State to bring 1,000-acre area under organic farming

Kolkata: The state Agriculture department has set a target of bringing a land of 1,000 acre under organic farming in the financial year 2018-19.

Asish Banerjee, the state Agriculture minister, said in the Assembly on Monday that 50 clusters with a total area of agricultural land of 1,000 acre will be brought under organic farming.

He added that currently there are 120 clusters of organic farming. Each of the clusters measures 50 acres and the clusters are spread across 13 districts of Bengal. The 13 districts include Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, Birbhum, Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Nadia, North and South 24-Parganas, East and West Burdwan,

He further stated that 6,000 vermicompost pits have been set up across the state to support organic farming.

At the same time, tools have also been provided to the farmers for carrying out organic farming.

The Agriculture minister further informed the Assembly about the 7,560 sample soil tests that have been carried out to ascertain the presence of organic carbon in the soil. It ensured better yield out of organic farming.

He further said: "The yield out of the organic farming has gone up in the state and more initiatives have been taken to further promote the same."

Organic cultivation of crops has already started in tribal areas as well.

In reply to a question in connection with the pension of the farmers, Banerjee said: "A major step has been taken to extend support to the farmers as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to give old-age pension to as many as 1 lakh farmers above the age of 60 years. Till March 31, 69,440 aged farmers have been benefitted. Now, the number has gone up to 1 lakh and the amount of the pension has also been increased. Earlier, an elderly farmer used to get Rs 750 per month as pension and now it has been increased to Rs 1,000 per month."

He further said that Bengal has bagged Krishi Karman Awards for the five consecutive years for its development in the agriculture sector.

He also mentioned about Jayanti Dalui of Digambarpur at Patharpratima in South 24-Parganas, who has bagged Krishi Karman Puraskar for her success in pulse cultivation.