One of the smallest states in India, Sikkim has gone a 100 percent organic. The good news doesn’t end here, now farming here will be GMO-free, which means that the produce from this state will be free of all the chemicals and pesticides.
While the population of the small Himalayan state is merely a little more than 6 lakh, the country has taken one small step towards organic India.
Not only has the state achieved a harmony with nature, but the demand of the Sikkim’s organic produce has risen, and farmers are earning around 20 percent more than they did.
All this began in the year 2003 when the Sikkim CM, Pawan Kumar Chamling declared that the state would soon get rid of the chemical fertilizers and pesticides and adopt natural farming methods.
While it may have sounded a far-fetched dream back then, but today Sikkim stands steady and organic. Clean land and air, fresh Himalayan water and cultivable soil will be greatly beneficial for the crops.
Also, since natural products have a high demand in the market, good revenue can be attained by the farmers. Initially, the subsidies on chemical fertilizers and pesticides were cut, however, a few years later, the use of these have been entirely banned.
Sikkim as a whole was never wholly dependent on these chemicals, which made it even easier for the transition. With picturesque locations, clean air and water and now, organic food items, Sikkim is a sukh sthaan as posed by PM Narendra Modi.
Image Credit: ruralmarketing.in
