“You sell your organic products to KVK and we will pay you Rs. 70/- per Kg”, told Dr. Meenaxi from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Navsari Agricultural University, Dediapada to Ms. Surta when she visited her stall at Krushi Mela.

Ms. Surta was astonished to hear this because of all this time she used to sell her vegetable in the local market at Rs. 35-40/- Kg. Ms. Surta is one among many progressive farmers of Kedut Vikas Mandal from Sanjivani project who were displaying their organic products at the mela. Sanjivani, is a food and nutrition security project of Caritas India in Gujarat for small and marginal farmers and landless farm-dependent households aimed for diversification and maximizing food crops and ensuring rights and entitlements.

Dr. Meenaxi was visiting the stalls at the District and Taluk level Krushi Mela organized by Government of Gujarat and Reliance Foundation at Krushi College, Netrang, Gujarat on February 6, 2019. The Krushi Mela was organized to generate awareness among farmers for better crop management. Around 300 farmers along with the agro companies, NGO’s, administrative, and political dignitaries participated in the event.

There were 33 stalls related to agriculture in the mela.  Kedut Vikas Mandal was the special invitee in the mela to demonstrate products from organic kitchen garden under Sanjivani. Dr. Meenaxi asked Kedut Vikas Mandal to present a live demo kitchen garden during the mela. All types of vegetable that are grown in the project villages like brinjal, tomatoes, chilies, beans were displayed in the stall.

Sanjivani project in Baroda has developed 104 organic kitchen gardens with the support of women farmers. They are planning to increase this number by encouraging more women farmers to start the kitchen garden and reap the fruit of their hard work.

Over the years the demand for organic produce especially the vegetables sore very high in the Indian market. According to the World of Organic Agriculture Statistics and Emerging Trend 2018 report, India houses the highest number of organic producers globally with 835,000 organic farmers. It also ranks ninth in terms of area under organic cultivation with 1.49 million ha.

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and its prospects are very high, but it requires a concerted effort from public-private enterprises to support this booming industry in terms of supply chain.