Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Kumar Chamling on April 3 made an announcement that organic farmers of the State will be felicitated with monthly pension.
Currently, Chamling is on a 32-day tour. Ahead of the Assembly Elections scheduled next year, he commenced his journey from Northern Sikkim, a thinly populated area.
A meeting was structured at Mangan, a district headquarter of North Sikkim, where Chamling addressed natives. In his speech, he discussed how the culture of organic farming and the hardcore dedication of organic farmers owed its sweet fruit to the entire State of Sikkim.
He motivated the youth of Sikkim to come up with innovational enterprise setups for promoting their culture of organic farming. Simultaneously, he urged his officers to take a step ahead in organic vegetable cultivation as their hobby. Opting this ancient method of chemical-free agriculture will mark a new green revolution. The switch from traditional farming to organic farming is beneficiary to the health and well-being of the people, wherein the people will be a part of a disease-free society. This ultimately will pave the way for ecological balance. Moreover, the State has now become self-sufficient by the in-house production of vegetables.
To add-on to this and to promote organic farming first within Sikkim, Charming has imposed a ban on the trade and consumption of non-organic agriculture and horticulture based products which dominated markets prior to organic practices. To pen a few – cereals, vegetables, spices, and fruits. He believes that this initiative will promote a healthy lifestyle for his people. This will also furnish organic farmers with a platform to earn a decent source of livelihood.
The Chief Minister further conveys, “The practice of organic agriculture was a preventive initiative of the local citizen to combat the threats of global warming as well the climatic changes.”
In the end, Chamling concluded that the Sikkim government believes in knocking the doors of the common man with a view to get acquainted with their problems and assist them in dealing with it, reported Business Standard.
History of organic farming in Sikkim
Sikkim is attributed to be the first State of the nation to receive the title of ‘fully organic state’ in 2017. The base for organic farming was laid back in 2003 when the Sikkim Legislative Assembly passed a resolution in this context. Ram Khatiwoda is one such representative of the 66,000 organic farmers of the North-eastern State who have refused the use of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By 2015, Sikkim was successful in obtaining organic certification for the state agricultural land measuring 74,313 hectares in area, reported The Indian Express.
The Logical Indian congratulates Sikkim for its agricultural progress and hopes that other State governments are inspired to promote the same.
