RESUMEN
The study was conducted in the villages of Rayapuram and Keezhapattu in Tamil Nadu, as part of the National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project in the Needamangalam district of Thiruvarur from 2015 to 2018. These villages frequently experienced floods, particularly impacting the rabi season's crop growth and maturity. The monsoon season (September to December) contributed to about 71% of the total rainfall. A comparative analysis was carried out to assess the economic performance of the flood-resistant paddy variety CR 1009 sub 1 in contrast to the commonly grown CR 1009. Traditionally, farmers in Rayapuram and Keezhapattu favored CR 1009 due to its high market value during the monsoon period. However, they faced low income due to flooding in the rabi season. To address this challenge, scientists from KVK, Thiruvarur, recommended the flood-tolerant paddy variety CR 1009 sub 1 for cultivation during the rabi season under the "National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA)" project. Specific climate-resilient technologies, including flood-tolerant paddy variety "CR 1009 sub 1" and a high-yield, long-duration rice variety, were tested and demonstrated in the project villages to ensure rice production despite climatic variations leading to floods. It was crucial to assess how these varieties responded to climate vulnerabilities and how receptive farmers were to adopting them. Calculations were made to compare paddy productivity and economic returns under the improved technology with the traditional practices of farmers. The results indicated that the "CR 1009 sub 1" variety yielded higher harvests compared to the farmers' practices in the years 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18, with increases of 12.60%, 11.69%, and 12.95% respectively. Furthermore, using improved technologies for paddy cultivation generated higher net returns of Rs. 57233, 60768, and 57728 per hectare in 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18, respectively, in contrast to the farmers' practices (which yielded Rs. 49147, 50295, and 46266 per hectare in the same years). In comparison to the farmers' practices (with an average net return of Rs. 48569 per hectare and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.37), the demonstration fields showed an average net return of Rs. 58576 per hectare and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.56.
RESUMEN
Aim: This study examines the multifaceted challenges encountered by organic farmers operating within the Cauvery Delta Region of Tamil Nadu.Study Design: Ex-post facto research design was used to investigate and reveal the challenges that organic farmers have encountered over the preceding years.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Cauvery Delta Zone of Tamil Nadu. Five districts were selected for the study namely, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai and Tiruchirapalli. Respondents were interviewed during the period of June 2023 – July 2023.Methodology: The study aimed to include 40 organic farmers from each district, resulting in a collective sample size of 200 respondents across these districts, facilitated through snowball sampling technique. A well – structured interview schedule which included the major constraints faced by organic farmers of the CDZ was developed based on review of past literatures and discussion with experts in the area of organic farming. Based on the ranks given by the respondents to the constraints, the data was analyzed and conclusive results were obtained using the Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) technique. Constraints were studied in 7 different dimensions namely, labour, technical, service and supply, credit and economic, environmental, cropping and marketing constraints. Results: The prime constraints with a higher RBQ values identified in these dimensions were, Labour scarcity due to MGNREGA (93.13), Cumbersome (Slow and complicated) certification process (79.90), Lack of supportive institutions for organic farming (91.80), Inadequate subsidies for organic agriculture (92.75), Use of polluted river water for irrigation (93.90), Lack of inputs specifically for weed management (96.63), Challenge in finding proper marketing channel (90.38). In addition to this, some minor issues were also identified as constraints in the study area.Conclusion: Through an in-depth exploration of these challenges, the study aims to provide insights that can guide policy makers, practitioners, and stakeholders in devising strategies to overcome the obstacles faced by organic farmers in the Cauvery Delta Zone which could have a threshold effect in boosting up the organic productivity of the state.