Urbanites to be made aware of organic farming

Giving stress on terrace farming, initiative is being taken to make urban populace aware of the techniques of cultivating organic crops in rooftops.

A unique initiative has been taken to set up a model rooftop organic farming facility at Bidhan Sishu Udyan in Ultadanga, where the state Agriculture department recently organised a three-day Jaibo Krishi Mela.

If everything goes as planned, then students from different schools and colleges will be brought to have a look at rooftop farming at Bidhan Sishu Udayan where organic farming will be carried out with technical support of the state Agriculture department.

It is learnt that organic farming will be carried out on a terrace of around 4,000 square feet of one of the buildings of the organisation at Ultadanga. The preliminary work to initiate the project has started and the final round of the task would be started soon.

Around 10 to 12 farmers, who have sound knowledge about organic farming, will cultivate organic vegetables on the rooftop. Since the place is located in the middle of the city, it will be easier to attract people to have a look and learn the "easy techniques" of organic farming.

At present, some farmers cultivate organic vegetables on around three bighas of land at the same place and on every Sunday they sell their produce. Besides selling the vegetables cultivated there, some more farmers from villages in the adjoining districts, too, visit the Sunday marker and sell their organic vegetables.

The state Fisheries department has also taken steps to initiate pisciculture using organic methods in a 22-bigha pond at the same location. Thus, people visiting the place can not only learn the ways of organic farming but also get to know how pisciculture can be done in an organic method.

This comes at the time when the state government has decided to set up a bio-laboratory at Abash in West Midnapore to promote organic farming. All sorts of tests that are necessary for organic farming can be undertaken in the proposed bio-laboratory. The step has been taken considering that the western region of the state has immense potential in growing organic crops. Moreover, the state government is taking steps to introduce policies for organic farming too.