What is the issue?
Organic farming, which is increasingly being promoted in recent days, has many limitations for it to be taken on a large scale.
What are the challenges?
- Manure - Huge quantities of manure would be needed to replace the chemical fertilisers.
- Notably, tribal farmers do not own plots large enough to keep cattle.
- It is also not possible to free the landscape for enough quantities of the dung of free-range cattle to supply crops the nutrients they need.
- Impact of green revolution - The practices employed as a result of Green Revolution have delved deeper into the agricultural system.
- Certainly, it has now become harder for true traditional farming because the country’s agricultural system is engulfed in high-input agriculture.
- However, it is felt that traditional farming would thrive, if subsidies offered for high-input agriculture is graded down.
- This can probably help the small scale farmers to be self-contained with the traditional, non-chemical agriculture.
- Consumers - Organic produce in the markets along with the non-organic produce make their prices highly unaffordable for many.
- E.g. Organic produce with higher prices from Sikkim, certainly faces competition with low priced non-organic produce from nearby West Bengal.
- It is thus still uncertain if customers are willing to spend more, for organic farming to be taken on a large scale.
What lies before the policy makers?
- The varied efforts and campaigns for organic farming may not all sustain it, unless it is consistently remunerative for the farmers.
- The whole discussion on organic farming should take into consideration, apart from agriculture, the business and livelihood aspects as well.
Source: Financial Express
