Port Blair, Mar 15: Organic products have its own value and importance. Farmers should come forward and adopt organic farming in the interest islander’s health, observed the Chief Secretary, Mr Anand Prakash at the inaugural function of the State Level Seminar on Promotion of Organic Agriculture organized by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the High Value Agriculture Development Agency, Department of Agriculture, National Horticulture Mission and National Horticulture Board, Port Blair, on Tuesday.
In her address, Smt. R. Menka, Secretary, Agriculture said that the All Islands of Andaman & Nicobar will be covered under organic farming by 2018 and the administration will extend all required support to the farmers. She further said that the administration has increased the subsidy for Organic Agriculture to 75% from 50%. Dr. E. Somasundaram, the professor & Head of Department of Organic Agriculture, TNAU, Coimbatore, specially invited to address the farmers on organic farming, offered his service and support from Tamil Nadu Agriculture University for any developmental programme for Organic Farming in Islands.
Two technical sessions were also held on the first day of seminar which was addressed by the Dr. E. Somasundaram, the professor & Head of Department of Organic Agriculture, TNAU, Coimbatore, Dr. R.K. Gautam, Pr. Scientist and in-charge Head of Horticulture & Forestry Division, CIARI, Dr. TVRS Sharma, Consultant, Regional Medical Research Center,(ICMR), Port Blair and Dr. A. Velmurugan, Sr. Scientist, NRM Division, CAIRI.
