Agri experts for legislation to promote organic farming

[S.Annadana]

Agri experts for legislation to promote organic farming

* Organic farming uses environment-friendly inputs and therefore generates environment-friendly foods and services

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: To keep country’s environment, soil and water clean, the government has to make some legislation to promote organic farming, as India did.

Asian Productivity Organisation’s (APO) agriculture expert, Muhammad Saeed expressed these views here Friday during a chat with Daily Times. He said organic farming uses environmental friendly inputs and therefore generates environmental friendly foods and services. Such farming, therefore, positively contributes to marked reduction in air, soil and ground water pollution.

Saeed said, India did proper legislation for promotion of organic farming by exporting a huge quantity of agriculture, produced by organic farming. He added that in EU, USA and other western countries, there is great demand for agriculture produce through organic farming.

However, he expressed his astonishment that in Pakistan majority of farmers doesn’t have knowledge about this safe method of farming. But some farmers, individually applying it, he maintained and saying there was trend that people like vegetable, fruits produced through organic method.

The APO expert said the appeal of organic products was found in the way they were produced. Organic foods were grown without pesticides, benefiting the environment through improved soil and water quality. Organic farming thus benefits farmers and consumers alike.

One can find out hundred of success stories, in EU, USA, Germany and in many other developed countries, where organic farming has gained roots. Even in our case, there are many people practising organic farming, even in irrigated areas. “Organic farming is an environmental friendly ecosystem management in which, use of all kinds of synthetic inputs are eliminated,” he claimed.

Earlier, at concluding ceremony of 5-day international workshop on “Organic farming” the APO expert Saeed said 19 foreign delegates from India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and resource persons from Germany attended the workshop.

The food security concerns were on rise in Pakistan and suggested organic farming for local consumption as well as for foreign exchange earning. In Pakistan, he said at individual level, farmers in some parts of Balochistan, AJK, Chitral and others were using organic farming.

However, the main hurdle in organic farming in Pakistan was the certificate issuing authority. Those who were applying the organic farming, they got their certificate from abroad and stressed that local body should be establish to issue the certificate. He said India has issuing certificate for organic farming and that was accepted to EU countries.

Chief guest, Kausar Abdul Malik, Member Planning Commission, said organic farming have different requirements and accepted that certificate issue for Pakistan farmers was main hurdle in the way of organic farming. He said some agriculture universities were already working for promoting organic farming.

Replying to the question about high cost of agriculture inputs, the chief guest said the government should switch over to organic farming, as it has great potential for increasing agriculture export.

He termed organic farming a science and before applying it, a person has to complete knowledge about it. He asked the scientists of the PARC to work for promotion of organic farming in the country.

An Indian participant, Deoghare told Daily Times that India introduced organic farming in 2004 and up till now 538,000 hectors were converted in to organic farming.

Deoghare claimed that yields of organic farming initially used locally and later on it would be exported. “Our country is issuing certificate for organic farming and its standards are just equal to that of EU countries.”

He said the area delineated for “organic farming” forbids use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs, hormones and breeds, additives, preservatives etc.

Other experts in the workshop said Pakistan was facing the threat of loosing many international markets after the introduction of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Recent trends indicate that Pakistan now exports fruit mainly to Middle East and Sri Lanka, where quality standards were not as stringent as compared to the developed countries. The current export of Kinnow to European countries was almost zero. Pakistan has, therefore, decided to introduce Euro Good Agricultural Practice (Euro GAP) to upgrade its farming standards in line with international standards.

They said the ‘organic farming’ would have a direct impact to alleviate poverty by providing large-scale employment to unskilled semi-skilled labour. Consequently, organic farm labour could be involved in the post-harvest operations of grading, washing, packing, labelling, and loading because such measures would further help in increasing farm income and in maintaining freshness as part of high quality produce leaving transport and consumers market between the farm and the dining table.