Organic chilli selling hot [ Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effect Cold Plate Reefers ]

Buyers thronged the red chilli mela organized at the Moorusavira mutt school campus in Hubli on Sunday by the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (KCCI) and Karnataka State Horticulture Department, Bangalore, on Sunday. Organically grown red chilli from Hiregungal, Kundgol taluk was much in demand at the mela.

The three-day annual red chilli fair got on to a good start with over 120 stalls and around 100 chilli producers from 9 taluks taking part.

The mela is a good platform for the growers. Parameshgowda S K, a farmer from Kundgol said he has brought 50 kg of organically grown chilli and has already sold 10 kg at Rs 500 per kg. Vinayak Bicrotti another farmer from Kundgol said this is the third time that he is selling chilli in this annual fair. He hopes to sell 300 kg this time. "We get a good price for our produce here because there is no menace of middlemen here unlike in the APMC market."

For buyers, it is an opportunity to see variety breeds under one roof. Parimila Reddya, a buyer said, "There are so many varieties to choose from including Byadgi, Dyavanoor Dabbi, Dyavanoor Kaddi and Kundgol special kaddi. Such melas bring buyers and sellers on one platform making the negotiations profitable for both parties." Kavita AS, assistant deputy director, horticulture department, Dharwad, said, "Chilli is cultivated on 24 hectares in Dharwad district this year. Prices are more or less stable this time."

CN Karrikatti, agriculture and horticulture committee chairman said, "Chilli prices are hovering in the range of Rs 100 to 500 depending on their quality. Farmers from Kundgol, Hubli, Navalgund, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag, Laxmeshwar, Sanshi and other surrounding areas have taken the part in the fair."

Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effect Cold Plate Reefers

Source: The Times of India

Why is organic food better for your health? [Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effective Cold Plate Reefers]

Most fruits and vegetables are loaded with essential nutrients that are good for your body and mind.  However, commercial demands and competition in the market often make farmers use fertilizers and pesticides in order to increase their yield. According to nutritionist Naini Setalvad, ‘Today growth hormones are injected in fruits, vegetables, pulses, poultry and meat to make them larger and plumper. Humans are consuming these products thereby eating these chemicals too. Research has documented and proven that these hormones and chemicals are what are causing the humungous (obesity) sizes in people today. The chemicals and the preservatives are the cause of psychological disorders, depression, mood swings, hyper activity and irritability that have now become a common phenomenon. Infertility in men, problems in conceiving, early puberty among children as young as eight is another by product of consuming such foods.’

It is difficult, if not impossible for us to stand up and fight against such unhealthy practices adopted by farmers. But, that doesn’t mean we have to continue eating foods laced with pesticides. Organic farming is taking the country by storm and more and more people are choosing to eat organically grown foods. Let’s learn more about the process of organic farming and why it is healthier than conventional food.

How is organic farming done?

Simply put, organic farming is done without using fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, alternative farming practices like crop rotation, use of green and animal manure, etc. are employed. Read more about how pesticides are harmful for you.

Why is organic food healthier than normally produced food?

According to nutritionist Naini Setalvad, ‘An organic diet is not just about nutrition, it is the Art of Eating – it reflects your attitude to life and to the world, because good food sustains life-bad food kills. For healthy growth, we need PURE food. Organic food is safe, pure, more nutritious, environment friendly, protects against diseases and maintains peace of mind. A pure diet fosters purity of mind, body and soul. Be it the Bible, Quaran or the Bhagvad Gita, the first advice is ‘to keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom and keep our mind strong and clear’.

In terms of nutrition too, organic food is better. ‘Organic food really has more nutrients, vitamins and mineral, including vitamin C, iron, and magnesium and phosphorous than conventional produced food. This is because in organic farming, great emphasis is on nourishing the soil which in turn gives healthy plants. Healthy plants give produce that is packed full of all the vitamins and minerals which give flavor and goodness to our food. The time allowed for the crops to grow by not using chemical fertilizers is the final key elements making it possible for organic crops to have much higher nutrition levels.’, adds nutritionist Naini Setalvad. Read more to understand all you need to know about healthy eating.

Where can you get organic food in India?

Fabindia is one chain from where you can buy some organic food. They have several stores across the country and you can even order stuff online. Organic India is another brand which sells organic produce. Also, in metros local farmers have these markets on weekends where organic food can be found. Unfortunately, these products are more expensive than normally grown food. (A litre of ghee usually costs around Rs. 400, but if you buy it from organic stores it costs around Rs. 900) However, considering the health benefits this is a small price to pay. 

With rising awareness about organic farming a lot of shops have started to sell organic food across some of the major cities in the country. You can find information and addresses of some of these stores here.

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Source: The Health site

Price of organic veggies go through the roof [Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effective Cold Plate Reefers]

Organic vegetables, which have become popular in the city as a healthy alternative to pesticide-sprayed, mass-produced veggies, are now burning a hole in the pockets of consumers. Priced earlier at three times the price of regular vegetables, organic ones now cost up to 10 times the rate at rythu bazaars in the city!

According to a resident of Road No 13, Banjara Hills, who was introduced to organic vegetables a few months ago, the price is "obscene". "The cost of each tomato is Rs.10 at an outlet near Towlichowki. We ended up paying a huge amount and ended up with vegetables enough only for a week's use," he said.

In the organic vegetable market, rates are calculated per piece and not in kilograms. As per price charts, a bunch of spinach which would cost Re.1 at rythu bazaar is sold for Rs.10. Similarly, one cucumber would cost Rs.10. This means that vegetables for a week would end up costing around Rs.500 to Rs.1,000 for a family of three.

While middle class lovers of organic food blame the rising demand in upmarket areas for the higher prices, organic farm owners say the cost of production has gone up in the past one year. "Organic vegetables are cultivated without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. So the yield becomes less when compared to regular farming. But the current price of these vegetables is not justifiable," a customer said.

Others complained that organic farming has become just another profit-making venture. "When a group of software employees working in different companies in the city decided to cultivate organic crops, it was not just profit that they had in mind. They wanted to create a different food culture in Hyderabad to cater to those who are health-conscious. But now it has become just another profitable business," said M Kanaka Reddy, a consumer.

Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effective Cold Plate Reefers
Source: The Times of India

Why organic farming is gaining ground in India [Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's Most Effective Cold Plate Refrigerated Trucks]

In Pune Jayawant Patil, 27, works in an information technology company in Pune four days a week. The rest of the time, thanks to his supportive employer, he's an organic farmer. For the last two years, he's been tending to his 2.5-acre farm about 80 km away from Pune. The only connection he had with farming before this stemmed from childhood visits to his uncle's fields.

Patil chose organic farming as a chance to do something more meaningful in life. He started work on a website to connect organic vegetable growers with customers. During visits to farms, he understood the immense difficulties involved and decided to get first-hand experience to understand these fully. Today, Patil knows how to make traditional pesticides and fertilisers using leaves of different trees and cow's urine. He's also chosen 12 farmers from the area to work with him. "My next plan is to start a web portal for marketing organic produce. I would also like to explore exports opportunities," he said. Organic farming has been gaining adherents over the years, some of them with non-farming backgrounds.

While exploring various business opportunities, 25-year-old business management graduate Sachin Tahmane hit upon organic farming as having promising growth potential. A recent Yes Bank report said the organic food sector is growing at about 20% in India, with more than 100 retail organic outlets in Mumbai and about 60 in Bangalore. That's a big change from 18 years ago, when Sanjay Pawar and Sadubhau Shelake of Nashik were among the pioneers of organic farming. Their principle was: "We don't want to eat poison and we don't want to feed poison to others." At that time, they couldn't charge a premium for chemical-free food due to lack of awareness among consumers.

Things have changed since then. Their Kashyap group of about 350 organic growers has a loyal clientele, which includes celebrity customers, who queue up to buy the produce at the Sunday farmers' market. "Kiran Rao is our regular customer," said Shelake. The Kashyap group farmers use direct marketing, without any middlemen involved. "The awareness about organic food is now percolating to the taluka level," Shelake said. Even Vidarbha, infamous for farmer suicides, is not behind in winning converts to organic farming. Agricultural graduate Ashish Shinde of Amaravati is one of the leading suppliers to leading organic retail brands in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and other big cities.

"There is tremendous growth in demand for organic food in the last few years. The number of organic farmers in the two talukas in my district has increased from 230 six years ago to more than 1,000 today," Shinde said. According to HB Bablad, head of Research Institute of Organic Farming, the reasons for the increase in organic farming are economical as well as ecological.

Amol Nirban, business development manager at Ecocert, the organic certifying agency, said the companies involved in organic farming are mostly exportoriented.

Individual farmers catering to the domestic market are of two types: "The first type is of the traditional farmer practising organic farming to earn their bread and butter. The second type is the increasing breed of urban farmers, who have turned to growing organic food as a passion or liking," said Nirban. Most of the growth in organic farming has happened without much government support, entirely driven by market demand and the efforts of farmers, who learn from each other. Dilip Deshmukh, vice-president of Maharashtra Organic Farmers Federation (MOFF), an NGO working in the area of organic farming, said, "The Maharashtra government has done very little to implement its own policy on organic farming declared in January 2013."

Marketing is the biggest challenge. A group of 67 farmers in Sangli formed by Srinivas Bangal grows almost all vegetables and cereals organically. "We restricted ourselves to marketing of grains and processed products only due to the difficulties in marketing fruits and vegetables," said Bangal.

The most effective marketing channel is digital. Orders are processed through websites, voice SMSes and e-mails. Those not able to use online platforms struggle with reaching consumers. Of India's total organic production, cotton has the highest share. The country is also emerging as a prominent global supplier of organic processed fruits.

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Source: The Economic Times

Organic cotton production declines in India as brands shift to Better Cotton Initiative [Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's most effective Cold Plate Reefer]

 India is still the largest producer of organic cotton in the world, accounting for two-third of the global organic cotton production. But, the total organic fibre production of the country has fallen by close to 50% as global brands shift to Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). A marketing-driven green alternative to conventional cotton grown using chemicals, BCI is growing rapidly and getting premium over the conventional cotton. 

From 1,95,797 metric tonne, its peak in 2009-10, to 1,03,004 metric tonne in 2011-12, organic cotton saw a fall of about 47%. The advent of better cotton initiative (BCI) and failure of organic cotton to give the expected 10% more price than conventional cotton has led to reduction in the area under organic cotton in India. 

India's organic cotton has been export dependent. The international brands have shifted to BCI as it is less expensive than organic and does not have issues like integrity involved in organic. 
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Gujarat-based Arvind, the textile conglomerate and one of the main players in organic cotton in India, too has shifted its focus to BCI. Arvind started the BCI project in 2010. Today it has 47,000 acre under BCI and 50,000 acre under organic cotton. Ginners get a premium for BCI cotton as compared to organic. Currently, BCI cotton is being sold at 500/candy more than the organic cotton as the demand is high. 


International brands and retailers are willing to invest in more green cotton because cotton crop cultivation is highly polluting. 
According to a report of the Central Institute of Cotton Research, Nagpur, cotton is the second largest polluter in agriculture, accounting for 25% of the pollution from the pesticides used on the crop. 
In India, the first five years from 2006-2010 were of rapid growth for organic cotton, after which the decline began. Globally, there has been a fall in global organic cotton production from 2011 onward. 
First harvest of BCI cotton took place in 2010-11 in India, Pakistan, Mali and Brazil. The biggest challenge faced by organic cotton growers is to get non-Bt cotton seeds as almost 98% of the cotton area in the country is now under Bt cotton. BCI is neutral to GM technology. It covers environmental, economic and social aspects. The farmer growing BCI cotton has to use micro irrigation to save water, adopt integrated pest management practices. 
Hyderabad-based Chetna Organic too has observed a decline in area under organic cotton. "There has been a decline of about 30% due to non-availability of non-GMO seeds and the pricing issues," said Mrunal Lahankar, certification manager at Chetna Organic Agricultural Producer Company. 
There are various alternative cotton growing models to the conventional cotton growing in the world including organic, fairtrade, BCI, cleaner cotton etc. Globally, the area under organic cotton started declining from 2001 coupled with increase in area under BCI. 
BCI is a not for profit organisation. It has nine implementing partners including WWF, Solidaridad, CottonConnect, Trident, Arvind, AFPRO, ACF and ABRAPA. 
The public partners are the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Rabobank Foundation and ICCO. 
High cost of certification is moving brands away from organic variety. Certification has to be done at every step right from growing and ginning to spinning, till the product reaches end user. "The price of organic cotton became too high for the end consumer due to multiple costs of certification," said Mahesh Ramakrishnan, head, agri-business division of Arvind. In case of BCI, only bale-level traceability is important. However, there is no spinning certification required as of today.
The organic certification agencies too have been affected by the fall in organic cotton acreage. "We have started giving discounts to groups of small farmers to increase our business as the organic cotton certification has reduced significantly," said an official of a leading organic certification body. 

Standards for organic cotton too are the toughest to follow. BCI in contrast begins with minimum standards related to water conservation, chemical use etc and hence is easier and less expensive to follow for the growers. 

Though farmers do not get higher price for BCI cotton, the corporates claim that they end up getting 15% to 25% higher price than the market rate because the fibre crop is procured at the farm gate, which saves on the transportation cost and mundi costs of the farmer. 

[Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's most effective Cold Plate Reefer]

Source: The Economic Times

On the food trail - What’s the organic fuss all about? [Transfreez Mobile Refrigeration-India's most effective Cold Plate Reefer Trucks]

Organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic food products… What is the world fussing all about? Well, before I get into that, one needs a bit of history. ‘Organic Food’, a term coined by Lord Northbourne in 1939, is a holistic approach to farming. It was a recent trip to an organic farm in the middle of a desert near Abu Dhabi that got me thinking about it all. This particular farm had been created on a piece of land the Sheikh had gifted the farmer telling him to use it for the good of society. The farmer used it to make an organic farm. 

Another destination closer home, is Hideout, an eco-destination near Vasai where organic produce is grown, and meals are cooked using that very produce. The functioning of the establishment also follows an eco-friendly module wherein water and electricity are used sparingly, water used for washing utensils is drained into the nearby forest to water the trees, water drained from cooking rice is used to starch sheets, food is served in leaf plates, etc.  

With all this talk, I see many people wondering what organic farming is all about. Simply put, ‘organic’ means good, clean and fair: good in terms of taste, clean in terms of environmental sustainability, and fair, in terms of price and value for the people who produce it and consume it. In India, one sees organic produce being sold in high-end retail outlets at exorbitant prices. People also talk about it as if it’s new to this country. Once a well-known chef who enjoys his NRI tag more than his Indian nationality said to me, “Organic Farming is practically unheard of in India… it’s a gift from the west – a result of their deep thought and concern for health!” I had to stop myself from saying, “Is it really?” I didn’t bother, as I knew my argument would fall on deaf ears. Truth is, India has been practising organic farming for centuries – right since the time we started developing agriculture in the Harappan times. Agriculture has been one of our main activities and its principles are embedded in the way we live, our outlook upon life and health and the health of the ecosystem. However, the reason that our organic procedures are not talked of is the simple fact that they are not based on health trends… many small farmers cannot afford pesticides and those who can afford them, face a dearth of water, which is required in large amounts when using pesticides. 

Recently I went to an organic farmers’ market organized “privately” at a hotel on a Sunday morning. It was nice and proper, but something seemed to escape me there… I have travelled a fair share, and some of the farmers’ markets that make it for me are the ones in the interiors of India; the tiny villages where produce comes in once a week at the weekly market. The chaos mayhem, dust, and the bargaining and cacophony of sound makes it a real farmer’ market. It gives a personal dimension to the age-old adage ‘Know your farmer, know your food’. Even in terms of pricing, it seems to follow the “fair in terms of price and value for the people who produce it and consume it” principle. Somehow the proper, so-called “cultured” atmosphere of the urban market didn’t give me the same thrill and satisfaction.

In large cities, organic produce is not only available only in high-end stores; it is also expensive leading to only a certain section of society being able to consume it. Due to the lack of volume of produce that is guaranteed organic, it is often priced between 10 percent - 60 percent higher than that for regular produce. The expense comes across as a radical change in the dimension of one’s shopping budget, if one were to shop just for organic produce. And it’s not just today that organic food has been packaged. Dr. Vijaya Venkat and Kavita Mukhi made early inroads into promoting healthy organic food in India long before it became a general craze. 

With all this talk, one will wonder why the health benefits of organic food haven’t yet been discussed. Taking one’s health into account, and on the nutrition front, organic food is known to contain 50 percent more nutrients, vitamins and minerals, as against genetically modified food. Owing to lack of chemicals, the nutrients also get absorbed into the system a lot more easily leading to vibrant health. Most importantly, it prevents the onslaught of various allergies that are caused (and are currently on the rise) by Genetically Modified Foods. You can eat anything you like without having to be afraid of choking or breaking out into a rash which, I’m sure, many of you out there can relate to and would love to get rid of.

Whether in a modern upscale store or in a dusty village market, organic food reflects the agrarian principles we live by: ‘It is not simply the absence of illness, but the maintenance of physical, mental, social and ecological wellbeing that one should strive for.’

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-Michael Swamy

Organic Farming Being Promoted in A Big Way; India Exporting 1.6 Lakh Tonne Organic Products

The Government is promoting organic farming through various schemes like National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH), National Project on Management of Soil Health and Fertility (NPMSH&F), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and also Network Project on Organic Farming of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Under NPOF scheme, assistance upto 25% and 33% of financial outlay upto a ceiling of Rs. 40 lakhs and Rs. 60 lakhs respectively is provided as back ended subsidy through NABARD for establishment of bio- pesticides/biofertilizers production units and agro waste compost production units respectively. Besides, under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH), financial assistance is provided for setting up vermi-compost production units @ 50% of the cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 30,000/- per beneficiary, for adoption of organic farming @ Rs.10,000/- per hectare for maximum area of 4 hectare per beneficiary and for organic farming certification @ Rs.5.00 lakh for a group of farmers covering an area of 50 hectares. Assistance for promotion of organic farming on different components are also available under RKVY with the approval of State Level Sanctioning Committee. Under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) on Pulses, including Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P), assistance for popularizing Rhizobium culture/Phosphate Solubilising bacteria is provided to the farmers under cluster demonstrations.

Similarly, under Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP) Programme, Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria/Azotobacter culture is provided to the farmers as part of technology demonstration. Further, under National Project on Management of Soil Health and Fertility (NPMSH&F) financial assistance of Rs 500 per hectare is provided to promote use of organic manure. The financial assistance is provided on the basis of project proposals received from States including Maharashtra. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Network Project on Organic Farming, with lead centre at Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research Modipuram is developing package of practices of different crops and cropping system under organic farming in different agro-ecological regions of the country. As a result India exported agri-organic products of total volume of 160276.95 MT and realization was around Rs.1155.81 crores in year 2012-13.

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- Capital Market February 25, 2014