CHEMICALLY TREATED SEEDS AND CONTINUING USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS REVEAL INEFFECTUAL PURSUIT OF ORGANIC MISSION, MLA CONTENDS
GANGTOK, 30 June: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s Martam-Rumtek MLA, Dr. Michung Bhutia, who, during the recent Budget Session, had raised doubts over the organic credentials of seeds being distributed by the Agriculture Department, today reiterated his claim that these seeds were chemically treated, an addition which could compromise Sikkim’s Organic Farming credentials.
Speaking to NOW! today, the MLA informed that he collected some packets of seeds [provided to farmers under the Sikkim Organic Mission] from the Agriculture Department’s godown and noticed that a section of these packets were blacked out. A little bit of nail polish remover and the black ink washes away and reveals that the ingredient being “covered up” is a chemical which is marked as poisonous. That could mean that it was chemical pesticide which is not allowed under the Organic farming regime.
He adds, that he also sent these seeds for testing at a medical lab in Kolkata and the report revealed that from the seeds were laced with moderate to severe degree ‘poisons’. The MLA expressed concern that such intentional oversights revealed insincerity towards the State’s Organic Mission.
He stressed that he himself endorsed the Organic Mission as novel venture and practiced it on his own 5 acre patch of agricultural land as well. It is because of the obvious benefits of organic farming that he was speaking out against activities which were sabotaging the organic mission, he explained.
Regarding the same, the MLA also met the Principal Secretary and Additional Director at Horticulture Department today and demonstrated to them how the seeds were chemically treated. When asked about the response of the officials, Dr. Bhutia stated that while they insisted that the seeds were not treated with chemicals banned under organic farming, they admitted that some packets of such seeds might have come in.
“I suggested to them to send these seeds to the Plant Pathology Lab under ICAR to check whether these seeds contain ‘poison’ or not and they said that they would do so,” Dr. Bhutia said.
He also alleged that during his visit to fields in Lower Martam, Mamring, Tareythang and other surrounding parts, he found rampant use of urea and DAP, chemical fertilizers banned under Organic Farming.
He questioned how these were being brought in and how they were being used in farms. The fact that farmers still bring in these chemical fertilizers despite knowing that Sikkim wants to go Organic by 2015 shows that the awareness, orientation and persuasive efforts of the Department has failed.
The stated that the government should be honest in its approach by rectifying the mistakes instead of trying to defend mistakes or sweeping them under the carpet. The farmers and panchayats, he believes, have not been taken into confidence effectively and this was holding back Sikkim’s organic efforts
He reiterated that SKM was all for the Organic Mission and keen on its proper implementation. On his part, he informed that he has been explaining the advantages and other related issues of organic farming to all Panchayats and farmers in all the 39 wards under his constituency.
GANGTOK, 30 June: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s Martam-Rumtek MLA, Dr. Michung Bhutia, who, during the recent Budget Session, had raised doubts over the organic credentials of seeds being distributed by the Agriculture Department, today reiterated his claim that these seeds were chemically treated, an addition which could compromise Sikkim’s Organic Farming credentials.
Speaking to NOW! today, the MLA informed that he collected some packets of seeds [provided to farmers under the Sikkim Organic Mission] from the Agriculture Department’s godown and noticed that a section of these packets were blacked out. A little bit of nail polish remover and the black ink washes away and reveals that the ingredient being “covered up” is a chemical which is marked as poisonous. That could mean that it was chemical pesticide which is not allowed under the Organic farming regime.
He adds, that he also sent these seeds for testing at a medical lab in Kolkata and the report revealed that from the seeds were laced with moderate to severe degree ‘poisons’. The MLA expressed concern that such intentional oversights revealed insincerity towards the State’s Organic Mission.
He stressed that he himself endorsed the Organic Mission as novel venture and practiced it on his own 5 acre patch of agricultural land as well. It is because of the obvious benefits of organic farming that he was speaking out against activities which were sabotaging the organic mission, he explained.
Regarding the same, the MLA also met the Principal Secretary and Additional Director at Horticulture Department today and demonstrated to them how the seeds were chemically treated. When asked about the response of the officials, Dr. Bhutia stated that while they insisted that the seeds were not treated with chemicals banned under organic farming, they admitted that some packets of such seeds might have come in.
“I suggested to them to send these seeds to the Plant Pathology Lab under ICAR to check whether these seeds contain ‘poison’ or not and they said that they would do so,” Dr. Bhutia said.
He also alleged that during his visit to fields in Lower Martam, Mamring, Tareythang and other surrounding parts, he found rampant use of urea and DAP, chemical fertilizers banned under Organic Farming.
He questioned how these were being brought in and how they were being used in farms. The fact that farmers still bring in these chemical fertilizers despite knowing that Sikkim wants to go Organic by 2015 shows that the awareness, orientation and persuasive efforts of the Department has failed.
The stated that the government should be honest in its approach by rectifying the mistakes instead of trying to defend mistakes or sweeping them under the carpet. The farmers and panchayats, he believes, have not been taken into confidence effectively and this was holding back Sikkim’s organic efforts
He reiterated that SKM was all for the Organic Mission and keen on its proper implementation. On his part, he informed that he has been explaining the advantages and other related issues of organic farming to all Panchayats and farmers in all the 39 wards under his constituency.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Readers are invited to comment on, criticise, run down, even appreciate if they like something in this blog. Comments carrying abusive/ indecorous language and personal attacks, except when against the people working on this blog, will be deleted. It will be exciting for all to enjoy some earnest debates on this blog...