The certified area under organic farming has reached 3.12 lakh hectares in the country. This stated by by Kanti Lal Bhuria, minister of state for agriculture, in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

Bhuria said that the government was implementing a central sector scheme, National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), for production, promotion, certification and market development of organic farming in the country, wherein financial assistance is being provided for the capacity building through service providers, setting up of organic input production units of fruits / vegetables waste compost, bio-fertilizers and vermiculture hatcheries, promotion of organic farming through training programme, field demonstrations, setting up of model organic farms and market development.  

He said the government was also implementing a centrally sponsored scheme on the national horticulture mission (NHM) in the country from 2005-06 under which promotion of organic farming has been included as one of the components and financial assistance is being provided for organic cultivation of horticultural crops, setting up of vermin compost units and for organic farming certification.

In addition, the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in the ministry of commerce and industry was promoting export of organic products and implementing national programme for organic production (NPOP).

Under the scheme, Bhuria said, financial assistance was being provided to its registered exporters for market development infrastructure development, quality development, R&D and transport assistance.