Organic Farming: Opportunities and Challenges in Sundarbazar, Lamjung, Nepal

This study was objectively done to assess the practice of organic farming and employment opportunities, compare the income generated from organic and inorganic products and identify the problems faced by farmers from organic farming system. Semi structure questionnaire survey, questionnaire, key informant interview and market survey were done to collect primary data and these were analyzed. The result showed that, total 137 and 99 employments were created by organic and inorganic farming. The organic farmers use the compost but the inorganic farmers used the chemical fertilizers. Liquid extracted from garlic and Azadirachta indica was used as pesticides in organic farming. The highest price difference was. US$ 0.18 for cucumber i.e, while the price difference for organic cauliflower was US$ 0.09. Similarly, the price difference of broccoli was only US$ 0.04. But the organic and inorganic price of cabbage, spinach, garlic, coriander and radish were recorded US$ 0.43, US$ 0.09, US$ 1.30, US$ 0.09 and US$ 0.43 respectively. Rich organic farmers were earning US$ 8677.54 annually this was US$ 2603.26 by rich inorganic farmers. Similarly, medium organic farmers and inorganic farmers were earning US$ 3123.92 and US$ 1561.96 respectively while poor organic and inorganic farmers are earning US$ 650.82 and US$ 433.88 respectively. Unavailable of good seeds, lack of organic fertilizer, slow production in initial year, lack of government support, irrigation, price difference, haphazard use of fertilizers and pesticides were recorded as the major problems in organic and inorganic farming. This study will be useful to develop the policy.