Following the overwhelming response to the two weekly organic markets (‘Savayava Santhe’) from customers here, farmers in the district are keen to cash in on the demand.
In fact, such was the demand at the first ‘Savayava Santhe,’ held at the Raitha Seva Kendra at Doddanagudde on October 15, that two tonnes of vegetables were sold out within two hours and many customers had to return home empty-handed. It was a similar story a week later.
However, many organic vegetables and minor millets at these markets were coming not just from different parts of Udupi district but also from places such as Kadur, N.R. Pura, Chikkamagaluru, Mudigere, Belthangady and Puttur.
Given the demand for fresh organic vegetables and minor millets, the Agriculture Department has decided to promote cultivation of organic vegetables among farmers in the district. The department believes this will get them good returns on their produce.
Anthony Maria Immanuel, Joint Director of Agriculture, told The Hindu that already the department is promoting cultivation of organic produce in four hoblis in the district — Byndoor, Vandse, Ajekar and Brahmavar. “We are promoting two villages — Yelajit-Teggarse and Belinje — as organic villages (‘Savayava Gramas’). Here, we have been distributing organic vegetable kits to farmers,” he said.
Testing effort
Under the Savayava Bhagya scheme, organic vegetable seeds have been distributed in the four hoblis so that the farmers can cultivate organic vegetables. But this is not an easy job.
“The farmers have to make a lot of sacrifice for this as it takes three years to convert their land for organic farming. Hence, we have taken the help of the Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi Districts Regional Cooperative Organic Farmers Associations Federation,” Mr. Immanuel said.
According to the Agriculture Department, the quantum of land under organic farming in Udupi district is 835 hectares under the Savayava Krishi Bhagya Yojane and the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. The number of farmers undertaking organic farming in the district is 723.
Devdas Hebbar, a farmer and one of the directors of the federation, said farmers have realized there is good demand for organic produce and minor millets. “There is more enthusiasm among them to produce organic vegetables. Our federation is doing all it can to encourage them,” he said.
