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Journalism of Courage
After surviving years of drought and endless rounds of failed crops, Madan Singh Lamba, 70, of Chelasi, Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan will showcase his lentils, tulsi and peas — completely organic — in food shelves across the West.
In less than a month from now, Jhunjhunu district will find its place on the world map. As many as 115 farmers from this Shekhawati belt will be exporting their organic produce to the West.
The district which has been engaged in organic farming for the past three years will sell its Kharif crop, consisting of lentils, sesame, peas, tulsi and bajra to international companies. The opportunities beyond domestic boundaries opened up for the farmers of the state when international verification, inspection, testing and certification agency SGS certified them as organic producers a few months ago.
‘‘The organic produce has a very large market in the West and collects very high premiums. These farmers were facing difficulties as the government certification process has not started, but once international companies inspected them on their own, they found their procedures and products completely organic,’’ said Mukesh Gupta, executive director of the Morarka Foundation, an NGO working for rural and agricultural development.
The first batch of organic produce will find shelf-space in the Netherlands. The Indo-Israel Trade Commission which has certified these farmers through the SGS will be buying their produce later this month.
(The writer was a guest of the Morarka Foundation)
