Strict rules will be adhered to, by the ranchers and farmers, to make milk and meat more organic. According to the Agricultural Department, milk and meat ought to come from the animals that graze in pastures for at least four months in a year.

The new rules and regulations took many years to come into existence, which now offer clarity for ranchers, food companies as well as consumers. Earlier it was assumed that the animals should only have the access to the pastures.

With the consumers getting more health and hygiene conscious, they are seeking organic products, which are grown without pesticides, hormones, antibiotics or biotechnology. Hence, organic industry is at its zenith of progress for the past 20 years.

There is cut throat competition between the small and the large scale farmers. The various ways to make the milk and meat organic is a debatable topic. Deputy Agricultural Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said the pastures rules are surely the first step in defining the term “organic”.

The farmers will work in compliance with new rules, which will take effect in June. The rules also include that 30% of the animals feed should come from grazing in the pastures and that ranchers must also take good care of the soil water and quality.