Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500 030, Andhra Pradesh
A comparative analysis of organic and inorganic farming of rice and cotton in Andhra Pradesh has been carried out by adopting multi-stage random sampling technique. Primary data have been collected from the farmers using a pre-tested schedule. The cost on human labour has been found higher in organic cultivation of rice and cotton, as organic farming is labour-intensive, whereas in inorganic farming, the cost of manures, fertilizers and pesticides are high compared to other costs. The net returns have been found higher in organic farming in both the crops compared to inorganic farming, though the cost on cultivation has been more in inorganic. A higher number of farmers, in both rice and cotton, have been found operating at high level of technical efficiency in organic than inorganic farming. This also indicates ample scope in increasing the efficiency of production through better utilization of the available resources from the existing level of technology. Some of the constraints identified for promoting organic agriculture in India are lack of market information about the market opportunities of organic products, expensive procedure for certification of the organic farms, poor marketing infrastructure, etc. Hence, the strategies to be followed should be introduction of contract farming in organic agriculture, provision of insurance to the organic farms, provision of infrastructural facilities and intending support to meet certification fees, especially for the small and marginal farmers, etc.
