NCOL would help farmers succeed with organic farming: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation has said that the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) will help India realise its potential to become a global leader in organic products.

Shah said this while addressing the National Symposium on Promotion of Organic Produce organised by NCOL at the ICAR Convention Centre, PUSA, New Delhi on November 8.

He said that this path-breaking initiative will help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s  vision of cooperative prosperity & sustainable livelihood for farmers.

“Establishment of a national-level cooperative to promote organic products is a significant step towards boosting rural economy. The inclination towards organic produce is increasing day by day. But many farmers are unaware about the process of certification, marketing of their organic produce. NCOL will help the farmers in all these activities and it will help in enhancing their income”, said Amit Shah.

NCOL, established under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, will facilitate production, distribution & marketing of certified organic products and prove to be a milestone in the cooperative and agricultural sectors, benefitting future generations. The five promoters of NCOL include reputable institutions such as NDDB, GCMMF, NAFED, NCDC and NCCF.

Shah launched the logo, website, brochure and Bharat Organic Brand of NCOL on this occasion. While launching 6 organic products under the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand, Shri Shah pointed out that the prices of organic products are higher but Bharat Organics will market them at a lower price than existing organic products. NCOL will deposit 50% of the excess realisation in the bank accounts of farmers directly, which will benefit farmers by increasing their income. “20 organic products will be launched soon and I am sure, NCOL will soon become the largest organic producer in the country,” he said while hoping that NCOL will become the largest organisation in the field of organic products in the world over next five years.

He also unveiled NDDB Mrida Ltd’s (fully owned subsidiary of NDDB) website and gobar gas slurry-based phosphate-rich organic manure (PROM), jointly developed by NDDB & Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GSFC) produced at Varanasi Biogas Plant under brand name “Sardar Sudhan”.

The member organisations of NCOL hail from various states across the country including Gujarat, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, highlighting the diversity of NCOL. He was confident that this initiative will benefit farmers nationwide and conveyed his best wishes to all the promoters of NCOL.

Shah called upon farmers to reduce use of fertilisers on targeted basis and simultaneously increase adoption of organic manure. He also cited some example of the usage of organic manure resulting in increased production and also improving the soil health.

Harping on the fact that product testing is an important aspect of the biological value chain, Shah said by 2024, 150 laboratories will be ready for biological testing and 300 mobile vans will be deployed for rapid testing and sampling across the country. This will benefit farmers and producer organizations in all states, allowing them to get their produce tested. However, many consumers who want to switch to organic food are unable to do so due to lack of trust, inconsistent availability and high prices. The establishment of a national organization like NCOL will solve all these issues.

BL Verma, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Cooperation; Shri Gyanesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation; Shri Sunil Barthwal, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution; Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB & NCOL; Shri Mukesh Puri, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Govt of Gujarat & MD, GSFC; Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI and other important dignitaries also graced the occasion.