ORGANIC CETIFICATION IN SIKKIM ON

SE Report

GANGTOK, September 19: The inspection of the nine sites under Mevedir mandated by the Horticulture and Cash Crops Development Department was successfully completed on September 16.

The Institute of Marketocology (IMO), a Swiss based firm has been chosen as the certification agency for these sites. Rohin D’Souza from IMO’s Bangalore office conducted the inspection which started from September 10.

Individual visits were made to farms larger than four Hectures and other smaller farms chosen randomly at each site. In each farm, spot visits were conducted to the fields, livestock sheds and the storage places of the farmer. All these were thoroughly inspected and interactions were held with farmers to understand their level of understanding on organic farming practices and also their recent farming practices. Interviews were also held with the Field Officers and Supervisors to assess the effectiveness of their extension activities.

The inspection started from Budang Malbasey and Karthok on the first day wherein six randomly selected farmers’ fields from each village was inspected. The villages of Khanisherbong and Chakung were covered the next day with inspection of eleven randomly selected farmers’ fields. The villages of Samsing and Suldung Kamling were covered the next day where fields of six farmers from each site were inspected randomly. Boom and Jeel villages were covered the next day. The final day, eleven farmers’ field from Hathidhunga area were inspected along with the inspection of the Field office at Hathidhunga. The Inspector gave tips on how to conduct awareness programs effectively and also requested them to generate awareness amongst farmers on various organic certified logos.

The IMO inspection started from September 10 and concluded on September 15 with a debriefing to the Mevedir District Office Headquarter staff on September 16 at Jorethang District Office.

The External Inspector also critically examined the follow-up of the various points suggested out in the last inspection. The revised number of farmers after the last inspection was also outlined to the inspector. Besides these, the Inspector also meticulously went through all the documents being maintained at each field site offices, Jorethang District office and Headquarters. A final field report will be submitted by the Inspector both to Mevedir and the Horticulture and Cash Crops Development Department shortly.