76,000 hectares land brought under organic farming: Gowda

"Area under certified organic farming has increased to 76,000 hectares at present compared to a few thousand hectares in 2004-05," Gowda said in his address at the inauguration of the three-day Second International Organic Trade Fair here.

The state government had allocated Rs 200 crore for promoting organic farming under the Karnataka State Organic Farming Mission, Gowda said. He also said Bangalore was one of the leading markets for organic farming in the country as it has several retail outlets, restaurants and separate organic cells in corporate sector.

The government has also tied up with world's leading organic institutions and companies for sharing technical expertise to improve organic farming, Gowda said. Raising concerns over agro-chemicals causing stunted productivity, Gowda said organic farming was the only alternative to attain sustainability.

International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) representative Rajshekhar Reddy said organic farming had seen huge progress of late. Area under organic farming has increased from 23,000 hectares to one million hectares across the country, he added. Moreover, three million hectares had been brought under forest certified organic farming in the country, he said. State Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti also stressed the importance of organic farming.