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Economics of Banana Plantation under
Organic and in- organic Farming Systems
by
Dr Gangadhar Banerjee, General Manager, NABARD, Head Office, Mumbai
Abstract
Organic farming/ agriculture is a unique production management system, which promotes
and enhances agro-eco system of health including bio diversity, biological cycles and soil
biological activity. It has been systematically followed on a large scale in the developed
countries including the United Kingdom and Canada. Different people in different countries
have perceived organic farming/agriculture differently. In our country, the major problem of
low productivity of soils is attributed to low organic matter content of the soil particularly in
areas where fertilizer is being used in increasing quantity year after year without adequate
supplement of organic matter. The organic farming today is not traditional agriculture. The
principles governing organic farming are more scientific than even the principles followed in
modern agriculture. These being the case how are we going to reach the target of around 240
million tons in 2010 that is the minimum quantity needed for growing population of the
country? The present paper makes an attempt to study the yield, inputs used, cost of
production, income accrued, gross and net income of banana crops under both organic and
inorganic farming systems.
Background
The green revolution technologies favored cereals crops only in limited regions such as
Punjab and Haryana in India. In fact there has been an apprehension that green revolution
technologies has brought many ill effects of farm sector like; desertification, water logging
and salinity. All these compounded for seeking for an alternative sustainable farming system
—organic to modern farming system. The organic farming or ecological agriculture calls for
a minimum utilization for locally available farm based inputs like crop residues and organic
manure. This ecological agriculture is not new in India. What our farmers had been practising
for centuries was ecological agriculture. They do not destroy or exploit the natural resources
and the cost of environment. Such agriculture /farming of the past could have fed only one
third of our present population. Modern production technology has proved its
unsustainability. The green revolution cannot go with the environmentally sound and
sustainable system of farming. One may have to explore several alternatives for sustaining
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production without sacrificing environment and ecology. One of the alternatives is organic
farming.
Organic farming in today’s terminology is known as a method of farming system which
primarily aims at cultivation of land and rising of crops in such a manner so as to keep the
soil alive in good health by using organic wastes (crop, animal and farm waste, aquatic
wastes and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (bio-fertilizers)) to
release essential nutrients to crops for increase in production and eco-friendly pollution freee
environment. According to USDA Study Team, organic farming is a system which avoids or
largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs such chemical fertilizers, pesticides, harmones,
feed additives etc and to maximum extent rely upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal
manures, off farm organic wastes, mineral grads rock additives and biological system of
nutrient mobilization and plant protection. Another definition suggested by FAO is that
“Organic farming/Organic agriculture is a unique production management system which
promotes and enhances agro-eco system of health including bio diversity, biological cycles
and soil biological activity. This is to be accomplished by using on farm agronomic,
biological and mechanical methods in exclusions of all systematic off-farm inputs. It has been
systematically followed on a large scale in the developed countries including the United
Kingdom and Canada. Now organically produced fruits and vegetables are available in the
stalls in these countries. Unfortunately, in India there is potential for adopting organic
farming it is not taking place on a large scale due to various factors. There are consumers
who are eager to pay premium for organically produced commodities even in India.
Perception of organic farming
Different people in different countries have perceived organic farming/agriculture differently.
In the advanced countries, it may be meant for preventing contamination by poisonous
chemicals. In our country, the major problem of low productivity of soils is attributed to low
organic matter content of the soil particularly in areas where fertilizer is being used in
increasing quantity year after year without adequate supplement of organic matter. The
country has all the favourable climatic conditions to grow crop round the year where water is
available. Yet the total production of two to three harvests a year may not be equal to one
good harvest. The organic farming today is not traditional agriculture. The principles
governing organic farming are more scientific than even the principles followed in modern
agriculture. This shows signs of reversing trend in production in several places, in spite of
increased inputs. There was a quantum jump of 100 million tons from around 60 million tons
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in two decades (during 1960s and 1970s). But the last decade could not witness even 10
million tons jump in production, in spite of successive good monsoons. These being the case
how are we going to reach the target of around 240 million tons in 2010 that is the minimum
quantity needed for growing population of the country?
A good compost of all micronutrient is the key for
Increasing productivity and sustainability
Increasing fertilizer use may not give the expected yield particularly in areas where it is being
used. Experts point out that the fertilizer use efficiency is only 30-35 per cent and the
remaining 65-70 per cent of nutrient reached the underground water resources in the form of
nutrient, which along with phosphates pollutes water bodies. We have reached a stage where
we cannot stop use of fertilizer and pesticides and at the same time there is no sign for further
increase in productivity and production. Unless we reverse this trend, the sustainability of
production will be at stake. Therefore, restoring to organic farming is unavoidable not only to
prevent contamination of food by chemicals but also to make sick soil healthy and
productive. It has been proved all over India under ICAR multi location trials, that the use of
organic manure is essential not only for better utilization of applied fertilizer but also to make
soil productive and agriculturally sustainable. Good compost with all the micronutrients is the
key to increasing productivity and sustainability. Well decomposed organic matter and
farmyard manure, applied under the sight soil moisture condition, would not only improve
soil texture and structure but also provide the crop necessary resistance against pest and
diseases.
Bio-fertilizers are found in the soil. It is the perfect home of hundreds and thousands of
different types of organism including beneficial microorganism such as bacteria, fungi and so
many others. They play a very important role in mobilization and salublization of different
nutrients from organic/non-organic non-available forms to available forms, which are
released to the plants. To sustain the soil fertility status maintenance of appropriate status of
micro flora is very essential.
Available potential of organic materials and plant nutrients
The importance of agricultural wastes in general and agro-industrial products in particular has
been recognized during the recent years. Various literatures of Indian social organic resources
and their possible utilization has been compiled and these are presented below.
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Organic Resources and Potential
India has vast potential of manorial resources and major resources are listed below:
Livestock and human wastes—These include (i) cattle-shed wastes such as cattle and
buffalo dung, and urine, (ii) other livestock and human excreta and (iii) byproducts of
slaughter-houses and animal carcasses ( blood and meat wastes, bones, horns and hooves,
leather and hair wastes).
Crop residues, tree wastes and aquatic weeds-- Crop residues mainly take into account
wastes of cereals, pulses and oilseeds (wheat, paddy, bajra, jowar, gram, moong, urad,
cowpea, arhar, masoor, groundnut, linseed, etc.) including stalks of corn, cotton, tobacco,
sugar-cane trash, leaves of cotton, jute, tapioca, arecanut, tree leaves, water hyacinth, forest
litter, etc. Tree wastes and aquatic weeds cover green manure, sunnhemp (crotalaria juncea),
dhaincha (Sesbania aculeate), cluster beans (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), senji (Melilotus
parviflora), cowpea, (Vigna catjang), horse-gram (bilichos biflorus), pillipeasara (Phaselus
trilobus), berseem (trifolium alexandrinum), etc
Urban and rural wastes—These cover rural and urban solid wastes as well as urban liquid
wastes – sewage and silage.
Agro-industries byproducts—These generally consist of (i) oil-cakes, (ii) paddy husk and
bran (iii) bagasse and press mud, (iv) sawdust, (v) fruit and vegetable wastes, (vi) cotton,
wool and silk wastes and (vii) tea and tobacco wastes.
Marine wastes—They incorporate fishmeal and seaweeds. Tank silts are also one of the
potentials of organic resources
Advantage of bio-fertilizers
There are various advantages of bio-fertilizers. It increases crop yield by 15-30%, replaces
chemical by 25%, hasten seed germination, flowering and maturity of crops, enhances
availability of nutrients especially nitrogen and phosphors and controls soil born diseases.
Further, bio-fertilizers improve plan growth by releasing vitamins auxins and hormones,
improves physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Further, bio fertilizer helps to
proliferate beneficial microbes to survive in soil, provides residual effects for subsequent
crops and helps in recycling and decomposition of organic matters. It is required in small
quantities, pollution free, and eco-friendly.
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Economics of banana cultivation under organic and inorganic farming
This paper makes an attempt to work out economics of banana cultivation for small farmers
having land size ranging from 1 to 2 hectares. These farmers are mainly dependent on
harvesting this crop and their produce is sold at the farm gate. Data relating to cost of
cultivation, sale price of produce, etc. have been collected from a sample of 25 farmers in
Nowgachia village of Bihar through a designed questionnaire some times in 2003-04. These
farmers applied cow dung and compost as manure for harvesting such crops. The emphasis
has been made to ensure how farmyard manure/compost/cow dung i.e. organic farming helps
in producing banana crop compared to application of a fertilizer (NPK etc.) i.e. in organic
farming. However, in some case use of fertilizer is required essentially in the event of attract
of pests and plant diseases. These can be avoided if diseases free planting materials are
procured.
(i) Cultivation and cultural practices
Banana being a tropical crop can be grown in all types of well drained soil ranging from red
loam to deep black and more than fifty varieties are grown in different parts of the country.
However, ten varieties are popular and among the ten varieties, most common are Dwarf
Cavendish, Robusta, Poovan, Rasabale, Nendran and Maduranga. Suckers are planted by
digging pits of 0.5 m cube (1.5 ft) at the recommended spacing on varieties and pits are filled
with equal quantities of topsoil and farm yard manure/compost. After cover service, there is a
need to look into the fact that no side suckers are allowed to grow till the main plant flowers.
Soils are loosen by digging 2-3 time and short duration vegetable and leguminous crops are
raised for inter crops during first 3-4 months. Like most other fruits and vegetables, banana is
subjected to disease. Plant protection measures are required to be adopted for better yield. For
this, the farmers must select planting material free from insects and incorporate 10-gram
carbofuran granules or 5-gram phorate granules per pit to the soil at the time of planting. In
the case of pseudostem rats remove the severely affected sheaths and smear with Bordeaux
paste. For cercospora leaf spot disease, spray 30-gram copper oxychloride on l0 g.
carbendazim or 10 g. thiophimale in 10 liters of water. Farmers must remove and destroy
plants affected by bunchy top and mosaic immediately after they are noticed.
(ii) Harvesting and yield
The main crop will be ready for harvest in 12-14 months after planting depending upon the
variety. The ratoon crop will be ready for harvest in 6-8 months after the harvest of main
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crop. The average yield of banana varied among the varieties. It ranged from 50 tones per
hectare to 75 tones per hectare. State-wise, Tamil Nadir, which has large acreage of 59,000
hectares under banana, produces only 1,674 tone owing to poor productivity. Maharashtra is
the largest producer with a figure of 2,724 tone though the acreage is 52,210 ha. Andhra
Pradesh, which ranks third, has productivity figures comparable to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka
ranks fourth with 39,760 ha. and a production of 1,177 tones. Kerala ranks fifth with 23,000
ha. and a production of 33,000 tones. Other States that produced banana included Assam,
Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa and West Bengal.
(iii) Input Use
Under organic farming number of suckers planted stood at 2500 while under in-organic
farming it was 3000 per hectare. However, the number varies depending upon variety of
planting materials. Application of manure and fertilizers under both the farming is depicted in
the table.
Table – 1:Inputs used under Organic and In-organic Cultivation of Banana per hectare
Sr. No. Inputs Organic Inorganic
Sucker( Number)
i) Dwarf Cavendish 2500 3000
1
ii) Robusta 1860 2250
iii) Other varieties 1840 2225
2 Manure (ton) before planting 60 40
Spacing
1.8 m x 1.8 m 1.8 m x 1.8 m
i) Dwarf Cavendish
(6’ x 6’) (6’ x 6’)
3 2.2 m x 1.8 m 2.2 m x 1.8 m
ii) Robusta
(8’ x 6’) (8’ x 6’)
2mx2m 2mx2m
iii) Other varieties
(7’ x 7’) (7’ x 7’)
Fertilizers per pit
180 gm ammonia
N Nil
sulphate
4 80 gm Super
P2O5 Nil
Phosphate
175 gm muriate of
K2O Nil
Patash
5 Quantum Required (Kg)
i) Dwarf Cavendish
N 275 * 540
P2O5 200 * 325
K2O 435 * 675
ii) Robusta
N 205 * 405
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P2O5 148 * 245
K2O 325 * 507
iii) Other varieties
N 202 * 400
P2O5 147 * 160
K2O 322 * 500
Note - Chemical fertilizers are hardly used in organic manure. Instead green manures are
used. Source—Field investigation
* Indicates organic manure in quintals.
(iv) Costs and Returns
The details of sucker required, manure applied, fertilizer used under varied spacing, total
costs incurred and income accrued are presented in the table below:
Table 2:Cost of cultivation and Income accrued (Average of three years) per hectare
Sr. No. Particulars Main Crop Ratoon Crop
Organic Inorganic Organic Inorganic
A. EXPENDITURE
1 Ploughing, Pitting, FYM 13000 15000 0 0
2 Cost of Plants 3750 6000 0 0
3 Irrigation cost per year 3000 6000 3000 5000
4 Manuring 10000 14300 4500 7000
5 Plant Protection 3000 5000 3000 5000
6 Harvesting/Transportation 7000 10000 3200 5000
Total cost 39750 56300 13700 22000
B. Yield Kg. 60000 70000 25000 30000
Price @ Rs. 7/- per Kg. for
C. 420000 0 175000 0
Organic Banana
Price @ Rs. 5/- per Kg. of
D. 0 350000 0 150000
Inorganic Banana
Total Proceeds (in Rs.) 420000 350000 175000 150000
E Gross Profit (in Rs.) 390250 293700 161300 128000
Note - Figures under inorganic farming has been adapted from Plant
Horticulture Tech, Vol I, July August, 1999), FYM = Farm Yard Manure
It transpired from the above table that cost of cultivation under organic farming (OF) stood at
Rs 39,750/- per hectare compared to inorganic farming of banana (main crop) of Rs. 56,300/-
per ha, while these were Rs 13,700/- and Rs 22,000/- per hectare in the case of ratoon crops.
Although in the initial stage yield of banana was higher (70 ton per hectare) in Inorganic
farming (IOF) as against Organic farming (OF) ( 60 ton per hectare), but sustainability of
production could not be made because of varieties of reasons as stated earlier. One of the
finest points that emerged from the discussion is that people, who are health conscious, are
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willing to pay more premiums for the products organically produced. This is reflected in
realization of higher sale price per kg. In the long run the cultivators are more benefited.
Gross Profit per hectare was higher at Rs 3,90,250/- under Organic Farming compared to Rs
2,93,700/- under in Organic farming so far new crop is concerned. As regards ration crops,
gross profit is Rs. 1,61,300/- under Organic farming as against Rs. 3,28,000/- under Inorganic
farming.
Conclusion
There are several doubts in the minds of not only farmers but the scientists too, regarding
supply of minimum required nutrients to crops through organic sources alone. If it is possible,
how are we going to mobilize that much of organic matter It is not advised to switch over
overnight from fertilizer-use to organic manure everywhere. At the moment, fertilizers cover
only 30 per cent of our total cultivable areas, where irrigation facilities are available. The
remaining 70 per cent of the arable land, which are mainly rain fed do not use fertilizers. It is
said that our ingenuity and efforts are required to increase productivity and production. The
70 percent cultivable rain fed area supply only 40 per cent of our total food production.
During the last two decades several experiments have resulted in the development of low
inputs and simple technologies to double the production under dry land farming. In most of
our rain fed agriculture, the growing season is confined to four to five months depending on
the monsoon. All our efforts should be to pool all available technologies and nutrient
resources to get the maximum results. Selection of suitable seeds, timely sowing, integrated
nutrient and plant protection measures and maintenance of minimum plant population per
unit area would largely contribute to a substantial increase in yield. A mission-mode
approach to increase production in rain fed agriculture should be our priority for the next
decade. We may call it the "Decade of Revolution of rain fed Agriculture". We could
achieve twin objectives through this revolution. By improving the productivity and
sustainability of dry farming, we would be improving the economic condition of 70 per cent
of the farming community who have been deprived of modern technology.
Integrated nutrient management and integrated pest management continue to be good
concepts yet to be practiced. These two complements each other. Good compost with all the
micronutrients is the key to increase the productivity and ensure sustainability. Well
decomposed organic matter and farmyard manure, applied under the right soil moisture
condition would not only improve soil texture and structure but also provide the crop
necessary resistance against pest and disease.
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References
1. A.C.Gaur, Neelakanteen and K.S.Dargan, ICAR, New Delhi Organic manures,
1995(Reprinted)
2. Dr. G.D.Banerjee, Horticulture Strives Well in Food and Nutritional Security,
Financing Agriculture, Agricultural Financial Corporation, Mumbai, April-June 2000,
Vol - XXXII, NO-1
3. Dr. G.D.Banerjee, Agricultural Extension--- Assessment of various Models,
Financing Agriculture, Agricultural Financial Corporation, Mumbai October-
December 2000, Vol- XXXII, NO-2 Issue /
4. Dr. G.D.Banerjee, Bio technology for Indian farmers, Financing Agriculture,
Agricultural Financial Corporation, Mumbai, July -September 2001,Vol.- 33, NO- 3 /
5. Dr. G.D.Banerjee, Water Resources Management –A long Term Planning and
Judicious Use of Water and Food Security, Financing Agriculture, Agricultural
Financial Corporation, Mumbai October-December 2001, Vol.- 33, NO-4
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