A

Report
on
“Organic Farming, Indian Agriculture (Past, Present &
Future) Connectivity for Marketing”
&
“Waste Management”
by
BKEC, ECE Department, 3rd Semester Students

Association with

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (NSS)

Basavakalyan Engineering College, Basavakalyan
Submitted By

V S AKASH (3BK22EC045)

Dept. NSS Coordinator NSS Officer HOD(ECE) Principal

Prof. Khandoba R Prof. Praveen Belkeri Prof. Sanjivkumar Jalde Dr. Ashokkumar Vangeri

[NSS] National Service Scheme [Organic Farming, Waste Management] Page 1

 The NSS Cell of BKEC Conducted Organic Farming, Indian Agriculture (Past, Present
& Future) Connectivity for Marketing on 5/01/2024 at Umapur, Swamy Farmhouse,
Basavakalyan. The NSS Students of Computer Science and Engineering participated with
great enthusiasm.

We conducted the event with great help by our Management, Principal/ Director, HOD ,
Faculty and NSS Faculty coordinators.

The primary objective of NSS Programme was to educate the students about the main
principles and practices of organic food production are to inspire and enhance biological
cycles in the farming system, keep and enhance deep-rooted soil fertility, reduce all types of
pollution, evade the application of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, conserve genetic
diversity in food.

The NSS students assembled at 9am at the BET campus, where they were divided into six
groups, each designated for different activities. Students left the college by bus at 9.30am and
reach the Umapur at 10.15am. The students were warmly welcomed by the Farm house
people. Then students are educated on following.

 Teaching on Organic Farming

 Marketing
 Visited nearby farms /field to study organic farming and waste management.

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 Table of Contents
Sl No Particular Page no
1 Teaching on Organic Farming 4

1.1 What is Organic Farming? 4

1.2 Major challenges of organic farming 5

1.3 Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India 7

1.4 Benefits of Organic Farming 8

1.5 Benefits of Waste Management 9

1.6 Challenges of Waste Management 10

2 Visited nearby farms /field to study organic 11

farming and waste management with photos

3 Conclusion 14

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 Teaching on Organic Farming

1.2 What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is a method of agriculture that relies on natural processes and systems to cultivate
crops and raise livestock. It avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified
organisms (GMOs), and other artificial inputs. Instead, organic farming emphasizes the use of organic
matter, crop rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest control to maintain soil fertility,
enhance biodiversity, and promote sustainable farming practices.
Key principles of organic farming include:
Soil health: Organic farmers prioritize building and maintaining healthy soil through practices such as
crop rotation, cover cropping, and composting. Healthy soil promotes better plant growth and resilience
to pests and diseases.

Biodiversity: Organic farming encourages the preservation and enhancement of biodiversity on the
farm. This includes maintaining a variety of crops and incorporating natural habitats for beneficial
organisms. Avoidance of synthetic inputs: Organic farmers refrain from using synthetic pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers. Instead, they use natural alternatives and focus on prevention and integrated
pest management.

Animal welfare: In organic livestock farming, animals are treated with care and provided with access to
outdoor spaces. Hormones and antibiotics are used minimally or avoided altogether.

Crop rotation and diversity: Organic farmers often practice crop rotation to prevent soil depletion and
reduce the risk of pests and diseases. Diverse cropping systems can enhance overall farm resilience.

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The usefulness of organic farming can be seen in several ways:

Environmental sustainability: Organic farming promotes practices that minimize environmental impact,
such as reducing soil erosion, protecting water quality, and conserving energy.

Health benefits: Organic produce is often perceived as being healthier since it tends to have lower
pesticide residues. Additionally, organic farming practices may contribute to improved soil health,
which can enhance the nutritional quality of crops.

1.2 Major challenges of organic farming:

1. Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness among farmers about organic farming and its
benefits.

2. Marketing and Prices: Marketability of organic produce over conventional produce must be
assured. Inability to obtain a premium price for the produce during initial stage leads to losses.

3. Shortage of biomass in soil: Shortage of essential nutrients soil leads to low productivity.
Biomass rich soil is essential to improve nutrition for plants uptake.

4. Inadequate infrastructure: State governments are yet to formulate a credible mechanism and
necessary policies for implementation. Presence of very few organic certification agencies in
each state.

5. High Cost and unavailability of inputs: The cost of organic inputs are more than that of
industrially produced agrochemicals used in the conventional farming system. Althought these
inputs can be made at home by farmers but very few are aware about the complete science of
making organic fertilizers and pesticides through natural process.

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 6. Inadequate demand for crops:The different types of crops have their respective harvest
seasons. During the harvest season, the supply of particular produce in the market tends to be
significantly higher. The perceived notions among the farmers highlight that the surplus supply
of their produce during he harvest seasons in the market results in less demand of their pro-
duce, which is another challenge for the farmers. Hence, middle men offer unreasonable prices
for their crops.

7. Costly transportation: During the focus group discussion, farmers unanimously brought
transportation problems as one of the major challenges. Farmers need transportation facilities
not only for supplying their produce to the main market but also for buying seeds and fertilizers
for cultivation. Most of the farmers do not have their own conveyance for transporting the
agricultural produce. Further, owing to the lack of connectivity between rural and urban areas,
the means of transportation has become more expensive.

Hence; both the organic and conventional farmers consider the rise in transportation cost and
inappropriate supply chain as one of the major issues.

8. Market price variations of agricultural produce: The price variations in agricultural produce
were described as volatile by farmers. The reasons behind the variations are differences in the
annual crop yield, irregular crop seasons, middlemen's role in price determination, irregularities
in the supply and demand, etc. During the harvest seasons, the price of agricultural produce is
found to be lower than other seasons, as most of the farmers do not have the accessibility of
warehousing facilities for the farmers to sell their harvest immediately, which leads to a sudden
upsurge in supply thus resulting in lower demand.
9. Lack of government support: Farmers intensely consider that there is a lack of
government support with regard to the marketing of their produce. During the discussion, both
the organic and conventional farmers highlighted that they do not have control over the price of
their crops. Predominantly, the price of their produce is decided by the group of large
middlemen. However, the government intervenes to ensure that there is no sharp fall in the
market price of the crops through the Minimum Support Price, but this scheme does not cover
many crops such as vegetables and fruits. Further, under the Minimum Support Price Scheme,
nosep-arate price is offered for organic crops. Therefore, the lack of government support was
highlighted as one of the challenges.

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1.3 Future Prospects of Organic Farming in India

India is an agriculture-based country with 67% of its population and 55% of manpower depending on
farming and related activities. Agriculture fulfils the basic needs of India’s fastest growing population
accounted for 30% of total income. Organic farming has been found to be an indigenous practice of
India that practiced in countless rural and farming communities over the millennium. The arrival of
modern techniques and increased burden of population led to a propensity towards conventional
farming that involves the use of synthetic fertilizer, chemical pesticides, application of genetic
modification techniques, etc.
Even in developing countries like India, the demand for organically grown produce is more as people
are more aware now about the safety and quality of food, and the organic process has a massive
influence on soil health, which devoid of chemical pesticides. Organic cultivation has an immense
prospect of income generation too. The soil in India is bestowed with various types of naturally
available organic nutrient resources that aid in organic farming.
India is a country with a concrete traditional farming system, ingenious farmers, extensive dry lands,
and nominal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Moreover, adequate rainfall in north-east hilly
regions of the country where few negligible chemicals are employed for a long period of time, come to
fruition as naturally organic lands.
Indian traditional farmers possess a deep insight based on their knowledge, extensive observation,
perseverance and practices for maintaining soil fertility, and pest management which are found
effective in strengthening organic production and subsequent economic growth in India. The progressin
organic agriculture is quite commendable. Currently, India has become the largest organic producer in
the globe. Various newer technologies have been invented in the field of organic farming such as
integration of mycorrhizal fungi and nano-biostimulants (to increase the agricultural productivity in an
environmentally friendly manner), mapping cultivation areas more consciously through sensor
technology and spatial geodata, 3D printers (to help the country’s smallholder), production from side
streams and waste along with main commodities, promotion and improvement of sustainable
agriculture through innovation in drip irrigation, precision agriculture, and agro-ecological practices.
Another advancement in the development of organic farming is Bee Scanning App, through which

[NSS] National Service Scheme [Organic Farming, Waste Management] Page 9

beekeepers can fight the Varroa destructor parasite mite and also forms a basis for population modeling
and breeding programmers.

1.4 Benefits of Organic Farming:

Many advantages of organic farming exist for the environment and for public health. The first
benefit of organic farming is a decrease in the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, which can
damage soil and water resources. Instead, organic farmers use organic practises like crop rotation,
composting, and biological pest control to manage pests and illnesses and maintain the health of the
soil.
Secondly, by protecting natural habitats and avoiding the use of genetically engineered organisms,
organic farming fosters biodiversity (GMOs) and Maintains ecological services like pollination, insect
control, and soil fertility.
Thirdly, compared to conventionally cultivated crops, organic foods frequently contain more
nutrients and less pesticide residues. In order to improve human health and lower the risk of chronic
disease, this is crucial.

1.5 Benefits of Waste Management:

Waste management is essential for promoting sustainable development and protecting the
environment. Proper waste management reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, which
can release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Instead, waste can be
recycled, composted, or used as a source of energy.

Secondly, waste management can create jobs and stimulate economic growth. Recycling and
composting facilities require workers, and waste-to-energy facilities can generate electricity and heat.

Thirdly, waste management can promote social responsibility by reducing the negative impacts of
waste on vulnerable communities. For example, recycling can reduce the need for new landfills, which
are often located in low-income or minority communities.

[NSS] National Service Scheme [Organic Farming, Waste Management] Page

 1.6 Challenges of Waste Management:

Despite its many benefits, waste management also faces several challenges. Firstly, waste
management infrastructure can be expensive to build and maintain. This can make it difficult for local
governments and communities to invest in waste management facilities.

Secondly, waste management requires a high level of coordination and cooperation between different
stakeholders, including government agencies, waste management companies, and the public. This can
be a challenge in areas with weak governance or limited resources.

Thirdly, waste management can be difficult to implement in areas with limited resources or
infrastructure. For example, rural areas may lack the necessary infrastructure to support recycling or
waste-to-energy facilities.

[NSS] National Service Scheme [Organic Farming, Waste Management] Page

 2. Visited nearby farms /field to study organic farming and waste
management with photos

[NSS] National Service Scheme [Organic Farming, Waste Management] Page 12

Page 12
Conclusion

Organic farming and waste management are two important practices for promoting sustainable
development and protecting the environment. Organic farming can reduce the use of synthetic
pesticides and fertilizers, promote biodiversity, and improve human health. Waste management can
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and promote social responsibility. However, both
practices face several challenges, including high costs, limited resources, and weak governance. To
overcome these challenges, we need to invest in research, education, and infrastructure, and
promote cooperation and coordination between different stakeholders. By doing so, we can build a
more sustainable and resilient future for all.

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