New Development In Agriculture - Organic Farming

access_time February 9, 2024
perm_identity Posted by Admin

INTRODUCTION :

India has a rich agricultural heritage and is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world. The country is known for its diverse agro-climatic regions and cultivates a wide variety of crops. In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards organic farming in India, which has been a major development in Indian agriculture.

ORGANIC FARMING :

Organic farming is a method of farming that relies on the use of organic matter and biological processes, rather than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farmers aim to create a self-sustaining system that mimics the natural processes of the ecosystem. This involves practices such as crop rotation, the use of green manures, and biological pest control.

Organic farming has several benefits, including improved soil health, increased water retention, and improved crop yield. Additionally, organic crops are often considered to be healthier, as they are free from harmful chemicals and synthetic inputs. Furthermore, organic farming can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, as it relies on the use of local crops and traditional farming methods.

ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC FARMING IN INDIA

  1. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY : Organic farming does not use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals which are harmful to the environment.
  2. SOIL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT : Organic farming methods promote soil health by using natural compost, crop rotation and cover cropping.
  3. BIODIVERSITY : Organic farming helps to promote biodiversity by reducing the use of harmful chemicals and promoting the growth of a variety of crops.
  4. HEALTH BENEFITS : Organic food is free from harmful chemicals and is considered to be healthier.
  5. ECONOMIC BENEFITS : Organic farming provides livelihoods for farmers and can result in better prices for organic products.
  6. LOCAL DEVELOPMENT : Organic farming can promote local development and reduce dependence on imported food.
  7. IMPROVED RURAL LIVELIHOODS : Organic farming can provide employment and income generation opportunities in rural areas, helping to improve the standard of living for farmers.

DISADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC FARMING IN INDIA

  1. HIGHER COSTS : Organic farming requires more labor and is often more expensive than conventional farming methods.
  2. LOWER YIELDS : Organic farming methods can result in lower yields compared to conventional farming methods, particularly in the early years.
  3. PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL : Organic farming relies on natural pest control methods, which can be less effective and result in crop losses.
  4. MARKET ACCESS : Organic farmers may face difficulties in accessing markets for their products, particularly in remote areas.
  5. LACK OF STANDARDIZATION : There are currently no universally accepted standards for organic farming, which can make it difficult for consumers to determine the authenticity of organic products.
  6. LONG-TERM INVESTMENT : Organic farming requires a long-term commitment and investment, as it can take several years to establish a successful organic farm.
  7. WEATHER DEPENDENCE : Organic farming methods are often weather-dependent and can be affected by natural events such as droughts, which can result in crop losses.

TYPES OF ORGANIC FARMING

Organic farming is divided into two types, namely:

  1. Integrated organic farming
  2. Pure organic farming

PURE ORGANIC farming means avoiding all unnatural chemicals. In this process of farming, all the fertilisers and pesticides are obtained from natural sources such as bone meal or blood meal.

INTEGRATED ORGANIC farming includes the integration of pest management and nutrients management to achieve ecological requirements and demands.

BENIFIT OF ORGANIC FARMING

The benefits of organic farming are numerous and include :

  1. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY : Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals which are harmful to the environment.
  2. SOIL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT : Organic farming methods promote soil health by using natural compost, crop rotation, and cover cropping.
  3. BIODIVERSITY : Organic farming helps to promote biodiversity by reducing the use of harmful chemicals and promoting the growth of a variety of crops.
  4. HEALTH BENEFITS : Organic food is free from harmful chemicals and is considered to be healthier.
  5. ECONOMIC BENEFITS : Organic farming provides livelihoods for farmers and can result in better prices for organic products.
  6. LOCAL DEVELOPMENT : Organic farming can promote local development and reduce dependence on imported food.
  7. IMPROVED RURAL LIVELIHOODS : Organic farming can provide employment and income generation opportunities in rural areas, helping to improve the standard of living for farmers.
  8. REDUCED POLLUTION : Organic farming reduces the pollution of soil, water and air caused by the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals.
  9. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE : Organic farming is based on principles of sustainability and aims to promote a sustainable food system for future generations.

LIMITATION OF ORGANIC FARMING

The limitations of organic farming include :

  1. LOWER YIELDS : Organic farming methods can result in lower yields compared to conventional farming methods, particularly in the early years.
  2. PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL : Organic farming relies on natural pest control methods, which can be less effective and result in crop losses.
  3. MARKET ACCESS : Organic farmers may face difficulties in accessing markets for their products, particularly in remote areas.
  4. HIGHER COSTS : Organic farming requires more labor and is often more expensive than conventional farming methods.
  5. LACK OF STANDARDIZATION : There are currently no universally accepted standards for organic farming, which can make it difficult for consumers to determine the authenticity of organic products.
  6. LONG-TERM INVESTMENT : Organic farming requires a long-term commitment and investment, as it can take several years to establish a successful organic farm.
  7. WEATHER DEPENDENCE : Organic farming methods are often weather-dependent and can be affected by natural events such as droughts, which can result in crop losses.
  8. LIMITED ACCESS TO INPUTS : Organic farmers may face difficulties in obtaining organic inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, particularly in remote areas.
  9. RESISTANCE FROM CONVENTIONAL FARMERS : Organic farming can face resistance from conventional farmers and organizations that are invested in the use of synthetic inputs.

ORGANIC FARMING COVERAGE IN STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES

Organic farming is in a nascent stage in India. About 2.78 million hectare of farmland was under organic cultivation as of March 2020, according to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. This is two per cent of the 140.1 million ha net sown area in the country.

A few states have taken the lead in improving organic farming coverage, as a major part of this area is concentrated only in a handful of states. Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 0.76 million ha of area under organic cultivation — that is over 27 per cent of India’s total organic cultivation area.

The top three states — MADHYA PRADESH, RAJASTHAN AND MAHARASHTRA — account for about half the area under organic cultivation. The top 10 states account for about 80 per cent of the total area under organic cultivation. Only a fraction of area is converted under organic

SIKKIM is the only Indian state to have become fully organic so far. A majority of the states have only a small part of their net sown area under organic farming. Even the top three states that account for the largest area under organic cultivation — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra — have only around 4.9, 2.0 and 1.6 per cent of their net sown area under organic farming respectively. 

A few states such as Meghalaya, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Goa and Sikkim have 10 per cent or more of their net sown area under organic cultivation. All these states, except Goa, are in hilly regions.

Union Territories such as Delhi, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Chandigarh also have 10 per cent or more of their net sown area under organic cultivation, but their agricultural area is very small. Almost all other states have less than 10 per cent of their net sown area under organic.

POLICY INITIATIVES DO NOT MEAN GREATER ORGANIC COVERAGE

Low organic farming coverage prevails in several states, despite at least 20 of them having a policy or a scheme with regard to organic farming. States like Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have expressed their desire to become fully organic or natural-farming states.

Apart from the states with 100 per cent organic ambition, there are only a select few that have set specific measurable targets

Some states have had a policy for several years but have not been able to cover much area in absolute terms under organic cultivation. For example, Karnataka and Kerala have had an organic policy since 2004 and 2010 respectively, but have only 1.1 and 2.7 per cent of their net sown area organically cultivated.

On the other hand, states such as Rajasthan, which formulated their policy recently, have covered a significant area. This also indicates that the conversion to organic area in states may have started much before the actual policy enactment.

Currently, only around 12 states — Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Sikkim, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh — have their own state organic certification agencies accredited by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Some states have either developed or are still in the process of forming organic brands such as MP Organic, Organic Rajasthan, Nasik Organic, Bastar Naturals, Kerala Naturals, Jaivik Jharkhand, Naga Organic, Organic Arunachal, Organic Manipur, Tripura Organic and Five Rivers by Punjab.

ORGANIC COVERAGE LARGELY UNDER NPOP

The National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is a certification program in India that certifies organic products as per the standards set by the government of India. It is a flagship program of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, aimed at promoting organic farming and the development of the organic sector in India.

The NPOP certification program covers a wide range of organic products, including agricultural products, processed foods, textiles, and personal care products. It provides farmers, processors, and manufacturers with a framework for producing and marketing organic products that meet the highest standards of quality and sustainability

India introduced the organic farming policy in 2005. The 2.78 million ha was covered under organic farming in India is about two per cent of the 140.1 million ha net sown area in the country.

Of this, 1.94 million ha is under NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION (NPOP); 0.59 million has under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY); 0.07 million has under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Regions (MOVCDNER) and 0.17 million has under state schemes or non-schemes.

This shows that NPOP scheme covers about 70 per cent of the organic area of the country, of which 30 per cent is under conversion. NPOP scheme, which started in 2001, covers about 70 per cent of the organic area of the country of which 30 per cent is under conversion. PKVY and MOVCDNER schemes started in 2015-16 and cover 21.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent of the total organic area in the country.

The remaining 6.1 per cent of area under organic cultivation is either under a state scheme or not related to any scheme. During 2015-16 to 2018-19, around 96 per cent of total certified organic food production was under NPOP certification and the remaining four per cent was under Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of certification.

India’s top organic state Madhya Pradesh has about 90 per cent of its organic area under NPOP. The top three states — Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan — collectively have over 80 per cent of their organic area under NPOP. Only a few states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Bihar covered more by PKVY than NPOP.

Even though India has very small organic area under cultivation, in terms of number of organic farmers it is being ranked first. India has over 1.9 million farmers as of March 2020, which is 1.3 per cent of 146 million agricultural landholders.

In addition, there are farmers who are not certified and hence not counted, especially by-default organic farmers in hilly, tribal and rain-fed regions.

THE RELEVANCE OF ORGANIC FARMING

Organic farming is becoming increasingly relevant due to a growing awareness of the environmental and health impacts of conventional agriculture. Some of the reasons why organic farming is relevant include:

  1. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION : Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, reducing the negative impact of agriculture on the environment.
  2. HEALTH BENEFITS : Organic food is free from harmful chemicals, providing health benefits for consumers.
  3. SUSTAINABILITY : Organic farming is based on principles of sustainability and aims to promote a sustainable food system for future generations.
  4. SOIL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT : Organic farming methods promote soil health, which is essential for food security and sustainable agriculture.
  5. BIODIVERSITY PROMOTION : Organic farming helps to promote biodiversity by reducing the use of harmful chemicals and promoting the growth of a variety of crops.
  6. ECONOMIC BENEFITS : Organic farming can provide economic benefits for farmers, particularly in rural areas, and can result in better prices for organic products.
  7. CONSUMER DEMAND : There is a growing demand for organic products, particularly in developed countries, driven by increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of organic food.

CONCLUSION

Organic farming is a promising development in Indian agriculture, and it has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of the country's agricultural sector. The Indian government has taken several initiatives to promote organic farming, including the creation of certification programs and the development of a national organic farming policy. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of educating farmers about the benefits of organic farming and providing them with the resources and support they need to make the transition. Nevertheless, the growing popularity of organic farming in India is a positive trend that offers hope for a more sustainable and equitable agricultural future for the country.

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