Port Blair, March 19: A 3 day national seminar on Organic farming and product Diversification of coconut has begun at Port Blair today. Inaugurating the seminar at Megapode resort this morning, the Islands Chief Secretary, AnandPrakash  called upon the farmers to promote organic farming in a large scale in the islands. He said the seminar will be of immense helpful to the island farmers to improve the yield in their farms and asked them to implement in their fields whatever new techniques they learn from the seminar.  Emphasizing on the need to promote organic farming in more beneficial manner for the farmers, he said more thrust has to be given to improve the marketing facilities for organic products.  He also stated that a new certification system has been launched by the government for the organic products and the farmers would get optimum benefits out of the system.  

The Chief Secretary and the chairman of the High value Agriculture Development Agency (HVADA) also released the English and Hindi versions of the publication on organic farming titled “ Andaman and Nicobar Mission organic “ .  The Secretary of Agriculture, S N Mishra received the first copies of the books.

Earlier, addressing the participants, the Plantation Crop Management Specialist, Dr P Rethinam stressed the need to promote only organic farming in the islands, since non organic farming would have adverse impact on the fragile eco system of the region.  He said globally 3.32 lakh hectares of land were put under organic farming and India occupied the second position with 1 million hectares of organic farm lands, after China with the 1.2 million hectares of land under organic cultivation. 

Stressing on the importance of diversification of coconut products, he said the coconut farming can be made profitable only through production of high value products like virgin coconut oil and other edible and non-edible  products.   Citing an example, he said in the island nation,   Marshall island the coconut oil has been improved as refined fuel to run the cars and even the factory machineries.  He also emphasised that all out efforts have to be taken to produce all the products locally, which are being brought from the main land to pave way for self-reliance and economic development of the region. He also appealed to the farmers to take steps to cultivate high value fruits like Durian to earn attractive income out of agriculture.  He said if the island farmers changed their mind set, nothing is impossible for them; and they can engage in organic farming in more profitable manner.

The Secretary of Agriculture, S N Mishra informed that the scientists and experts would give expert advice and necessary guidance to the participating farmers to promote organic farming in the islands in commercially attractive manner.

Speaking on the occasion, the Officiating Director of CARI, D R Singh informed that the high value coconut mission launched in the islands a few years back is very successful and improved the yield of coconut trees to 33 nuts per tree from the earlier yield of 22 per tree.  He expressed concern that the organic products from the islands are yet to be given a brand name and called for concerted efforts by all concerned to improve the organic farming in a large scale, besides obtaining the brand name for the island organic products.

The Director of Agriculture, M A Salam also spoke. A number of farmers from different islands attended the seminar.

As part of the seminar, an exhibition on organic farming is put up at the venue.  Agriculture scientists and experts from different parts of the country will conduct the sessions in the seminar.  This 3-daylong seminar will conclude on Thursday.