Bihar village finds a place on global map for organic farming

NALANDA: In a boost to organic farming in Bihar, Sohdih village in Nalanda district has found a place on the global map through the global positioning system (GPS) for sowing potato over an area of 160 acres by using natural fertilizers only.

“The farmers are expected to reap a bumper harvest of potato that will fetch them handsome profit”, district magistrate Sanjay Agrawal said.

“A private international company ‘Escorts’ came forward to record it through the GPS and post it on the global map for the entire world and the scientific community to see for themselves as to how the villagers have taken to farming by using organic materials”, he said.

Escorts’ production development manager Abhishek Kumar said that his company decided to put the entire process of potato farming on the global map to make it available for everyone to see it for themselves.

“Now that the village has come on the global map, the farmers can earn a handsome profit for their organic produces amid growing demand of natural food materials globally”, he said.

Representatives of a number of companies will meet state government officials on February 11 next where they are likely to place order for sale or export of organic produces, Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Agrawal said that the farmers may produce onions through organic farming after reaping high yield from potato crop having huge demand from across the country and the world.

With Sohdih village in Nalanda district already placed on global map, the state government has decided to promote organic farming in at least one village of the remaining 36 districts, Agriculture Production Commissioner A.K. Sinha has said.

“There is an adequate quantum of animal dung, vermi compost, rotten crops and fodders for use under organic farming, he said.