Piyush Goyal launches 8th edition of National Programme for Organic Production

India’s total export value of organic farming has the potential to reach Rs 20,000 crore in the next three years. This was stated by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal today during his address at the launch of 8th edition of National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)  at the Bharat Ratna C. Subramaniam Auditorium (NASC Complex), Pusa in New Delhi.

Shri Piyush Goyal along with Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Cooperation, Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Cooperation, Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani and senior government officials unveiled a dedicated NPOP portal as well as Organic Promotion Portal which will provide more visibility and ease of operations for Organic stakeholders.

They also unveiled TraceNet 2.0 the upgraded online traceability system for seamless operations and enhanced tools for regulatory oversight. The redesigned APEDA portal was also showcased with enhanced user experience and information for the benefit of Agri and Processed food products’ stakeholders. The redesigned AgriXchange portal was also launched, it will enable more user-friendly data analysis and generation of reports & data of Agricultural exports making it accessible for the general public.

During the event, the Minister also distributed the first five registration certificates generated on TraceNet 2.0 to Organic operators.

Shri Goyal during his address said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi underlined the importance of organic farming in his first Parliament speech. He also mentioned that the PM during his speech on 78th Independence Day noted the growing importance of organic farming across the world and its far reaching benefits on individual health and restoring soil nutrients.

The Minister also said that Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah has made huge contributions in simplifying and reducing application costs for the electronic service portal TraceNet 2.0. Shri Goyal further said that Shri Shah also noted the growing community of organic farmers through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Cooperatives in the country.

Organic farming as a form of sustainable farming practice will help combat water scarcity and overapplication of fertilisers and pesticides harming soil quality and crop yields in the country, the Minister noted. Highlighting the farmers’ efforts in ensuring food security, Shri Goyal said that there is a significant push from the Government to promote organic farming.

Organic farming has become a priority for the nation and will be regarded as a valuable way of farming across the world. Farmers adopting organic farming have seen an increase in yields and income, he said.  The Minister said that organic farming plays a crucial role in Indian agriculture. He noted that the Government will benefit from increased exports of organic products to the world.