Jammu and Kashmir: First organic market opens in Srinagar, farmers of five districts will be able to sell goods
The first market, opened in Srinagar’s agricultural complex, has more than 300 farmers doing organic farming in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Bandipore and Ganderbal.
In order to promote organic farming in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has opened the first organic market in Srinagar. In this market, open in Srinagar, farmers of five districts of the valley will be able to sell their organic goods easily to the people.
The first market, opened in Srinagar’s agricultural complex, has more than 300 farmers doing organic farming in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Bandipore and Ganderbal.
In the coming days, the state government is making efforts to promote organic farming in the state under the Jammu and Kashmir Arogya Gram Yojana, for which the central government has given an amount of Rs 25 crore.
According to Ejaz Andrabi, director of the Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department, it was decided to organize this market and open the first market in Srinagar after complaints from farmers in Kashmir that they are not getting a market for organic farming. According to Ijaz, in the coming days such markets will be opened at all district headquarters.
Vegetables are cultivated on a total of 7.35 lakh hectares in Jammu and Kashmir and out of this, organic farming is done on about 17558 hectares in which many types of medicinal plants, grains and vegetables are being grown. In the coming days, with the help of the central government, 7444 hectares of additional cultivation is to be added to this type of organic farming.
Organic farming farmers have now got double happiness – on the one hand, with the help of the government, the cost is reduced on the vegetables and grains grown in their fields, while on the market, they are also getting good prices for the food items, so that farmers’ income Also increased.
According to Irshad Ahmed Dar, a farmer of Pulwama, he does not have to spend any money in such farming, neither chemical fertilizer nor any other substance is used and the price of finished goods is getting double. In Putlipora (where Irshad came from this market) of Pulwama, about fifty farmers are doing cluster organic farming and their income is many times larger.
In the last three years, there is a huge demand for organic farming in Jammu and Kashmir and people have started using non-chemical substances. According to Zahoor Kavusa, a resident of Srinagar, nowadays people have become very aware of health and are buying foods without chemical even after paying a higher price.
Not only this, according to the statistics of the Department of Agriculture, a large number of people in the Corona call have also encouraged similar organic farming in the kitchen garden, which has led to a 500% increase in the kitchen garden.
