State mulls organic farming scheme

Disappointed with the Agriculture Produce Market Committees’ (APMCs’) stand to oppose open markets for farmers, minister of state for agriculture and marketing Sadabhau Khot has decided to make an inquiry about the grant that the AMPCs had received and where they had spent it during the past 15 years. Mr Khot also said that he would transform his ministry.

When Congress and NCP leaders opposed to the APMC amendment bill questioned him in the Assembly, Mr Khot said that many leaders from both the parties, including sitting MLAs, are either representatives of porter or have control over the APMC. “They have a fear of losing their leadership if farmers are allowed to sell their produce directly to customers in open markets,” he said.

“I will make an inquiry about the amount that the APMCs have received and where it was spent,” Mr Khot said.

He further said: “I will propose that an officer from the deputy registrar (co-operative) be appointed as the secretary of the APMC. In the existing system, the secretaries are nothing but a peon for the AMPC chairman and directors.”

He added that he was thinking of introducing a ‘Sant Tukdoji Maharaj Adarsh Gram’ scheme, which would help promote organic farming.

In the ‘Adarsh Gram’ scheme, the focus will be on developing a village as an export-quality producer of vegetables.

“At present, the horticulture department selects a few farmers in several villages and helps them with organic farming. Hundreds of crores might have been spent on this scheme, but not a single farmer who met me can claim to have produced export-quality vegetables,” Mr Khot said.