Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 29 : In the remote Mehra village of Rajouri, nestled in the Pir Panjal mountain range, more than 50 families have completely transitioned from conventional agriculture to 100% organic farming.
According to Chief Agriculture Officer Rajouri, Rajesh Verma, the farming landscape in the region is undergoing a notable shift. "These days, sustainability is becoming increasingly important in agriculture. More attention is being paid to sustainable farming. There are schemes to promote the concept of organic farming, as practised by our elders, where farmers don't need to add anything from outside. We have identified several clusters for organic farming and natural farming... Those individuals are being trained," Verma told ANI.
He added that the department is encouraging farmers by blending traditional knowledge with modern scientific techniques to boost productivity. "We are using scientific techniques while using the traditional ways of farming to increase the yield. Nowadays, people are very health-conscious, and the demand for healthy food has grown in society; it is our duty to provide high-quality vegetables. By looking at demand, our government is trying to increase awareness among farmers to grow more organic products, and we are working on marketing, branding, value addition, and other aspects of the products. Our youth farmers are helping to join self-help groups and activists, and the response is also very commendable. We are very hopeful of this, and the farmers are also showing a positive response."
In Mehra, the shift toward organic farming is mainly driven by educated local youth who say they had limited employment opportunities and turned to agriculture as a means of survival. "We are all educated youth here, but we haven't received any job support. That's why we're forced to work in agriculture... There are 50 households in this village, and everyone is growing vegetables... We manage to run our households, send our children to school, and do everything else with the money we earn from farming. We're helpless. What else can we do?" said farmer Abid Hussain.
He added that despite the challenges, organic farming has strengthened the village economy. "It is constructive for the health as we use organic manure. We work hard, and around 10 members from each family are involved in the process. Our small village, Mehra, is now famous for its vegetables, by God's grace. People come from far to take vegetables from here. We used to harvest maize, but that was not profitable."
With rising demand for chemical-free produce, Mehra village's organic farming success is emerging as a model for other remote areas in the region.