|
Kalon Tripa to visit Tibetan Farm Project in Bylakuppe
Thursday, 21 December 2006, 03:30 p.m.
Dharamshala: The Tibetan Farm Project, which has introduced organic and natural farming on some 86 acres of land in Bylakuppe, is all spruced up for the forthcoming visit of Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche early next month.
The project serves as a research and training institute on organic and natural farming for the 18,000-odd people of the twin settlements of Bylakuppe.
Soy bean has been the latest addition to the whole gamut of crops grown in the farm, from rice, pulses and vegetables, to sunflower and groundnut, to ragi, millet and green manure.
Even though much of this year’s harvest has already been reaped, when Kalon Tripa visits the farm, he would find different types of beans in full bloom.
In addition to organic and natural farming, the project also includes animal husbandry and horticulture.
Tibetan organic produce being showcased at the trade fair in Bangalore.
|
The introduction of organic farming as "projects aimed at providing non-violent, eco-friendly, and high-yield-low-labour means of livelihood" has been one of the defining initiatives of this Kashag.
Last month, a 60-strong Tibetan delegation took part in the four-day India Organic 2006 in Bangalore, which featured three parallel events--trade fair, organic food festival and the congress, in which some 60 resource persons spoke on a various issues.
The secretary and the additional secretary of the Home Department of the exile Tibetan Administration, headed the Tibetan delegation consisting of officers from the 12 major Tibetan agricultural settlements across India.
During the event, for the first time, the Tibetan organic produce was showcased in an organic trade fair, alongside 170 stalls, featuring products from 15 Indian states, and also some foreign countries.
The trade fair drew some 15,000 people.
"All in all, India Organic 2006 was a good learning experience for the Tibetan participants," says Ngodup Dorje, the head of the agriculture and cooperative section of the Home Department.
Related Previous Stories:
2 More Villages of Kollegal to Go Organic
Monday, 14 August 2006, 0:30 p.m.
Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche demonstrating how to compost manure, before the visiting settlement officers here in May last year.
|
Dharamshala: In what is only the second leg of a long-term project, two more villages of the model agriculture settlement at Kollegal are now geared up for organic farming, after the process of organic conversion was successfully carried out in over 100 acres of the pilot village C, in addition to some 126 acres of scattered farmlands.
The introduction of organic farming as "projects aimed at providing non-violent, eco-friendly, and high-yield-low-labour means of livelihood", has been one of the defining initiatives of this Kashag.
The thrust of its approach is to make the farmers self-reliant, by imparting them how to make their own composted manure, set up a local seed bank, along with a whole lot of others, through the expertise of a well-trained agricultural extension officer, deputed by the home department in all the 22 agricultural settlements, some like Kollegal have two officers.
As they use their own manure and seeds, organic farmers need not expend their hard earned capital on hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides and all the various others, according to Tsering Dorjee, of the agriculture section of the department.
"People today are more and more enthusiastic and receptive on organic farming," he adds. "Besides, since the project began implementation some two years ago, we have had no complaints from the farmers, whether of losses or any serious decrease in the harvest."
After securing the certification of its produce as authentic (organic), from a reputed institution, which is likely to take some time, the department will then work on a sound marketing strategy. Meanwhile, the produce of the organic farming will be sold within the exile community.
In addition to the introduction of mixed cropping, instead of the usual mono-cropping of maize, the pioneering project also underlined measures for soil and water conservation, like enhancing the capacity of the soil to retain (rain) water, etc.
"Although, the department needs some more years to be able to assess the outcome of the organic farming, if what we have achieved thus far is any indication, we are very upbeat about the future prospects," Mr. Dorjee concluded.
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)
|
