AP Agri firm gets European certification

Prakash Bio-Organic Farm has become the first agri firm in Andhra Pradesh to get certification from the Netherlands (Zwolle)-based Skal International for exporting totapuri variety of mangoes, sapota, guava, cocoa and coconut to Europe.

Skal is an expert agency, which tests organic agricultural produce and foodstuff as per quality specifications fixed by the governments of Europe and testifies to their standards. Its certification opens European markets to farmers of other continents.

Managing director of Prakash Bio-Organic Farm Chalasani Dutt told Business Standard that the Skal certificate has enabled his firm to export 40 tonnes of mangoes to Europe through the international business division of Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) in 2004-05.

In this fiscal, it has so far exported 60 tonnes of mangoes. Organic farming has helped him earn two-and-a-half times more income than what the other farmers earned per tonne of mangoes. Dutt realised a price of Rs 5 per kg of mangoes. "We are now trying to get certification from Demeter as well," he added.

The 120-acre farm is located near Nuzvid which is at a distance of 40 km from Vijayawada. By adopting vermiculture, effective micro-organic technology, bio-dynamics, panch-kavva, amino acids (fish), subsoil rain water harvesting and apiculture, we have been growing 2,000 mango trees, 2,000 guava trees, 1,500 coconut trees, 600 chikoo plants and 5,000 teak saplings.

Drumsticks, paddy, cashewnut, groundnut, ginger, turmeric, watermelon, papaya, banana and chillies are also being cultivated over here. Fish is also bred in a 2.5 acre tank in the farm," he added.

"We have succeeded in arresting mite in coconut by inserting two pure copper rods of 6 mm x 250 mm perpendicularly into the tree trunk, enabling its sap to get into copper oxychlorides on a continuous basis. Azolla (floating fern) is also being used as an organic nutritious supplement for livestock," Dutt said.

Chemical fertilisers and pesticides have not been used on the farm since 1995. "Organic farming, which basically requires one cow per acre, provides employment throughout the year. There are plans to train farmers in diversified crops, he added.