Organic farming: the road ahead

PUNE: The growth possibilities for Indian agriculturists through organic farming are tempting. The current global market is estimated to be worth $26 billion, set to grow to $102 billion by 2010. It is an inviting opportunity, especially for exporters. And there are parts of the country where this can be promoted without compromising national food security, a White Paper by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), released here today noted.
By one estimate, India has 2,775 hectare of land under organic farming.This amounts to about 0.0015 per cent of its cultivable land mass. The sector is plagued by high cost certification processes and there are 1426 certified organic farms, producing 14,000 tons of produce. Of this, 11,925 tons is exported.
The White Paper notes the twin objectives of the move towards organic farming: sustainability and environmentally benign. Strict rules and standards have been evolved to meet these conditions. However, the current situation in which the productivity is lower using organic means is due to constraints its practitioners have put on themselves, the White Paper notes.
Recommendations which emerged from a workshop in New Delhi last November, on which the White Paper is based, include the development of an integrated plant nutrient supply system (IPNS) involving organics, inorganics and bio-fertilisers. Sustainable productivity requires a combined use of organic and inorganic sources of plant nutrients.
It has recommended that niches need to be identified for organic farming which should be practised in regions not so well endowed rather than in resource-endowed regions.
A worrying trend has been noted, of the reducing amounts of organic manure availability at affordable costs. Increasing mechanisation has led to a further reduction in the availability of manure with farmers, a problem set to become more acute in the future. Hence, post harvest residues must be used to the fullest extent and the mindset of farmers should be changed regarding the use of non-traditional organic sources like slaughter house waste.
It has recommended that organic farming should be practised in low volume,high value crops like spices, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables.
Since certification isa critical issue, farmers should be made aware of the stringent phyto-sanitary measures which apply to this sector. Adequate provision should be made for the grading, packaging, storage and transportation of this produce. Marketing outlets on the lines of milk unions could be established.
Questionining the popular consumer perception of potential health benefits of organic foods, the White Paper has suggested in-depth research into this area.