Indian farmers are reluctant to take up organic farming because of the perceived high costs and increased risks over technology-sssisted agiculture, according to a report brought out by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

There is also very little information on organic farming practices and effciency, says the study.

According to report “India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic cultivation and 88th position for agriculture land under organic crops to total farming area in the world.” This only suggests how despite long-surviving traditional agricultural practices, India has not been able shrug-off the technology-assisted agricultural practices in the post-Green Revolution era.

However, the study points that there is ample scope for increasing the efficiency under organic farms.

The study suggested that government should take active interest in "building up of infrastructure, creation of separate ‘green channels’ for marketing of organic foods, announcement of premium prices for organic staple food crops, creation of demand by more awareness programs, input/conversion subsidies for encouraging organic growers, more R & D investments on organic farming and finally cheap and quick certification process etc.”

Read the report