Gujarat: Dangs to be declared organic farming district on November 19

The tribal district of Dangs in Gujarat will formally be declared an organic farming district on November 19, state agriculture minister Raghavji Patel said Tuesday. “In entire western India, Dangs district will be the first to be formally declared as an organic district on November 19 by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat,” the minister said.

The Gujarat government is giving Rs 10,000 per hectare (up to a maximum of two hectares) to farmers as financial aid to encourage organic farming. “The people of Dangs use fewer pesticides and chemical fertilisers. But to ensure that the region is completely free from chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the government as a pilot project is encouraging 12,000 farmers to shift to organic farming,” he added.

The Gujarat government has been planning to convince all farmers in Dangs to take up organic farming since 2017.