When did organic farming start in Sikkim?
2003
The Government of Sikkim stepped into Organic Mission process from 2003, the year when it stopped imports of chemical fertilizers in the State. Since then the cultivatable land in Sikkim are practically organic and also farmers of Sikkim are traditional users of organic manure.
How did organic farming implement in Sikkim?
Sikkim is the first state in the world that is 100% organic: All of its farmland is certified organic. The policy implemented a phase-out of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and achieved a total ban on sale and use of chemical pesticides in the state. The transition has benefitted more than 66,000 farming families.
Why Sikkim was declared as a state for organic farming?
In 2003, Sikkim officially adopted a resolution to switch to organic farming. The state decided to go organic, to ensure long-term sustenance of soil fertility, protection of environment and ecology.
What is the history of agriculture in Sikkim?
In Sikkim, the aborigines of the land were nomads who spent their time hunting for food. But gradually, when the Bhutias came and settled in Sikkim they started practicing a semi-pastoral form of farming. The Bhutias practiced economy or sedentary farming within the territory of Sikkim.
What type of farming is practiced in Sikkim?
The farming in Sikkim is mostly done on subsistence level. Nearly one third of the cultivation is of the shifting (jhum) type. Canal irrigation is quite low at around 12–13%. Rice is the staple food and occupies 81% of the total area under cereals followed by maize (12.8%).
Which type of farming is popular in Sikkim?
Rice is one among the staple food crop in Sikkim as inferred from the epithet “Denzong”-meaning “Valley of Rice”. Its antiquity is Sikkim is difficult to trace out but some experts consider the entire NE Region including Sikkim and adjoining area of China shall be the probable home of rice.
What type of farming is used in Sikkim?
Agriculture
- Rice.
- Wheat.
- Maize.
- Finger Millet.
- Barley.
- Pulses.
- Buckwheat.
- Tuber crops, spices, fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants.
What crops are grown in Sikkim under organic farming?
AGRICULTURE IN SIKKIM
| Crop | Area (000′ hectares) |
|---|---|
| Wheat | 0.17 |
| Maize | 38.46 |
| Finger Millet | 2.47 |
| Barley | 0.42 |
How is farming done in Sikkim?
In January 2016, Sikkim became India’s first “100 per cent organic” state. Today, all farming in Sikkim is carried out without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, providing access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environment-friendly activity.
When did organic farming start?
The organic movement began in the early 1900s in response to the shift towards synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides in the early days of industrial agriculture.
How did organic farming start?
An organic movement began in the 1940s as a reaction to agriculture’s growing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The history of this modern revival of organic farming dates back to the first half of the 20th century at a time when there was a growing reliance on these new synthetic, non-organic methods.
Who introduced organic farming?
The concepts of organic agriculture were developed in the early 1900s by Sir Albert Howard, F.H. King, Rudolf Steiner, and others who believed that the use of animal manures (often made into compost), cover crops, crop rotation, and biologically based pest controls resulted in a better farming system.
Who is famous for organic farming?
| Subhash Palekar | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Agricultural scientist, farmer, author |
| Known for | Philosophy, Natural farming |
| Notable work | ‘Holistic Spiritual Farming’ |
How did organic farming begin?
What is the history of organic farming in India?
The great Indian civilization thrived on organic farming and was one of the most prosperous countries in the world, till the British ruled it. In traditional India, the entire agriculture was practiced using organic techniques, where the fertilizers, pesticides, etc., were obtained from plant and animal products.
When was organic farming started?
Why did organic farming start?
Why organic farming in Sikkim?
Organic farming is one of the strategies that Sikkim is implementing to ensure the sustainable environmental and socioeconomic development of the state. The Government has continued to embed this strategy into other important laws and policies, see, for instance, Sikkim’s Agricultural, Horticultural Input and Livestock Feed Regulatory Act of 2014.
What are the main crops grown in Sikkim?
Sikkim has a diverse range of crops including maize, rice, buckwheat, pulses, soybean, mustard, orange, pears, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cherry pepper, peas, bean, tomato and potato.
What is Sikkim doing to promote ecotourism?
In the past, Sikkim has implemented massive afforestation measures and it is very keen and conscious about promoting ecotourism, which is becoming an increasingly central industry for the state. Sikkim was also among the first states in India to ban plastic bags, way back in 1998.
Why do farmers in Sikkim still depend on middlemen?
Farmers also complain that they still depend on middlemen for the sale of produce and these middlemen often pay low prices. Chumsang Lepcha, a farmer in North Sikkim, owns 7 ha of land and grows maize, cardamom, millets, buckwheat, squash and some vegetables.