Organic paddy farmers want exports ban lifted
Vadakkencherry Padasekhara Samithi, which is concentrating on organic paddy cultivation in Palakkad and Kuttanad, has requested the Union Agriculture Ministry to lift the blanket ban on rice exports.
The Samithy's spokesman and Treasurer, Mr R.N. Ramakrishnan, said that the farmers would be forced to give up organic paddy cultivation mid way through if the Government failed to extend the necessary support in the form of export facility for the produce.
He expressed reservation in continuing with organic cultivation without matching support from the Government to export the rice as it was found to be difficult to sell the produce in the domestic market due to its enhanced price.
He was speaking at the reception organised here by the Poabs Group in Kochi to honour the farmers who had received the Kerala Government'sNelkathir (corn ear) award for being adjudged as the State's bestPadasekharam for the year 2007-08.
The award has brought little cheer to the farmers.
They are worried over stockpiling of the previous crop, he said adding that, inconsistency in Governmental policies has driven the organic paddy cultivators in the State in distress following the recent ban on rice exports.
The Vadakkencherry Grama Panchayat President, Mr P. Gangadharan, said that the farmers group had switched over to organic paddy cultivation just two years ago with the support of the local Panchayat, the State Agriculture Department and the private sector Poabs Group, which owns multi-crop organic plantation in Palakkad district. With the shifting to organic cultivation, the paddy crop yield had improved considerably and it had become more resistant to pest attack while the water usage in the field had also come down, emboldening more farmers in the vicinity to enter the organic way, he said.
Organic paddy cultivation, with the support of the Poabs Group, has been extended to an estimated 121 hectares of land in the State with 60 hectares covering Vadakkencherry in Palakkad district and another 60 hectares at Kuttanad in Alapuzha district. This is proposed to be extended to 202 hectares in a phased manner, according to Poabs Group Director Mr Thomas Jacob. The Group had extended manure subsidy, technical advice and paddy buy-back scheme at 25 per cent premium price for the crop, besides offering 50 per cent premium price when the crop attained international organic certification from the third year of the crop.
He pointed out that only 20 tonnes of organic rice has been exported in 2007 after which the ban came into existence. The ban came at a time when the organic rice was finding a good market in France, Belgium and other European countries. At present, Poabs has around 100 tonnes of accumulated stock, he said.
"It is our expectation that the Kerala Government's announcement of the organic farming policy coupled with central support is bound to create a favourable atmosphere for the growth of organic farming movement in the State in the days to come, as it is essential for the growers to fetch a better income in tune with the growing input cost and cost of living, he said.
The Samithy's spokesman and Treasurer, Mr R.N. Ramakrishnan, said that the farmers would be forced to give up organic paddy cultivation mid way through if the Government failed to extend the necessary support in the form of export facility for the produce.
He expressed reservation in continuing with organic cultivation without matching support from the Government to export the rice as it was found to be difficult to sell the produce in the domestic market due to its enhanced price.
He was speaking at the reception organised here by the Poabs Group in Kochi to honour the farmers who had received the Kerala Government'sNelkathir (corn ear) award for being adjudged as the State's bestPadasekharam for the year 2007-08.
The award has brought little cheer to the farmers.
The Vadakkencherry Grama Panchayat President, Mr P. Gangadharan, said that the farmers group had switched over to organic paddy cultivation just two years ago with the support of the local Panchayat, the State Agriculture Department and the private sector Poabs Group, which owns multi-crop organic plantation in Palakkad district. With the shifting to organic cultivation, the paddy crop yield had improved considerably and it had become more resistant to pest attack while the water usage in the field had also come down, emboldening more farmers in the vicinity to enter the organic way, he said.
Organic paddy cultivation, with the support of the Poabs Group, has been extended to an estimated 121 hectares of land in the State with 60 hectares covering Vadakkencherry in Palakkad district and another 60 hectares at Kuttanad in Alapuzha district. This is proposed to be extended to 202 hectares in a phased manner, according to Poabs Group Director Mr Thomas Jacob. The Group had extended manure subsidy, technical advice and paddy buy-back scheme at 25 per cent premium price for the crop, besides offering 50 per cent premium price when the crop attained international organic certification from the third year of the crop.
He pointed out that only 20 tonnes of organic rice has been exported in 2007 after which the ban came into existence. The ban came at a time when the organic rice was finding a good market in France, Belgium and other European countries. At present, Poabs has around 100 tonnes of accumulated stock, he said.
"It is our expectation that the Kerala Government's announcement of the organic farming policy coupled with central support is bound to create a favourable atmosphere for the growth of organic farming movement in the State in the days to come, as it is essential for the growers to fetch a better income in tune with the growing input cost and cost of living, he said.
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