organic farming in remote Indian villages

@patkaushal -

Organic farming is bringing significant changes in the lives of farmers in remote villages in India. Some are successful through their entrepreneurial skills, while many others benefit from the support extended by the government and non-government organisations.

Nav Chetna Agro Centre (NCAC) is one such organisation helping the farmers grow organic fruits and vegetables and making them self-reliant financially. The not-for-profit organisation takes care of their marketing, advisory and other basic requirements to make them successful organic farmers.

According to media reports, due to NCAC initiatives, some 1,500 farmers have turned into organic farmers in Mirzapur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. They are self-employed, adding value to the state by being part of the chain that is able to sell agriculture products in other Indian cities. In addition, some of their products are being exported to some GCC countries where fruits and vegetables are in great demand.

Kanak Lata from Vittalpur is one such example. She got basic training from NCAC and now grows two popular varieties of tomato – Durg and Aryaman – which are a hit among local and foreign buyers. She is expecting a profit of INR 2.5 lakh per month through her organic products.

Kanak admitted she got valuable assistance from NCAC, an associate venture of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). She overcame few initial challenges and adopted the scientific approach to farming, and in no time, started getting seven quintals of agriculture products every day from her farmland. Now she not only feeds the local market, but she has customers in the UK and Sultanate of Oman.

There are many others like Kanak who benefitted from NCAC. People like Radha Devi, Vikas, Chanda Devi and Ramesh are among 1,500 beneficiaries of the NCAC.

They are full-time farmers and inspiration for many others in the area to take to farming activities seriously.

Nav Chetna Agro Centre is the brainchild of two brothers, Mukesh Pandey and Chandra Mauli, who left well-paying jobs in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and business in Varanasi, respectively in pursuit of doing something for their village and state.

Today, the NCAC gives the farmers essential tips, helps them get the necessary equipment, and markets their products.

It purchases the farmers’ organic products at a higher rate than offered in the market. For their assistance to the farmers, the NCAC got financial support from the state government and received an award from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for being the best Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) in the state.