Punjab’s organic ambitions stalled by labour gaps, yield dips: Study

Chandigarh: Punjab's shift to organic farming is currently challenged by a spike in labour requirements and a missing marketing infrastructure. While medium and large-scale farmers (52% of adopters) possess the capital to better absorb the 9% initial dip in yields, the soil's "detox" period becomes a precarious financial hurdle for small and marginal farmers.A four-year (2020–2024) study by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), which tracked 98 geo-tagged organic farms, found that 52% of adopters are semi-medium to large landowners. Despite this adoption, the study highlights a systemic "labour gap". Prohibiting herbicides forces a reliance on manual weeding, which is both costly and difficult to manage. Furthermore, 31.5% of farmers reported a total lack of market access, noting that the absence of a state-wide "Organic Mandi" system forces them to act as their own sales agents.
During the kharif season, the majority of farmers (72.2%) grew basmati rice, followed by vegetables (35.7%), kharif moong (21.3%), sugarcane (18.5%), maize (16.3%), turmeric (12.5%), oilseeds (5%) and fodder crops (36.9%). During the rabi season, wheat was the most commonly grown crop (88.4%) because of local demand, ease of storage and the availability of a premium price. Other crops included mustard (37%), gram (36.5%), vegetables (33%), fodder crops (34.5%) and maize (5%). The major constraint faced by farmers in adoption of organic farming was labour intensive operations (36%) and lack of marketing facilities (31.5%). Other constraints included were weed control (14.3%) and reduced yield (9%).Interestingly, none of the sampled farmers practised complete natural farming. The study tracked the use of biological "concoctions" to replace chemicals. Farmers used 87% farmyard manure (FYM) for soil health, while pests were managed using traditional botanicals like Agniastra (a neem and chilli-based spray) and Brahmastra. By recycling 100% of farm waste through vermicomposting, these farmers are successfully restoring soil fertility that was previously depleted by intensive agrochemical use.Beyond the immediate operational hurdles, the study emphasises that the shift towards organic systems is as much a technical challenge as it is a social one. Researchers found that managing soil fertility without synthetic fertilisers requires a sophisticated "bio-remedial" approach, involving the application of farmyard manure by 87% of practitioners and the use of fermented liquid manures.However, reliance on these traditional methods, coupled with a 14.3% increase in weed infestation, creates a technical knowledge gap that many farmers find difficult to bridge without specialised training. The adoption of organic farming increased gradually until 2005, then accelerated due to govt-run initiatives. Post-Covid-19, heightened environmental and health awareness drove demand for organic foods, boosting farmer interest. The study indicates a gradual increase in organic farming adoption, with variations over time. By 2023, around 21% of farmers adopted organic farming practices, reflecting the highest recorded rate of adoption. MSID:: 128032967 413 |