6 Major Problems with Organic Farming and How is eeki Fixing it?

Organic farming is an alternative to conventional farming that does not use any harmful chemicals or pesticides on the crop. Instead, the crops are fed with organic manure and bio-pesticides, which means the produce is safe for human consumption. Even though this new way of farming has some potential, it is still not a real alternative to the old ways. There are certain limitations to organic farming that make it unsustainable in the long run.

At eeki, we are determined to develop a truly sustainable way of farming, and to achieve that, we are actively working to solve the problems that our farmers face in both traditional and organic ways. Here are some of the problems with organic farming and how we at eeki are trying to fix them:

Problem #1 : Lack of Fertile Land

It is estimated that by 2030, more than 30 million farmers in India won’t have access to any fertile land, which makes it even more difficult to scale organic farming. This method requires large areas of fertile land, which is decreasing day-by-day due to various human activities like deforestation, slash and burn agriculture, and excessive ploughing. 

Solution : Optimal Use of Barren Land

Eeki farms have the added benefit of being able to be constructed on otherwise unusable ground. This is possible because we don’t need any soil to cultivate our crops as nutrient-rich water is used for plant growth. And that's why the availability of fertile soil isn't an issue for us. As a result, barren land can be put to productive use and enough food can be produced to meet the demands of the growing population.

Problem #2 : Reduced Yields

When a farmer switches to organic farming, a substantial loss in yield is observed. This is because it takes a lot of time for the soil to get used to biopesticides instead of chemical pesticides. Also, a significant amount of time is consumed to promote the growth of beneficial insects for the pollination at the farm. Meanwhile, the farmer suffers a substantial loss of produce, which makes organic farming less preferable for the average Indian farmer. 

Solution : Eeki’s Farm Produce 3 Times More Yield

At eeki, we do not encounter any delays in production because our innovative farming technology maintains the ideal growing conditions inside the farm. As a result, farms are always at an optimal temperature that facilitates the optimal growth of the plants and enables us to supply healthy vegetables all year long. And since the plants get the best growing environment, we are able to generate 3 times more yield per unit area.

Problem #3 : Susceptible to Pest Attacks

The most common problem with organic farming is the frequency of pest attacks, which results in an increase in crop destruction. The reason behind the high frequency of pest attacks is the enriched quality of organic produce. And to avoid the losses caused by pest attacks, farmers spray huge amounts of biopesticides, which is another expensive input for them. 

Solution : Proper Protection Against Pests

At eeki, we do not spray any type of harmful chemical pesticides on our crops. This is because our patented growing chambers protect the crops from all types of root-borne infections. By this way, the roots are not prone to any type of pest attack. As a result, our produce is pesticide-free and much superior in quality than organic produce.

Problem #4 : High Input Costs

Small-scale farmers often have issues with the rising prices of organic farm inputs. So, they end up using cheap and fake substitutes that promise to be organic but are actually not. Lack of knowledge and proper education in organic farming is also a major issue. So, the "organic" vegetables that we eat are often not organic at all.

Solution : Eeki’s low-cost Growing Technology

At eeki, we've come up with patented growing chambers that do not require any expensive inputs. The material used to make these chambers is very inexpensive and does not require frequent replacement like in other farming methods (soil, coco-peat farming). These chambers have an effective life of around 10 years, which completely revolutionises farming as we know it.

Problem #5 : Shortage of Supply of Organic Inputs

Organic farmers are not sure about the quality of raw material and also doubt whether the composition of the inputs contains organic or synthetic elements. Apart from this, raw material is not available in sufficient quantities to meet the nutritional requirements of the crops. This affects the production and results in low quality produce.

Solution : Regular supply of crop-specific nutrition

Different crops require different concentrations of nutrients to grow. At eeki, we have figured out the specific nutritional compositions of various crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers. And through intensive research, we have developed standardised and crop-specific nutritional recipes that enhance the overall growth and development of the plants. This nutritious recipe is constantly fed to our plants, resulting in healthy and nutritious produce.

Problem #6 : Hindrance in Distribution

There is a lack of distribution networks as most of the organic farms are located far away from the cities. This creates a lot of trouble for farmers as organic harvests take a lot of time to reach the market, which eventually makes the quality and texture similar to conventionally grown produce.

Solution: Wide Distribution Network of eeki

Eeki has developed an extensive network of renowned distributors across the country. Apart from this, all our farms are located within a 50 km range of the city. This helps us deliver the vegetables within 24 hours of harvest, which preserves the quality and maintains the freshness of the produce even days after it reaches the end consumer.

Organic farming's limitations outweigh its merits, hence there is an urgent need to develop a farming method that can solve all these problems while also dealing with the upcoming climatic challenges. And all our work and innovations in fields like plant science, farming technology and automation are helping us fill that gap and develop a truly sustainable farming method that will be fruitful for us as well as future generations.