Impact of drought on cost and returns from cereal crops under different organic and inorganic farming systems in Himchal Pradesh

The costs and returns of different crops on organic vis-à-vis inorganic farming systems for sustainable agriculture have been reported. The total cost on cultivation of different crops has been found low under Organic Farming System (OFS) than Inorganic Farming System (IFS) under two different situations of the Baijnath development block in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The study has been conducted on 100 households (50 OFS and 50 IFS) chosen randomly. The study has revealed the costs of cultivation right from cost C₁ to Cost C₂ to be less on OFS than IFS farms. The costs of production per quintal of produce has also been lower on OFS than IFS farms. The gross and net returns over cost C₁ and cost C₂ for different crops have been found higher on OFS than IFS farm. The effect of draught has been found less on OFS than IFS, which clearly signifies the sustainability of the former system. The use of organic manures under OFS in place of inorganic fertilizers and other chemicals has improved the fertility and productivity of the soils and in turn, has increased the returns of farmers. The study has concluded that organic farming in addition to improving soil health keeps the soil, water, air and atmosphere free from pollution caused by modern inorganic farming system. It has suggested that farmers should be advised, encouraged, and trained to adopt Organic Farming System (OFS) for high yields, production, income, and sustainable agriculture.