Organic Sesame Production

Abstract

Exclusive organic farming is possible only in niche areas and commodities where there are clear opportunities for realizing higher premiums through exports and where there is a strong justification for replacing chemical inputs with organic or bioinputs. Several expert reviews in the country pointed out that rainfed areas are ideally suitable for organic farming in view of the existing low use of chemical inputs and less drastic yield declines when farms are converted from chemical to organic management. Extensive data is available on the export potential of various commodities grown organically, particularly in rainfed areas, but farmers, small entrepreneurs and NGOs are trying to grow these commodities through trial and error approach. No systematic and well-defined research program has been initiated so far that could back up such efforts