Sikkim has become India's first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. Sikkim is blessed by fertile land that largely supports agriculture.

Agriculture is the most important part of the socio-economic pattern in Sikkim, and it’s also the primary occupation of the inhabitants of the state. Organic farming in the state has been a traditional way of farming adopted by farmers for ages. Due to the unavailability of assured irrigation, farmers practice a rain-fed farming system with an integrated approach and therefore, an integrated farming system is predominant in the state with agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry in impeccable coordination. Sikkim has a rich green cover with abundant plant species as a result the soil is rich in organic matter content and makes the organic conversion easier.

The topography and the climatic conditions of Sikkim are highly favorable for agriculture and this is the reason why Sikkim witnesses a high yield every year.

There are five agro-climatic zones in the state as shown below:

• Tropical Zone
• Sub-tropical Zone
• Temperate Zone
• Alpine Zone
• Sub-Alpine Zone

A major strength of Sikkim’s food processing industry lies in the following:

• Spices- Turmeric, Cardamom, Ginger, Cherry Pepper
• Pulses- Black gram (Urad), Rice Bean
• Cereals- Rice, Maize, Buckwheat, Barley, Finger Millet
• Oilseeds- Soybean, Rapeseed, Mustard
• Commercial crops- Large Cardamom, Orange, Ginger, Turmeric, Cherry Pepper

Food Grains: Key production highlights8 (2015-16)

Total production of 100.58 thousand tonnes of food grains

• Rice – 19.69 thousand tonnes
• Maize – 68.31 thousand tonnes
• Buckwheat – 3.47 thousand tonnes

Horticulture products: Key production highlights (2015-16)

Total production of 211. 79 thousand tonnes of horticulture products

• Fruits – 23.48 thousand tonnes
• Vegetables – 106.94 thousand tonnes
• Flowers – 16.59 thousand tonnes
• Spices – 64.78 thousand tonnes

The key production statistics for the state (the year 2015-16) are presented below:

The major crops of the state are maize, rice, buckwheat among cereals, Black gram (Urad), and rice bean among pulses, soybean, and mustard among oilseeds. The main horticultural crops are orange & pears among fruits, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, and cherry pepper among spice crops, cole crops, peas & beans, tomato, potato among vegetable crops. Besides, the production of potato & pea seeds and off-season vegetable cultivation at high altitudes is done extensively. Of late, the cultivation of flowers such as cymbidium, rose, gerbera, anthurium, lilium, etc. is generating good income for farmers and a large number of farmers have adopted floriculture as a commercial venture.

The state's economy is largely agrarian, based on the terraced farming of rice and the cultivation of crops such as maize, millet, wheat, barley, oranges, tea, and cardamom. Sikkim produces more cardamom than any other Indian state and is home to the largest cultivated area of cardamom

Production Cluster of the State: -

Sikkim has the following marketing facilities in the state:

• Food Processing Units: Few large processing units are present in the state that are involved in the processing of flour, tea, fruits, bakery, and other food products
• Agri-Export Zones: Two
• One multipurpose cold storage unit having a capacity of 2000 tonnes
• The total effective storage capacity of 11,000 tonnes in the state

Famous Traditional Food of Sikkim

• Dal Bhat - is boiled rice and lentil soup served with vegetable curry and spicy homemade sauce
• Gya thuk or Thukpa - is a noodle-based soup with vegetables or meat
• Momo – is a stuffing of minced meat, vegetables, or cheese in flour dough, made in the form of dumplings and steamed to perfection

Some of the major processing clusters in the state include:

• Agriculture is vital to the progress of Sikkim as more than 64% of the population depends on it for their livelihoods. The Sikkim AGRISNET is an internet-based agriculture information center to promote scientific agricultural methods and convert research into practice in the agricultural sector
• Sikkim has a suitable climate for agricultural and horticultural products. It supports multiple crops; viz., rice, wheat, maize, millet, barley, urad, pea, soya bean, mustard, and large cardamom
• The state government is also laying emphasis on improving organic farming in the state. The state was certified as the first fully organic state in India, by the Central Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare as well as other recognized agencies of the country. In August 2019, Sikkim was declared as the world’s first 100% organic state by UN Food and Agriculture (FAO)
• In 2003, the state government took the decision to become a fully organic state through a declaration in the legislative assembly. In January 2016, Sikkim became the first fully organic state in India. Around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land in the state was gradually converted to certified organic land by implementing practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in the National Programme for Organic Production
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has established three Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Sikkim to impart training to farmers in various aspects of agriculture including organic farming
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is a sub-scheme under the National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) through which assistance is provided for Organic Farming clusters. The state has around 150 clusters and the Government plans to develop 200 more clusters in 2017-18
• An extraordinary increase in the number of tourists in the state has been witnessed over the past few years owing to the efforts that the state Government is making for promoting tourism in the state
• Sikkim has been featured and ranked 17th in the New York Times “52 best places to go in 2017”
• Sikkim's geographical and environmental conditions are quite conducive for the development of floriculture at a higher altitude. The state is also considered to be the Kingdom of flowers and is an innovator in cultivating Gladiolus