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Organic Agriculture in India
More than 60 % of India’s arable land is under traditional agriculture, where no synthetic inputs are being used. Although, the products grown under such systems have so far not been defined as organic products but by all mean they are genuine organic products. In view of their wide availability there is an urgent need to ensure premium prices for the produce grown in these regions. Unfortunately, these farmers are so involved in their struggle for survival that they have no time to figure out what is organic and what is not? These organic products are sold to the middleman and are being marketed along with other chemically grown products. It is the lack of awareness among the consumers in our country that some times the chemically grown products which look healthy and attractive, in spite of having alarmingly high level of pesticide residue fetches higher prices than the poorly looking organic products.
There is neither subsidy for organic cultivators nor incentives to practice organic cultivation. There are many areas in India where crop residues, manures, legumes and neem are being used to grow their crops. They rely on crop rotation and interplanting, to do their job. These farmers practice, farming through organic inputs. Now it is high time that attempts are made to classify these practices accordingly. If this is done, the poor farmers will get a premium price for their low yields. This will also go a long way in alleviating poverty and raising the living standards of the poor villagers. Most of the agriculture in backward and tribal areas especially in the hills of northern, eastern and northeastern region could be safely classified as organic. We must take advantage of this opportunity by arranging a market for these products both for domestic and export market.
Present Status in India
| Total production |
585970 M.T. |
Total quantity exported |
19456 M.T. |
Value of total export |
Rs. 30124 Lakhs |
Total area under certified organic cultivation |
339113 Ha. |
Number of Farmers |
141904 |
Percentage of export |
4 |
Main markets for organic produce
In the EU, Germany is a leading country in terms of organic production; followed by Italy and France. The European Union and the United States (US) are approximately at the same level of organic production, somewhere between 4 and 6 billion Euros per year, with Japan at third place. In respect of worldwide organic food consumption Denmark and Austria lead the way with 37.3 and 34 Euro per capita consumption per year. The average consumption of organics in EU and USA is approximately 16 Euro ($15) per capita per year. The worldwide market share for organic products is between 0.5 to 3%, but it is hard to determine, as some countries do not certify their products. |
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