Declare Nilgirs as ‘Organic District’: Farmers society

Ooty: The Nilgiris Nelikolu Micro & Small Tea Growers and Farmers’ Development Society (NSTF)has submitted proposals to the Tamil Nadu government for sustainable agriculture in Nilgiris.

Stating this Mr H.N. Sivan, founder-president of NSTF, said that this organisation had recently met Mr. Gangandeep Singh Bedi, principal secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner and submitted the proposals.

Giving details on the proposals, he said that the soil fertility in Nilgiris is depleting day by day by the usage of exorbitant  amount of pesticides, weedicides, fungicides and inorganic fertilisers.

Hence, with a view to bring back the  age old soil fertility, NSTF- proposes  to the government to take immediate and necessary steps for implementation of  procedures to declare Nilgiris district as ‘Organic District’.

“The NSTF appealed for necessary actions to re-establish ICAR-KVK at Ooty either by the department of Horticulture or Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) for imparting technical training programmes to the farmers”.

 The NSTF pointed that the market retail price for quality carrot seeds is quite high, which is not at all affordable to the small farmers. Hence, efforts should be taken to explore the possibilities to import carrot seeds and supply through the Horticulture department at affordable prices to the Nilgiris Small Farmers, he noted.

 R. Dharuman, treasurer of NSTF said that NSTF wanted the government to take necessary steps to run the Cluster-based ‘Complete Supply Chain Vegetable Procurement and Marketing Centres’ successfully and sustainably for the long term growth of horticulture and agriculture crops in Nilgiris.

“The NSTF wanted the Government to look into the above proposals and implement the same in true letter and spirit for the sustainable development and inclusive growth of small farmers of Nilgiris,” he noted.