A Certificate of Declaration was issued that will enhance the coconut production by the farmers and the coconut value-addition enterprises
The entire Union Territory of Lakshadweep has been declared as the Fully Organic Territory. Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister during his recent visit to Kavaratti applauded the four major programmes of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lakshadweep of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi during the occasion. The minister presented the Certificate of Declaration to the Praful Patel, Administrator, Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
The Certification is under the PGS-India, a Participatory Organic Guarantee Programme of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. The certification will enhance the coconut production by the farmers and the coconut value-addition enterprises in the islands paving the way for increased value-addition and local employment generation bringing in big economic gains for the islands.
The minister commissioned the Poultry Feed and Organic Manure Making Unit of the ICAR-CMFRI, KVK, Lakshadweep established in association with the ICAR-CIFT, Kochi as a part of demonstrating the ICAR-CIFT’s technology for the production of poultry feed and organic manure from fish wastes. The unit can produce One Tonne feed/manure per day and will be operated by the Fishermen Cooperative Society, Kavaratti on a commercial basis. The Tuna Fishery of Lakshadweep generates nearly 3,000 tonnes of waste annually which can yield nearly 4,000 tonnes of poultry feed/manure every year.
Singh also inaugurated the UT Level Demonstration of Coconut Sap (Neera) Chiller Box Technology of the ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala by the KVK by distributing the sap chiller boxes to two farmers from the different islands.
The Lakshadweep is the Second Union Territory / State to be declared fully organic after Sikkim.
