Shillong, Feb. 12: The Meghalaya government's plan to convert agricultural land in the state from inorganic to organic farming is still in a nascent stage.

The government has set a target to convert at least one lakh hectares into organic mode of farming within five years. The move to encourage farmers to shift to organic farming began last year. The government has also decided to stop providing subsidy to farmers to purchase chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

"At the beginning, through the state organic mission, the target is to convert at least 20,000 hectares of inorganic agricultural land into organic and one lakh hectares within five years," Meghalaya principal secretary (agriculture), Pochister Kharkongor told reporters here today.

According to him, the state government has stopped providing subsidy to farmers for the purchase of chemical fertilisers and pesticides but the subsidy policy is being applied for farmers who purchase organic fertilisers, including bio-pesticides.

On the conversion process from inorganic to organic, Kharkongor said a detailed study of the soil has to be undertaken and put under observation from some years (depending on the condition of the land) after which, organic certification of the land will follow. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been given the task of carrying out the process of organic certification, he said.

On the government allowing farmers to use chemical fertilisers, which is defeating the purpose of organic farming, Kharkongor said the government was giving the farmers time to gradually shift to organic. He said only tea cultivation is purely organic in Meghalaya so far. On an experimental basis, the government has adopted an agricultural land at Umwang village in Ri-Bhoi district by using organic fertilisers for cultivating cauliflower and peas and other crops, he added.

We are encouraging farmers in the state to shift from chemicals to organic since organic farming will harm neither humans nor the soil," Kharkongor said.

He denied the allegations of farmers that the state government was forcing them to shift suddenly to organic system of farming. The farmers said they welcomed the move to convert Meghalaya into a totally organic state but the state government has not enlightened them about such an initiative.

They said at the moment, they cannot cultivate if fertilisers and chemical pesticides are not given to them.

Kharkongor said the state government has already put up the requisition order of 6,900 metric tonnes of chemical fertilisers with the Centre, required by the farmers in the state for cultivation during this kharif (summer) season.

"Once the chemicals are available, the farmers will get them from the open market but the government will not give any subsidy," he reiterated.