Organic farming loses sheen among veggie cultivators

KOZHIKODE: As the Onam festival season is nearing, the agriculture department is worried about organic vegetables that were earlier readily available. But the number organic farmers has dwindled by half now. Farmers blame it on the agriculture department being inactive without a vision to promote them. The production of Kudumbashree, a major supplier, has also come down to half. Due to the extreme drought situation in the state till June, many small scale organic farmers decided to discontinue. 

"Non-availability, of water especially in the urban areas, discouraged people from this organic farming," an official said. In the agriculture department's recent analysis, the production of both big and small farmers has down drastically. “Organic farming was a trend for many,” said M.A. Johnson, an environmental activist.  "But not anymore. The products are now available only in a handful of retail outlets. So it's on a downtrend, and people have started depending on other states for vegetables and fruits again."