Bengal to develop 32 organic villages

 To boost organic farming in West Bengal, the state government will soon start work on developing 32 organic villages, Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose said here on Saturday.

"This year we are targeting 32 organic villages in various districts such as Nadia, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and others. We will develop certain villages as organic villages in these districts," Bose told the media here.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the 'ONganic' store which primarily stocks organically-grown and indigenous rice and rice-based products, millets, pulses, dairy products and spices. It is an initiative by NGO Switch ON.

"We will co-ordinate with NGOs and other co-operatives to foster organic farming in these villages," Bose added. - IANS