FACT FILE: IS ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PROFITABLE?

1. India has 200 million potential customers for organic products; this translates into a mind-boggling Rs.2000 crores market waiting to be tapped.
2. The Developed World identifies India as a major source for organic products; the world market for organic food ingredients alone is estimated at USD 35 billion, and is growing year at approx 8% percent.
3. Cautious estimates project an 18% annual global growth rate by 2008.

The main idea behind organic Organic agriculture includes social considerations in highest product quality recognizing that people are as important as the organic system. Natural inputs and by implementing 15% of the total number of organic farms worldwide are located.

VISION 2020 IN ANDHRA PRADESH

- The agricultural sector is to achieve average growth rate of about 6% in real terms. So called ‘growth engines’ include rice, poultry, dairy, horticulture, fisheries and agro-industry. Development will also focus on seeds, oil seeds, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco and maize.

- Agricultural employment will decline from its current 70% of the population to 40-45 per cent over the next 20 years. Alternative livelihoods need to be created for the 20 to 25 million people who will be displaced.

- New biotechnologies will be developed and introduced in food and farming, including high yielding genetically modified crops and livestock.

- The financial investment envisaged is about Rs.160 000 crores; Agricultural policies should induce investments by all types of private actors - cor porations, cooperatives and individual farmers/entrepreneurs.

- Inducing private actors to invest in agriculture will mean framing policy to ensure free and more efficient markets and pricing of agricultural inputs as well as outputs (e.g. reducing restrictions on the rice market); stable policies for export of agro-based commodities; access to credit; provision of infrastructure and promotion of agro-industry.

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS

The solutions revolve around a central theme, i.e. organic farming is the solution for ensuring sustainable agriculture:

1. Encouraging usage of liberal doses of enriched organic matter. 
2. Replacing costly and polluting chemical fertilizers and pesticides with cost effective and eco-friendly Bio fertilizers and Bio pesticides. 
3. Replenishing the soil with micro nutrients which were completely drained out with continuous use of   N K chemical fertilizers for years. 
4. Ensuring supply of complete range (16) of nutrients to plants in a balanced manner instead of continuous and intensive use of just 3 or 4 nutrients (N, P, K, / Z.) 
5. Judicious use of irrigation water by means of drip system or similar other types to ward off problems of ill-drained soils (salinity, alkalinity etc.) & water wastages.
6. Selection of quality plant material that can make efficient use of given plant nutrients and water. 
7. Emergence of Firms to manufacture and supply the new range of agricultural input products that are required in the changing circumstances.
8. An effective and dependable extension system/agri-clinics to make the farmers aware of the imminent dangers and as well as the emerging opportunities; and to offer them the result-ensuring prescriptions along with necessary supplies and services on a package basis.