People thronged Organic Mela..!
BANGALORE: Thanks to Swine Flu H1N1 for bringing more awareness about health and strengthening immune system. 'Will Organic Foods wil strengthen our immune system?' This was the main question posed by people who attended the Organic Mela Held at Bangalore on 12th Saturday and 13th Sunday of September 2009 at Lalbagh.
But it was not just health-conscious Bangaloreans, also people from all walks of life who thronged the two-day Organic Mela organised by the Jaivik Krushik Samaj and Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI).
There were a number of farmers who turned up and not necessarily with their produce.
“The mela is a very good opportunity to bring about more awareness. But organic farming still has a long way to go,” said Kudlappa, an organic farmer from Nellur of Gadag district.
Apart from seeds of various food crops and vegetables, there were plenty of eatables such as jams, pickles, rotis, papads, juices made from organic produce.
Aim
The mela brought together farmers and producers of organic food from across the country, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat. The main objective of organising the event was to bring awareness to consumers about what was happening in the organic movement, said N.R. Shetty of Sahaja Samrudha, an organic farmers’ association, which is partnering the organisers.
Seminars
Not restricting itself to being merely a platform where produce is sold, seminars and practical demonstrations on different aspects of organic farming were held for two days in which more than 100 to 150 farmers participated.
Interesting thing is that several practing doctors from Bangalore City also participated in the seminars and enquired much about Organic products.
Calling for a separate ministry for small farmers, Subhash Mehta, Adviser for Food and Agriculture Organisation, said: “The Indian Government sanctions over Rs. 2,50,000 crore in farm subsidies. That amount goes only to farmers with large holdings, who constitute only 10 per cent of the total number of agriculturists. Therefore, a separate ministry should be constituted to look after the needs of farmers with small holdings as the Ministry for Agriculture has clearly failed to do so.”
The mela, which was at the MHS near the Lalbagh Main Gate, concluded on 13th September 2009 Sunday.
To view the photos of Organic Mela click the link to image above. (imputs by G. Krishna Prasad, Ganadhalu Srikanta and The Hindu)
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