Overview
- Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena formally declared Ladakh fully organic on Sunday, consolidating a multi-year push to make all agriculture in the Union Territory chemical-free.
- The administration issued a territory-wide ban on the procurement, sale and use of chemical and synthetic fertilisers in July and has been supplying organic fertiliser to farmers since a March distribution drive.
- Before the declaration 207 revenue villages had secured organic certification and the Mission Organic Development Initiative aims to convert all 666 villages into certified organic hubs under a reported ₹500 crore programme.
- Officials say the policy is meant to improve soil and water health, raise the market value of apricots, sea buckthorn, buckwheat, barley and vegetables, and boost rural incomes, but farmers and analysts warn that market links, post-harvest systems and value chains must be built for those gains to materialise.
- Next steps the administration must deliver include scaling certification into functioning supply chains, building branding and export channels for high-value crops, and ensuring farmers receive premium prices so the organic transition sustains local livelihoods.