Identify Five High-Potential Crops for Natural Farming, Chief Secretary Directs Officials
Haryana moves to strengthen certification, procurement and marketing of natural and organic farm produce
Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi chairs high-level meeting to develop a coordinated framework for natural and organic farming
Departments asked to identify suitable crops, production clusters and marketing opportunities for initial programme
Chandigarh,
Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi chaired a high-level meeting at the Haryana Civil Secretariat here today to deliberate on developing a coordinated framework for the certification, procurement and marketing of naturally and organically grown agricultural produce in the state.
The meeting focused on strengthening the institutional arrangements required to connect farmers practising natural and organic farming with reliable procurement systems and organised marketing channels, while ensuring quality assurance, traceability and remunerative returns to growers.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi directed officials to identify at least five crops suitable for cultivation under natural farming practices and prepare a comprehensive action plan for their production, promotion and marketing to enhance farmers’ incomes. He said that crops such as turmeric, red chillies and ginger could be considered under the proposed initiative, keeping in view their cultivation potential and market demand. The Chief Secretary emphasised that the action plan should clearly identify suitable cultivation areas, production targets, farmer participation, certification requirements and marketing arrangements.
He also directed the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments to compile verified district-wise and crop-wise information on farmers and farmer groups engaged in natural and organic farming. The information would include the area under cultivation, certification status, estimated production and likely marketable surplus. The exercise would help identify suitable crops and production clusters for the proposed programme.
Managing Director, HAFED, Sh. Chandrashekhar Khare highlighted HAFED's role in exploring viable marketing channels, with particular emphasis on securing remunerative returns for farmers and building consumer confidence in certified natural and organic products.
The meeting also examined certification arrangements for natural and organic produce, including the role of the Haryana State Seed Certification Agency (HSSCA) and other recognised certification bodies. Emphasis was laid on developing a transparent system for certification, testing and verification, along with end-to-end traceability from the farm to the final product.
The Chief Secretary also directed officials to ensure farmer mobilisation, training, registration and certification, besides maintaining reliable records of farmers and their produce. Technical guidance from the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF), appropriate PGS-India representatives and other relevant certification bodies was also envisaged. Principal Secretary, Cooperation, Sh. Pankaj Yadav, Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Amneet P Kumar, Director, Agriculture, Sh. Amit Khatri, and other senior officials were present in the meeting.