The world's largest annual organic products event, BioFach 2012, began here with a sharp focus on India and its products.

“Millions of small and marginal farmers practise organic farming by default.

This is because they do farming in rain-fed areas and cannot afford modern agriculture that encompasses using fertilisers and pesticides,” said Mr Asit Tripathy, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Commerce.

Changes were happening in Indian agriculture with mechanisation, corporatisation and contract farming, but in the last 10 years, the Indian Government has woken up to the potential of organic farming, he said.

Indian organic products exports currently are valued at $400 million and the target was to top $1 billion by 2015, he said.

“The $400 million makes up just 16 per cent of organic products produced in India,” Mr Tripathy said, adding that the domestic organic market was growing......Read More

Source: Business Line

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