INDIA: Demand for Organic Food Items Rising

NEW DELHI (PIB) --- Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries informed the Lok Sabha today that, demand for organic food items is on the rise during the last few years. According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), production of certified organic agri-products for the last 3 years is as under:

2008-09 (Million tonnes)	2009-10 (Million tonnes)	2010-11 (Million tonnes)
1.62	1.70	3.88

            

He said that Government is providing incentives to cultivators of organic food products under the "National Horticulture Mission" (NHM) @ Rs 10,000/- per ha for maximum area of 4 ha per beneficiary, setting up of vermi-compost units, @50% of the cost, subject to a maximum of Rs 30,000/- per beneficiary and organic farming certification @ Rs. 5.00 lakh for a group of farmers covering an area of 50 ha.