Patna: Farmers practising organic farming in Bihar can now get certification for it to help them not only market their products but also work as a kind of quality assurance for those purchasing these products.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Sikkim State Organic Certification Agency (SSOCA) and Bihar State Seed and Organic Certification Agency (BSSOCA) on Wednesday in the presence of agriculture minister Prem Kumar and other officials. While SSOCA chief executive officer Yashoda Pradhan signed the MoU on behalf of the Sikkim government, BSSOCA director Venkatesh Narayan Singh signed the document on behalf of the host state. The development assumes significance as the Bihar government is working on a plan to develop an organic corridor in the state and the same is also part of the third agricultural roadmap President Ram Nath Kovind will release on November 9.

Sikkim happens to be the first state in the country which was, last year, declared an organic state for adopting organic farming in a big way. The state also carries the distinction of being polythene-free.

The signing of the MoU would pave way for Bihar farmers to apply for organic certification of their product and the same would be provided by the SSOCA, which is an accredited agency for issuing such certificates.

The organic certification is issued after due verification at the ground by competent authorities of the agency issuing it and the certificate needs to be renewed annually after due verification of the field for ensuring protocol compliance for organic farming. Individuals or group of farmers opting for this certification need to pay around Rs 400 for the first time certification whereas they need to pay Rs 225 for annual renewal of the certification.

SSOCA CEO Yashoda Pradhan said: "While it ensures adherence to the regulations one needs to follow for organic farming, it also works as an assurance for those going to use the organic produce."

Agriculture department principal secretary Sudhir Kumar said organic farming was one of the major thrusts of the upcoming third agricultural roadmap of Bihar and in a bid to ensure that those opting for it need now worry about certification, this MoU had been inked.

"We have roped in an agency for developing a protocol and other related system so that BSSOCA too could become a certification authority. We are likely to achieve this status in six to eight months," he added.

Minister Prem Kumar, on this occasion, announced that his department would work tirelessly for promoting organic farming in the state so that Bihar too could get the tag of an organic state like Sikkim.

As far as promoting organic farming in Bihar is concerned, the government has decided to develop organic corridors along both the banks of the Ganga and to be begin with it would be implemented in Patna Nalanda, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Munger and Bhagalpur districts.

Districts located along the southern bank of the Ganga would be taken up in the first phase along with the villages located along Daniawan-Biharsharif road in Nalanda district.

The project aims to promote use and production of organic fertilisers in a big way with the government providing subsidies.