LEH/JAMMU, Jul 27: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday awarded organic certification to 102 villages across the Kargil, Drass, Zanskar and Sham regions, taking the total number of certified organic villages in the Union Territory to 207.
Announcing the milestone in a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor described it as a significant step towards transforming Ladakh into a fully organic region.
“Proudly awarded organic certification to 102 villages across Kargil, Drass, Zanskar and Sham, marking a major stride towards making Ladakh a fully organic region. This brings the total number of certified organic villages in Ladakh to 207,” Saxena said.
The certified villages have been developed under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), a flagship scheme of the Government of India under the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture. The programme promotes chemical-free farming through a cluster-based approach and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification, while providing financial assistance for organic inputs, farming practices and market linkages.
Officials said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting sustainable agriculture, conserving the environment and improving soil health.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Saxena said expanding organic farming would help protect Ladakh’s fragile Himalayan ecosystem, conserve soil and water resources and strengthen climate-resilient agriculture.
He added that the growing network of certified organic villages would reinforce Ladakh’s organic value chain and help establish the Union Territory as a model for sustainable and fully organic farming.
Congratulating the farmers, the Lieutenant Governor praised their commitment to environmentally friendly agriculture and said their efforts were driving a transformative shift towards a greener and more sustainable future for Ladakh.
