Considering the special observation on the existing fertile soil and favourable climatic conditions in North Eastern Region, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India has launched a Central Sector Scheme named as Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region during 12th Plan period. Realizing the potential of organic farming in the region North East, the scheme aims at development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to build up a bridge between growers with consumers and to support the sustainable development of entire value chain starting from inputs, seeds, planting materials, certification, to the creation of facilities for collection, post harvest management, aggregation, processing marketing and brand building initiative with an out lay of Rs. 400 crores for the three years from 2015-16.

The main motive of this scheme is to ensure safe and healthy food to everyone’s plate. Growing demands of population, industrialization and globalization has made a significant need of organic farming in the country. The utmost increasing demands in the sector likely to focus on the North Eastern region for organic agriculture. North Eastern Region being traditionally an organic hub, it has tremendous potential for development of organic farming because of its mostly rain-fed and hilly areas, existing of mighty rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, fertile soil and mountainous terrain etc. with the help of those legacies the region can boost in organic agriculture.

Keeping in view, focusing on the supporting development of entire region the scheme “Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)” is being implemented in Assam with following objectives.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME:

MISSION OF THE SCHEME:

In this regard, Centre mainly emphasized on the minimal use of chemicals, fertilizers in the state’s agriculture, also to capture the available potential for production and export organic products from North Eastern Region, also to identify the areas, products and market to develop. Centre also spotlight to enhance an upgraded road map to promote production.

Assam has identified the area with feasibility of organic farming is at its zenith point. Already Ten (10) clusters were formed in Chirang, Cachar, Dhemaji, Majuli, Golaghat (2), Kamrup, Sonitpur, Kokrajhar and Nalbari with a target to attain 500 Ha of area in each. The Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing, Khanapara, Guwahati has also worked on another Ten (10) additional clusters. All those selected clusters have supposed to form FPC (Farmer’ Produce Company) among themselves to promote production and create a market of its own. Believing that it can able to reach those unreached growers with consumers and markets. Cluster wise the details of locations of scheme implementation along with selected crops are given in the following table:

Government of Assam is trying its best to achieve the desired goals of this newly implemented Scheme Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER- Assam). It seeks continuous support from the Centre, awareness and involvement of every citizen for organic production, awareness among organic farmers, capacity building and training on organic farming, research and development. Citizens have to develop an awareness to consume organic food; so that organic concept will grow and continue as long as possible.