VIA Agro Food Processing & Rural Development Forum organized a session “Interaction on Certification and Marketing of Natural & Organic Farm Produces” on 13thMay 2023 at VIA Auditorium, Nagpur, with active supports from State Agriculture Department and National Center for Organic & Natural Farming, Nagpur.
I am delighted to see the overwhelming response for sustainable Natural and Organic farming in Vidarbha, said Ravindra Manohare, Superintending Agriculture Officer, Government of Maharashtra, while delivering the keynote address as Chief Guest, in front of a large gathering of Agri-entrepreneurs, Farmers, Processers and consumers on Certification and Marketing of Natural & Organic Farm Produces at VIA Auditorium, Nagpur, with active supports from State Agriculture Department and National Center for Organic & Natural Farming, Nagpur. We are also planning to establish multiple outlets selling authentic Natural and Organic farm produces in strategic locations in public partnerships, he said during interaction with the public and buyers at the program.
Team organic India has made remarkable progress during last couple of decades, since 2000 after India launched the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) aimed at the focused and well-directed development of organic agriculture. In 2004, under the tenth-year plan, a central scheme called the National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) for capacity building, financial support and human resource development was initiated. In the same year, India also founded the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) to implement the policy. We at Nagpur are providing a single window sustainable guidance including hands on training at our own Amaravati Road premises and simplified certification process, said Dr Ajay Singh Rajput, the Regional Director, NCOF, while addressing the august gathering as the Guest of Honour.
The entire Organic certification process is based on mutual trust, said Laxmikant Padole, Director Neem Foundations (Neem Research & Technology Development Centre), Nagpur, while delivering the subject expert lecture.
Eminent Panelists from the field including Dr Suhas Buddhe (Vice President -VIA), Atul Pande (Past President – VIA), Sumati Agrawal, CEO Sungod Agfarms, Prof Ajay Thomare, Dr Rina Saha, Vivek Suryavanshi, Chandrasekhar Kakde, had expressed their views and emphasized on creating more awareness amongst the consumers for Organic & Natural Farm Produce, encouraging bulk buyers and corporate clients for better farm realizations.
The farm produce demonstrations sales from popular farms like JDS Farms, Bharati Herbs, Sungod Agfarm, Vidarbha Biotech, Vena Veggie Farms, Nakshatra Farms, Healthy traditions, Shivalaya Farms, Vihang Farms, Dhruv Farms, dealing with all season Vegetables, Fruits, Rice, Pulses, Masala, wheat, Millets etc attracted good customers, resulting in good sales.
The farmers were impressed with demonstration and availability of organic inputs like Biopesticides, Bio Fertilizers etc as required for Natural farming in the stalls of Krishi Kranti Kendra, Figon Biotech, S&S Biotech amongst others.
After lighting the traditional lamps by the VIA Team, invited guests, panelist and stall owners, the program was formally opened by Om Jajodia, Chairman of the VIA Agro & Rural Development Forum and addressed by R B Goenka, Vice president VIA.
The program was conducted by Shachi Mallick and Kapil Charan Sahoo. Kiran Gokhale proposed the vote of thanks.