Organic Market at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on October 24

If you are looking to buy fresh organic produce, then head to Lalbagh Botanical Gardens this coming Sunday, as a large variety of vegetables, fruits, pulses and millets will be on sale. Some 25 varieties of vegetables and fruits, 45 varieties of millets, rice and pulses will be available at wholesale prices, as the produce will be directly brought by individual farmers, farmers' organisations and women's self-help groups from across the State.

Organised by the Jaivik Krishik Society, the organic shandy provides a platform for both sellers and buyers to interact where discussions on health and environmental aspects will be held, according to Additional Director of Horticulture K. Ramakrishnappa. What you can look for at the shandy is 18 local varieties of rice, including that for diabetics, parboiled, scented and red rice; varieties of millets, cereals, pulses, coconut, spices and condiments. Among fruits, those for sale will be banana, sapota, guava, papaya, gooseberry and others. Beans, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, carrot, tomato, potato and other vegetables are being brought by the farmers along with local varieties of vegetable seeds and food products.

The shandy is being organised as part of Kisan Swaraj Yatra, an outreach effort, which started from Sabarmati on October 2 and will end at the Raj Ghat on December 11 to protect Indian farming and farmers. The pan-India yatra is highlighting issues such as seed sovereignty, land grab, climate change, genetically engineered seeds, pesticides, farm produce pricing, a press release said. Passing through different districts of Karnataka from October 21, the yatra will reach Bangalore on October 24 where the organic shandy and a public meeting has been organised. Sahaja Organics, Simply Organics, Era Organics, Pristine Organics, Save Our Rice Campaign and Samvada are taking part in the shandy, which will be organised at Mysore Horticulture Society premises in Lalbagh between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The Jaivik Krishik Society - a nodal agency between the Government of Karnataka and the organic food producers - is approaching national and international certification and accreditation agencies for marketing the organic food products under the `Jaivik' name. The Department of Horticulture in Karnataka, which has taken steps to popularize the concept of organic farming among farmers, is now making efforts to market organically grown items under a brand name. `Jaivik,' as the name suggests, is an initiative in that regard.

The activities of the society are not only limited for selling organic food products but also for popularizing the organic farming concept. The members of the society regularly interact to share their experiences in organic farming. To promote this society a retail outlet is present in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore. Around 300 farmers are the members of this society. Of them, nearly 30 are actively into organic farming. Various vegetables and other crops grown by them have good demand in the domestic market. The `Jaivik' outlet at Lalbagh sells most of the vegetables and other farm items produced by them.