{"id":56389,"date":"2020-03-02T11:27:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T05:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?page_id=56389"},"modified":"2020-03-02T11:27:37","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T05:57:37","slug":"answered-what-is-organic-farming-explain-why-the-use-of-organic-farming-should-be-encouraged-in-india","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answered-what-is-organic-farming-explain-why-the-use-of-organic-farming-should-be-encouraged-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"[Answered] What is organic farming? Explain why the use of organic farming should be encouraged in India."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n Demand of the question<\/strong>\n Introduction.\n <\/strong>What is organic farming?\n Body.\n <\/strong>Discuss the need of\n encouraging the use of organic farming in India\n Conclusion.\n <\/strong>Way forward.\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As per the United States Department of\nAgriculture (USDA) organic farming is a system which largely excludes the use\nof synthetic inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and relies upon crop\nrotations, crop residues, animal manures, organic waste, and biological system\nof nutrient mobilization. Organic farming system in India is not new and is\nbeing followed from ancient times. It promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem\nhealth, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.\nCurrently India ranks 33rd<\/sup> in terms of total land under organic\ncultivation and 88th<\/sup> in terms of the ratio of agricultural land\nunder organic crops to total farming area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need\nof encouraging the use of organic farming in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Unsustainable conventional agriculture: <\/strong>The ill effects of the conventional farming\nsystem are felt in India in terms of the unsustainability of agricultural\nproduction, environmental degradation, health and sanitation problems, etc.\nOrganic agriculture is needed as an alternative method to the modern system. <\/li>
  2. Agricultural productivity: <\/strong>The national productivity of many of the cereal\ncrops, millets, oilseeds, pulses and horticultural crops continues to be one of\nthe lowest in the world in spite of the green revolution. The fertilizer and\npesticide consumption has increased manifold but this trend has not been\nreflected in the crop productivity to that extent. Organic farming has the potential of increased\nproductivity in the long term due to better\nsoil conditions and ecosystems. <\/li>
  3. Rising population: <\/strong>With the increase in population there is need to increase\nagriculture production further in sustainable manner. The scientists have\nrealized that the \u2018Green Revolution\u2019 with high input use has reached its peak\nand is now diminishing returns. Thus, a sustainable organic alternative is\nneeded.<\/li>
  4. Employment Opportunities:<\/strong> According to many studies, organic farming\nrequires more labour input than the conventional farming system. India which\nhas a very large amount of labour unemployment and underemployment can generate agricultural jobs through organic farming in\nrural areas. In India the organic food market is approximately of Rs. 5.6\nbillion and is an emerging opportunity for generation of employment and income\nat village level. <\/li>
  5. Healthy food:<\/strong> Several indirect benefits from organic farming are\navailable to both the farmers and consumers. While the consumers get healthy\nfoods with better taste and nutritive values, the farmers are indirectly\nbenefited from healthy soils and farm production environment. <\/li>
  6. Eco-tourism: <\/strong>Eco-tourism is increasingly becoming popular and organic\nfarms have turned into such favourite spots in many countries like Italy.\nOrganic farming adds to the\nbeauty of the fields and provides protection\nto the ecosystem, flora, fauna with increased biodiversity and the resulting\nbenefits to all human and living beings.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Challenges\nto organic farming in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Lack of Awareness:<\/strong>\n The most important constraint in the progress of organic farming is the\n lack of awareness among farmers about the organic farming and its\n potential benefits. <\/li>
    2. Marketing Problems: <\/strong>It\n is found that before the beginning of the cultivation of organic crops,\n their marketability and that too at a premium over the conventional produce\n has to be assured. Inability to obtain a premium price, at least during\n the period required to achieve the productivity levels of the conventional\n crop lead to a setback.<\/li>
    3. Shortage of Biomass:<\/strong>\n Many experts and well informed farmers are not sure whether all the\n nutrients with the required quantities can be made available by the\n organic materials. Even if this problem is resolved, they are of the view\n that the available organic matter is not simply enough to meet the\n requirements.<\/li>
    4. Inadequate Supporting Infrastructure:<\/strong> In spite of the adoption of the National Programme for Organic\n Production, the state governments are yet to formulate policies and a\n credible mechanism to implement them. There are only four agencies for\n accreditation and their expertise is limited to fruits and vegetables,\n tea, coffee and spices. The certifying agencies are inadequate.<\/li>
    5. High Input Costs: <\/strong>The\n small and marginal farmers in India have been practicing organic farming\n in the form of the traditional farming system. They use local or own farm\n renewable resources and carry on the agricultural practices in an\n ecologically friendly environment. However, now the costs of the organic\n inputs are higher than those of industrially produced chemical fertilizers\n and pesticides including other inputs used in the conventional farming\n system.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Way\nforward:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. Financial support: <\/strong>Substantial financial support by governments is absolutely\nnecessary to promote organic farming. In India, organic farmers do not receive\nthe benefits of government subsidies as they are targeted at conventional cultivation. Given the low\nrisk bearing capacity, there is a need to make\norganic farming an attractive proposition. A\nprogramme for organic agriculture must be fully supported by the full compensation\nboth in cash and kind to the farmers in the event of the loss of production. <\/li>
      2. Market development: <\/strong>Market development for the organic products is a crucial\nfactor to promote domestic sales. Supplies do not match the demand for organic\nproducts in the country and the absence of proper links between the two has\nbeen pointed out for the tardy growth of organic farming in the country. An\nimportant role of the government in this direction is giving various support to the producer and consumer\nassociations to market the products.<\/li>
      3. Awareness: <\/strong>A vigorous campaign to highlight the benefits of organic\nfarming against the conventional system is essential to increase the awareness\nof the farmers and consumers. <\/li>
      4. Crop identification: <\/strong>Identification of crops for cultivation on the\norganic farms is important. For example, soyabean in Madhya Pradesh and cotton\nin the rainfed areas has great potential.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Unsustainable agricultural practices has\nproved to be harmful for land, soil and farmers in general. A switch to organic\nfarming can not only help to achieve sustainable agricultural production but\nwould help farmers with rise in income and production. An emphasis should be\ngiven to organic farming. Sikkim is being such a state to recognise it early\nand becoming a 100% organic state. Other states should work for the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Demand of the question Introduction. What is organic farming? Body. Discuss the need of encouraging the use of organic farming in India Conclusion. Way forward. As per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic farming is a system which largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and relies upon crop rotations,… Continue reading [Answered] What is organic farming? Explain why the use of organic farming should be encouraged in India.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-56389","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/56389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/56389\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}