In a bid to promote organic farming, the State government’s ambitious programme ‘Savayava Bhagya’ scheme will be implemented in 15 villages of 11 hoblis in Dakshina Kannada district during the year. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earmarked Rs100 crore for the project in the budget this year as the initial step towards popularising organic farming.  

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Agriculture department Joint Director Kempe Gowda said that 100 acres of farmland will be identified in one village of a hobli for demonstration purposes under the scheme. The scheme will be implemented through NGOs as nodal agencies. A sum of Rs 3.75 lakh will be earmarked for each selected village under the scheme for popularising organic farming. 

The Joint Director said that ‘Savayava Bhagya ’ scheme is the continuation of Savayava Grama Yojane, which concluded on March 31, 2014. 

The identified villages in hoblis are Boliar in Mangalore hobli, Kolavoor and Kalinjaru in Gurpura hobli, Cheluru and Soorinje in Surathkal hobli, Beluvai and Padumoornadu in Moodbidri hobli, Rayi in Bantwal hobli, Veerakamba in Vittal hobli, Uppinangady and Hirebandadi in Puttur hobli, Alankaru in Kadaba hobli, Nada in Belthangady hobli, Kuthloor in Venur hobli and Muraliya in Panja hobli. 

Nodal agency for Mangalore, Puttur and Bantwal taluk is Rural Development Organisation, Doddaballapura and Janaspandana Development Society, Chikmagalur is the implementing agency for Belthangady and Sullia taluks. 

He said that the nodal agency will create awareness among the farmers on the need for organic farming, thus reduce the use of chemical fertilisers. 

By the end of three years, the programme aims at promoting farmers to switch over to organic farming. The scheme also includes training for farmers and tour for the farmers to the field of progressive farmers who have been successful in organic farming.

 The Nodal agency will form a group of farmers association in each identified village to implement the scheme, so that there is community participation in the programme. Sources in the agriculture department said that an association of organic farmers will be formed at hobli level and a federation at the State-level.

 The government also plans to help farmers in branding, packaging and marketing their products. Once the products entered the market, the next challenge will be to popularise the brands in urban areas. 

They will be certified as organic products. Kempe Gowda said that the nodal agencies will start implementing the scheme in the district shortly. 

He said that under Savayava Krishi Yojane from 2007-08 to 2009-10, organic farming was promoted in 100 hectare of land in an identified village in each taluk. 

In the second phase, organic farming was popularised in another 100 hectare farm land in  2013-14 in one village in each taluk in the district. 

Earlier, the Savayava Krishi Yojane was implemented through SKDRDP (Mangalore taluk, Belthangady taluk), Varanasi Research Foundation, Adyanadka (Bantwal taluk),  Bharathi Grama Vikasa Prathishtana, Palthadi (Puttur taluk) and Nagarika Seva Trust, Guruvayanakere (Belthangady and Sullia taluks).