Constraints in adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural practices as perceived by the farmers: A garett ranking analysis

AbstractThe agriculture sector contributes around 18.3 percent to the country’s gross domestic product and generates employment for approximately half of the country’s population. India has a rich history of farming practices that are deeply grounded in the culture and traditions of the country. Owing to the diverse agro-climatic regions and traditional knowledge, there is significant potential for natural and organic products. Environmentally friendly agricultural practices are farming methods that sustainably preserve the state of the environment, soil health, water availability, production, and productivity. It includes natural and organic farming, which helps to restore soil fertility, and the use of bio-formulations, green manures, mulching, crop rotation, and animal manure. The components prepared in natural farming are backed by rich traditional knowledge and are a practice of agriculture based on locally available resources, which makes it a sustainable and viable practice. Through natural farming, soil organic matter and soil fertility are restored, less water is required, and a climate-friendly agricultural system is promoted. This study was conducted in Haryana and Uttarakhand states to identify the constraints faced by farmers in adopting environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Four districts were selected purposively (Karnal and Jind from Haryana state, Nainital, and Almora from Uttarakhand) with the highest number of registered farmers on PGS-India as natural crop growers for comparison in plain and hill regions. From each district, 60 respondents were selected, which consisted of 30 respondents registered in PGS-India as natural crop growers, constituting a sample size of 120. Farmers faced constraints in the adoption of natural agricultural farming practices, which may vary depending on the region, socio-economic constraints, technological advancement, and ecological constraints. The major findings of the study were that most farmers faced constraints such as high labor cost in the preparation of bio-formulations”, “unwillingness of consumers to pay a high price for organic produce”, “short-shelf life of natural formulations”, “lack of package of practice for organic production”, and “poor market linkage”. The identified constraints would be a useful input for policy planners to increase the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural practices among farmers.