Yes, organic farming can be an expensive gig compared to traditional methods. It is because this involves new & improved farming methods like precision agriculture, where zero chemical-based inputs are used.
Moreover, this involves more organic matter and advanced technology & implements like post hole digger, cultivator, and tiller, which are altogether costly.
Here are a few factors stating why organic farming is a costly endeavour:
- In India, the demand for organic food supply is huge; however, the supply is less.
- Organic foods involve higher production costs due to greater labour inputs/units of output, failing to reach economies of scale.
- The processing & transportation of organic food than traditional food requires more strenuous efforts.
- Moreover, organic products’ marketing and distribution chains are in small volumes, thus, increasing costs.
10 Reasons Why Organic Farm Produces are Costly
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Zero Chemicals & More labour
However, organic farming is chemical-free, but it can be labour-intensive. Organic farmers need to employ more labourers to perform manual weeding, and spraying tasks, clean polluted water, and control pests.
Organic farming methods typically involve the use of zero chemicals and rely more on natural methods to control pests and diseases. This can include using companion planting, crop rotation, and beneficial insects to control pests, as well as using natural fertilizers and soil amendments to improve soil health. This approach can require more labour, as farmers may need to spend more time monitoring crops and implementing natural pest control methods.
Additionally, organic farming often requires more hand-weeding and manual labour, as synthetic herbicides cannot be used. However, some farmers find that the benefits of organic farming, such as the health of the soil, the environment, and the overall health of the farm, outweigh the additional labour requirements.
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More Demand, Less Supply
Organic farms are less in quantity than traditional farming areas. This is why it has been a difficult transition to meet the surplus demand for organic food or items. Conventional farms being large in quantity, are able to meet the gigantic demand and cut down production costs.
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Organic Crops Fertilisers are Costly
Traditional farming requires chemical fertilisers to keep up the fertility of the land, and they are inexpensive to transport. At the same time, organic farmers prefer to use natural compost and animal manure, which are costly to transport.
Organic fertilizers, which are made from natural materials such as compost, bone meal, and blood meal, can be more expensive than synthetic fertilizers. This is due to the fact that synthetic fertilizers are mass-produced using chemicals and are therefore cheaper to produce. However, many farmers choose to use organic fertilizers because they are perceived as more environmentally friendly and can improve the overall health of the soil. Additionally, some consumers are willing to pay more for organic products, which can help offset the higher cost of organic fertilizers for farmers.
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Frequent Crop Rotation
To keep soil healthy and instead of using chemical weed-killers, farmers prefer to use crop rotation. After harvesting, farmers grow “cover crops,” which spreads nitrogen to the soil, thus, helping successive crops.
Whereas conventional farmers prefer to grow large quantities of crops. Thus, they use weedicides or chemicals to treat the land before sowing. This helps them produce voluminous quantities and reduce their costs.
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Post-harvest Process is Costly
Organic produce must be placed separately from conventional products to avoid cross-contamination.
Conventional crops are shipped in larger quantities, and thus the cost is less. Whereas organic crops involve higher shipping and transportation costs as they move in lesser quantities. In addition, the organic farmers and their farms are often remotely located from major cities, which in turn, increases the shipping costs.
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Higher Crop Loss Cost
Traditional farming involves chemicals that reduce crop loss. Synthetic pesticides & antibiotics help eliminate pests and maintain healthy crops & livestock. Moreover, organic farmers don’t use such chemicals, which is why their losses or crop failures are higher.
In addition, traditional farm products have chemical preservatives that keep up their shelf life. While organic food does not have any kind of chemical preservatives, thus, they are short-lived and easily perishable.
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Costly Feed for Livestock
Organic feed for cattle or livestock costs doubles the cost of traditional feed. It means keeping livestock healthy can bring a lot of costs.
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Use of New Techniques & Tools
Organic farming doesn’t involve too many chemical-based inputs. They rather involve various farming practices & techniques and the latest agri-tool like tractor reapers, rotavators, etc.
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Slow Growth in Organic Farms
Organic farms are often well-articulated and relatively small compared to traditional/regular farms.
Organic farms take more time to produce because they abstain from using growth-producing chemicals and hormones. And this slow growth can add to the cost of not being able to sell in the market at the right time.
Subsidies
Government subsidies for producing organic foods can reduce the overall cost of crops.
Frequently Asked Questions on Organic Farming
Ques 1. Is organic farming worth it despite being costly?
Ans. Organic farming requires limited pesticides, while it combats soil erosion and reduces nitrate leaching into groundwater & surface water. Moreover, it helps recycle animal wastes for farm usage. So, these benefits counterbalance the higher costs.
Ques 2. What are the main features of organic farming?
Ans. Organic farming has two main features, which are the recycling of nutrients & natural resources and the introduction of more organic, chemical-free substances.