Mizoram will become the first state to officially go organic. Its government is in the process of drafting a Bill which will ban sale of chemical fertiliser across the state. Disclosing this at a seminar, organised in New Delhi by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Mizoram Governor A R Kohli called it a ‘‘hard decision’’ but pointed out that ‘‘not much opposition is expected.’’ ‘‘It is time to encash the fact that much of the produce is free of poison. And these fetch as much as 30 per cent to 50 per cent more in the international market,’’ said Kohli. In Mizoram, which has potential to export fruits, vegetables and spices, the use of chemical fertiliser is among the lowest in the country. It accounts for only four per cent of the North East’s chemical fertiliser use. While the national average consumption is 95 kg per hectare, it’s only 12.78 kg per hectare in Mizoram. Given the low fertiliser consumption, the state government expects the proposed Bill to sail through. As a first step, it scrapped subsidy on fertiliser two years ago. This put fertiliser out of reach of most farmers and consumption dropped drastically. Kohli said the government would simultaneously encourage bio-fertilisers like vermicomposting and organic manure from leaves. ‘‘After one year, we plan to call an international agency to certify Mizoram as an organic state.’’ Strict certification is required for international agencies to accept any produce as organic. Once profits start coming in, the state government hopes to do away with huge transport subsidies. Much of the development money that flows into the state goes on transport subsidy. Mizoram is also banking on a link to South East Asian and Indian markets once the road and waterway link to the Akyab port in Myanmar become a reality. A feasibility report is ready and work is expected to begin in the next three years. This $ 500 million project, along the Kaladan river that runs through Mizoram and Myanmar before entering Bay of Bengal, will be a major milestone in the development of the state. After this link, it may be possible to move commercial traffic from Kolkata to Mizoram via Myanmar.
