Market for organic veggies to open up soon in Karnataka

Organically grown vegetables, although a heathier option, are expensive one when compared with commercially grown ones. But the day isn’t far when you will have the healthy veggies with their certification come up to your apartment at the prices of chemically grown vegetables.

An organic farmers consortium will soon launch a network of organic vegetable growers, and form a large marketing co-operative in the state. The initiative, made in the coastal city, will shortly become a reality in Bangalore, Mysore and other tier-II cities, where organic foodies generally huddle.

“We have contacted farmers in many villages situated in fringe areas of cities in the state and encouraged them to grow organic vegetables. Once we have enough supply, we will put our sales network and mobile kiosk into action,” said Sunny D’Souza, Raitha Sangha activist and a pioneer in organic farming in coastal Karnataka.

In districts like Mandya, Shimoga, Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu, the scope to grow organic vegetables is immense due to adequate availability of water, manpower and good soil , D’Souza said.

NV Poulose, an activist of Organic Promoter’s Collective (OPC) told dna that they have approached colleges in Mangalore that have some land to spare, and enthused students to grow organic vegetables on their campuses on an experimental basis. “This way, the students will be exposed to farming and know the value of healthy eating and living.”

Mangalore MLA JR Lobo said he will set aside some money from the MLA area development fund to erect a couple of kiosks at marketplaces to encourage production and selling of these vegetables and fruits.