The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Paderu) has chosen to support organic farming on approximately 20,000 acres in 11 mandals in Visakha Agency as a pilot programme. This will increase tribal farmers’ revenue. The project’s goal is to encourage customers to buy with confidence their products.
It should be noted that the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) recently destroyed ganja cultivation on more than 7,500 acres in Visakha Agency and East Godavari District Agency (tribal pockets) worth over 9,000 crores.
According to Ronanki Gopala Krishna, project officer of ITDA-Paderu, even though many tribal people have been practicing organic agriculture and planting horticulture crops, they are not receiving remunerative returns due to a lack of organic certification. “We would use the Sikkim model to promote organic products cultivated by tribal people in the Vizag Agency,” he said.
Organic farming yields excellent results and will be profitable for tribal farmers. More marketing opportunities will be made available as a result of organic certification. As a first step, we have selected 1,000 farmers who will be helped in a variety of ways, including marketing facilities in major cities.”
“It takes at least three years to promote organic farming and product certification.” The initial budget for the pilot project is Rs. 10 crore. “We have submitted a proposal to the government and are waiting for its approval,” Gopala Krishna explained.
The Visakha Agency pilot project would select at least 1,000 progressive farmers to begin organic farming. Furthermore, the ITDA will help tribal farmers obtain organic certification for their crops.
The state government has passed an organic farming policy to certify crops for better markets within the country and beyond.