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October to December 2024 Article ID: NSS8786 Impact Factor:8.05 Cite Score:28 Download: 6 DOI: https://doi.org/ View PDf
Organic Farming: A Sustainable Option for Farmers and Natural Resources
Dr. Amita Rana
Associate Professor (Economics) CIS Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Fatehpur Pundri (Kaithal) (Haryana)
Abstract: The Green revolution in Haryana that started in
the 1960s reached to maturity during the 1990s and since then has been
exhibiting signs of unsustainable practices in agriculture. The high use of
synthetic inputs like chemical fertilisers, pesticides, HYV seeds, etc. not
only caused the degradation of the soil health and nutrition but adversely
affected the health of the consumers as well. There is a growing concern of the
ill-effects of the current agriculture practices and a solution had always been
on the active agenda of the statesman, environmentalists and the researchers.
The search for solution ends with the advent of the organic farming that avoids
or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs and relies upon crop rotations,
crop residues, animal manures, off-farm wastes etc. that restores the soil
health.
The option of organic farming is equally beneficial for the
farmers in terms of commercial value of his produce. Worldwide, including
India, the demand of organic food has been on the rise and Haryana, for
being close to the national capital of India, has immense opportunities to
capitalise the situation for increasing the income of the farmers. Besides, the
organic farming shall be requiring minimum use of chemical fertilisers and
pesticides etc. that will prevent the high cost of inputs which, again, shall
reduce the financial burden on the farmers. So, in terms of income and
expenditure, the organic farming can prove a highly beneficial option for the
farmers.
The present paper shall look into existing agriculture practices,
the policy framework in Haryana for the growth of organic farming along with
the evaluation of the current market conditions prevalent in the state.
Keywords:
Green
revolution, organic farming, sustainability, commercial agriculture.