Gurgaon: Haryana plans to set up organic seed laboratories in the city and Hisar to address a key gap in the state’s push toward organic and natural farming: access to reliable, quality-certified seeds.The proposed laboratories will test and certify the quality of organic seeds, allowing farmers to obtain planting material that meets prescribed standards without having to depend entirely on private sources or facilities outside the state. The initiative is also expected to strengthen the credibility of organic produce by improving quality control at the very first stage of cultivation.The announcement was made during a review meeting of Haryana boards and corporations chaired by Haryana Bureau of Public Enterprises chairman Mohan Lal Kaushik. Officials were asked to take up the work of establishing the two laboratories and strengthen support systems for farmers.The move comes against the backdrop of Haryana’s relatively small organic farming footprint. According to APEDA’s latest National Programme for Organic Production data for 2024-25, only 2,044.92 hectares in Haryana were under certified organic cultivation, with another 355.07 hectares under conversion — a total certified farm area of about 2,400 hectares. Organic production was 2,708.96 tonnes.The proposed labs could therefore become an important link between govt’s policy push and actual adoption by farmers, particularly by reducing uncertainty over seed quality and certification.“The state has been increasingly promoting natural and organic farming as part of its broader strategy to reduce chemical dependence, improve soil health and make agriculture more sustainable,” said an official. Haryana govt said in Feb that 10,036 farmers had registered for natural farming, of whom 7,580 were practising it across 18,559 acres.Govt is also encouraging farmers to shift larger areas to natural and organic cultivation and to provide greater technical support. The proposed seed laboratories are intended to complement these efforts.The significance is particularly high in a state where conventional agriculture remains dominant. Haryana’s certified organic area has remained tiny compared with leading organic-farming states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In 2024-25, these three states together accounted for more than 1.5 million hectares of certified organic farm area, against Haryana’s roughly 2,045 hectares.Kaushik also called for better coordination among agriculture-related boards, corporations and institutions and stressed that farmers should get modern technology, quality seeds and technical guidance.The state is additionally examining measures to promote kitchen gardening and natural farming by supplying vegetable seedlings instead of seeds, which officials believe could improve access to quality planting material and encourage households to grow vegetables themselves.
