Promoting Organic Farming through NPOF, NHM and RKVY

The Government of India is promoting organic farming in various parts of the country including Bihar through various schemes like National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY). It is already supporting financial assistance under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) for setting up of vermi-compost units @ 50% of the cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 30,000/- per beneficiary. Funds are also provided @ 50% of the cost subject to maximum of Rs. 10,000/- per hectare for a maximum area of 4 hectare per beneficiary for adoption of organic farming. Similar norms of assistance are applicable for assistance given under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY). Under NPOF scheme, financial assistance is provided for setting up of organic inputs production units as credit linked back-ended subsidy to the tune of 33% restricted to Rs. 60.00 lakh for setting up of Fruit/Vegetable market Waste / Agro-waste compost units and 25% restricted to Rs 40.00 lakh for setting up of Bio-fertilisers production units / Bio-pesticides production units. Beside this, a farmers’ group centric low-cost certification system, ‘‘Participatory Guarantee System (PGS-India)’’ an alternative of 3rd party certification system has been launched during 2011-12 to increase the area under organic farming. This information was given by MOS for Agriculture, Shri Tariq Anwar in a reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. MP:DS:CP: organic farming (26.2.2013) (Release ID :92563)