Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir): In times of fertilisers and pesticides and the ill effects they pose to the food chain, a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district has earned a niche among the villages by emerging as the first 'Organic Village' of Kashmir valley where various types of vegetables are grown to be supplied not only to the valley but outside of it.
Pulwama district of south Kashmir, which leads in the milk production, also deald in the cultivation of fruits vegetables. At Bangund village of Pulwama district, different types of vegetables are grown organically here without the use of fertilizers and other chemicals. The vegetables are sold throughout the valley as well as outside the valley which is the only source of income of most of the villagers.
The village, which has earned the sobriquet of the 'First Organic Village of Kashmir' District has about 72 households involved in vegetable cultivation on about 400 kanals of land. Bashir Ahmed, a local farmer said that from the year 2017-2018 they started growing vegetables organically in the village which they continue to do with satisfaction.
“People from outside the valley come to us to buy vegetables, which gives us a lot of profit,” he said. Bashir however appealed to the government to provide them a vehicle for transporting their vegetables to the market. A local woman farmer said that the organic farming has boosted employment opportunities among the locals. She however demanded more support from the government to boost production.
It is noteworthy that in a bid towards encouraging organic farming in Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir government has declared Bangund village in Pulwama district as the first organic farming village in Kashmir in 2018 as the village grows vegetables without chemicals and pesticides, which pose a threat to the environment.
