Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday inaugurated a farmer‑focused, fully organic marketplace in Reshithang, Gangtok, aiming to strengthen direct farm‑to‑consumer sales and bolster the state’s sustainable agricultural economy.
The community‑driven marketplace, named Hamro Gauley Bazar, was established in the Upper Burtuk constituency through voluntary contributions by villagers, without government expenditure. Local MLA Kala Rai was present at the unveiling.
The market operates twice weekly and is intended to enable farmers to sell homegrown produce directly to consumers, bypassing intermediaries and enhancing incomes for cultivators in the state’s organic ecosystem.
Speaking at the inauguration, Tamang thanked villagers for their voluntary efforts and highlighted the vision of developing Hamro Gauley Bazar into a rural economic hub. He emphasised the need for robust verification mechanisms to ensure stall holders are bona fide agricultural landholders, and urged the Tourism Department to include the market in tourist circuits to showcase local cuisine and produce.
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Sikkim, declared the first fully organic state in India, and widely recognised as the world’s first to achieve such certification, transitioned to complete organic farming through phased initiatives beginning in 2003. All cultivable land, amounting to over 76,000 hectares, has been brought under certified organic cultivation, benefitting tens of thousands of farming families. The policy has also contributed to sustainable soil management and diversification of organic crops such as cardamom, ginger, turmeric and vegetables.
Despite its achievements, marketing organic produce beyond local circuits remains a challenge, with efforts underway to build stronger value chains and expand market access for Sikkim’s certified products.
The new Hamro Gauley Bazar is hoped to boost both economic activity and the visibility of Sikkim’s organic success story.
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