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VRINDAVAN ORGANIC FARMS PRIVATE LIMITED

Vrindavan Organic Farms Private Limited is a Private incorporated on 12

September 2015. It is classified as Non-govt company and is registered at
Registrar of Companies, Mumbai. Its authorized share capital is Rs. 100,000 and
its paid up capital is Rs. 100,000.It is inolved in Agricultural and animal
husbandry service activities, except veterinary activities.[This class includes
specialized activities, on a fee or contract basis, mostly performed on the farm.]
Vrindavan Organic Farms Private Limited's Annual General Meeting (AGM)
was last held on N/A and as per records from Ministry of Corporate Affairs
(MCA), its balance sheet was last filed on N/A.

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INTRODUCTION
People have a general awareness about organic food, but many do not have a
very clear understanding and do not know the proper meanings of terms such as
organic, organic food, and organic farming. Keeping this view in account,
first organic food and organic farming will be clearly defined in this chapter.
This chapter will also define the consumer perception and its influence in the
buying behaviour
Once the meaning is understood, we will go back into history and understand
how it all started and the tremendous development that has been made in this
sector over the years. We will then discuss the current scenario of the market and
position of this sector.
The organic foods sector is currently booming. The organic foods market is
growing rapidly at an average rate of 27% percent per year over the last decade.
This rapid growth is because of the increasing consumer awareness and the
resultant increase in the demand for organic products. Hence, it is important to
know the consumers perception towards organic foods as they form the factors
for increase in the demand for organic products. This chapter will be concluded
by discussing the effects of the use of organic products on the environment. This
is the main concern of the government for promoting organic food.

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DEFINITIONS
i. Organic FoodsWhen the Universe was created, it was at its most natural form. Every grass, tree,
fruit, animal, etc. was natural or, in other words, organic. The Cambridge
dictionary defines the word organic as not using artificial chemicals in the
growing of plants and animals. This means that plants and animals at that time
grew naturally with the support of the environment. Hence, they were at their
purest form without the harmful chemicals which are used today.Definition as
per Agricultural and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA)
The Department of Indian Government which helps to provide economical,
social & ecological sustainability, explains that Organic products are grown
without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an naturally and
socially responsible approach under the agricultural system. This is a technique
of farming preserve the reproductive and regenerative ability of the soil, good
plant nourishment, and sound soil management, produces healthful food rich in
strength which has resistance to diseases as this method works at grass root level.
Logically every food is organic as it has come from plants or animals. Another
meaning from the Cambridge dictionary for the word organic supports this
statement, which defines it as being or coming from living plants and animals.
However for some fifty years the word organic has been used to describe food
grown without most artificial fertilizers or pesticides and in a way that
emphasizes crop rotation, making the most of natural fertilisers and ensuring that
the life of the soil is maintained. Animals are kept in ways which minimise the
need for medicines and other chemical treatments. Other definitions exist for
the term organic food in terms of Export is
Organic Production (NPOP)(

Notification dated 21-July-2004 72 (RE-

2003)/2002-2007)
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As per the National Program for

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Note: The wording used below is as per the Gazette Notice defined in the
notification no change so ever has been made since it is a government
notification for organic food exporter
In exercise of the powers conferred under paragraph 2.4 and 2.29 of the export
and import policy 2002-2007, the Director General of foreign Trade hereby lays
down the following procedures for export of certified organic products in super
session of earlier public notice No 19 dated 11th June 2001 and Public Notice
No. 25 dated 2nd July, 2001:1. An agricultural product will be allowed to be exported as organic
product only if it is Produced, Processed and packed under a valid
Organic certificate issued by a certifying agency duly accredited by the
national steering committee for organic product (NSCOP) set up by the
Ministry of commerce & Industry (Department of commerce). The
committee will function as the national Accreditation Body for the
Purpose of accreditation of inspection and certification agencies.
2. The inspection and certification agencies accredited till date by APEDA,
spices Board, coffee Board and Tea Board Shall be Deemed to have been
accredited by the NSCOP and will be under the control of national
Accreditation Body for the Purposes of accreditation of inspection and
certification agencies for organic product.
3. The national program for Organic Production (NPOP), which has been
published by department of commerce in June, 2004 with a view to ensure
orderly development of organic agriculture is annexed to this Public
Notice.
Accordingly organic means the food is not grown in concoction of chemicals that
means using chemical fertilizers or pesticides (used from decades either present
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in the soil or used on the crop) and it is also not hereditarily modified or
genetically engineered. Fresh Organic Produce contains many more vitamins,
minerals and enzymes consensus by science. To nourish our bodies and promote
good health, Organic products shield us from toxic and chemical induced
diseases, While non-organic food has certain drawbacks like it appears to be
cheaper, but it costs us our health, our farmland, our eco-systems and taxes to
pay for the disasters that chemical farming create. Dramatic erosion of the soil,
near extermination of some of our beautiful wildlife, killing off the breed of birds
is the consequences of chemical farming. People around the world are being fed
by sustainable Organic Agriculture. Farmers health can gravely be damaged by
Chemical farming., Leaving the vital mass of household consumers out in the
cold, central approach on organic foods has always biased toward the global
market.
The Definition is as per
ii. Organic Farming
According to a report published by UKs leading organic promoters Soil
Association (Heaton, 2001) before organic farming/agriculture, nutrients become
available to crops they are returned to the soil in fertilizers and manures have to
be recycled by means of biological life of the soil. A gram of healthy soil is far
from fully understandable chemical reaction, which holds some 600 million
micro-organisms and tens of thousands of different sort of bacteria and fungi as
well as organic and inorganic issue that go through many complexes. The action
of microbiological soil life and the reactions along with the manures and
fertilizers , plants are naturally provided with a complete range of nutrients that
would otherwise be too far-away from inadequately supplied or physically
unavailable for the plants. Hence, the biological activity within the soil is
elementary in organic system that delivers the diversity and quantity of nutrients
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entailed by the crop for its growth.Organic farming is becoming a worldwide
movement today. One of the major discovering of organic farming study done by
Duchy in Home Farm in Gloucestershire, Great Britain which states as:
"Evidence shows that the public will continue to play the additional premium
prices for organically produced food. Support for organic farming is increasing
as fears over food safety grow." The study further notes that pollution of air and
water is reduced, estimates of whole farm nutrient losses are less under organic
than conventional production Farm is viewed as an economy, in organic
farming. It is mainly based on the principle: use of natural organic inputs and
biological plant protection measures and excludes the use of off-farm inputs such
as chemical fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides etc. Organic farming if properly
managed condenses or eliminates water pollution which aids in conserving water
and soil on the farm thereby enhances sustainability and agro-biodiversity.
Organic in farming has been certified by a duly constituted certification
authority or body and is also a labeling term which indicates that products have
been produced in accordance with certain standards during food production,
handling, processing and marketing stages.
APEDA ( The Indian National Standards for Organic Production & India
Organic Logo providers ) defines organic farming as an ecological production
biodiversity that is designed to produce optimum quantities of food of high
nutritional quality by using management practices which aim to avoid the use of
agro-chemical inputs and which minimise damage to the environment and
wildlife.
Their principles include:
Working with natural systems rather than seeking to dominate them
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The encouragement of biological cycles involving micro-organisms, soil
flora and fauna, plants and animals
The maintenance of valuable existing landscape features and adequate
habitats for the production of wildlife, with particular regard to
endangered species
Careful attention to animal welfare considerations
The avoidance of pollution
Consideration for the wider social and ecological impact of the farming
system."
A fine blend of soil, minerals, water, plants, micro flora, insects, animals and
human beings has been the foundation of Organic farming. Therefore it aids
in creating productive landscapes and also helps successfully merges with
food production and environmental preservation. Organic farming values the
ecological carrying capacities of the resources as it depends on the local
human resources and their knowledge to increase the existing natural resource
processes. Thereby the main advantage of organic farming is it reduces the
reliance on off-farm inputs and creates a more balanced nutrient and energy
flows, food security is enhanced, the ecosystem resilience is also
strengthened; and hence additional income is also generated. The socioeconomic conditions of the farmers gets better as Organic farming responds
positively to all sustainable agriculture methods and rural development goals
and also helps in maintaining soil fertility to improve crop production. The
health of the soil is energetic with favorable organisms is One of the biggest
incentive of organic farming . The harmful bacteria and the fungi that cause
diseases are kept away and in check by these healthy microbes, fungi and
bacteria. Organic farmers who work with nature, build the soil that shields
their crops from diseases. They also strive to be cautious about crop rotation.
Organic farmers make sure not to plant the same crop in the same location,
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which discourages the build-up of diseases and pests that epidemic that
particular crop. Extreme use of pesticides and fertilizers has caused immense
damage to the soil and environment besides affecting crop production. Over a
longer period of time the use of pesticides and fertilizer has increased
considerably. The second largest agent that results in cancer is Pesticides
residue, which is next to cigarettes. The degradation of soil fertility is the
consequence of the pesticides and fertilizers residual that persist in the soil
and which also harms to the beneficial soil micro organism and earthworms.
The positive effect of fertilizers on productivity is very short term where as
the negative effect on the environment where they remain for years after
percolating and running off , pollute the ground water and other water bodies
is a long term. We have taken the wrong path of maintainability to increase
production. The farmers committing suicide in growing numbers over every
passing year have already noticed these effects. The negative effect of this
trend has been on the destiny of the farming communities across the globe.
Farmers sensibly everywhere around the globe have seen downtimes in their
current fortunes in spite of the so-called increase in productivity. The
controversies of Pesticides residue in the recent past in the bottled drinking
water as well in the Cold drinks in India hardly have come as a surprise.
Pesticides which find their ways into ground water and water bodies polluting
them and causing them unhealthy for human consumption are non-biodegradable but very highly poisonous. The

contemporary practiced

agricultural system is the only cause for Pesticides to go into the ground water
in the first place. Many pesticides banned abroad are manufactured were
discarded and sold freely in India, since then the pesticides problem
multiplied in India.

Organic foods are the products of the farm that boosts

ecological harmony which are grown naturally excluding the use of any kind
of man-made chemicals on and off the farm and implements the system of
crop rotation, animal and plant manures.
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iii. Consumer Perception

Consumer Perception is a consumers cognitive impression that is formed of
"reality" which in turn influences the consumer's actions and buying behavior
toward that product.
iv Buying Behaviour
Definition of Consumer Buying Behavior:
Consumer Buying Behavior is the decision processes and acts of consumer
involved in buying and using of products.
Need to understand:
why the consumers make the purchases that they make?
what are the factors that influence consumer purchases?
the changing factors in our society that effect the consumer purchases.
Consumer Buying Behavior is also referred to the buying behavior of the
ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyze the buying behavior for:
Buyers reactions to the firms marketing strategy which has a great impact
on the firms success.
The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing
Mix (MM) that will satisfies (gives utility to) the customers, therefore
there is a need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy.
Also will help marketers to predict how consumers would respond to
marketing strategies.

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There are 6 stages that effect the consumer buying decision process
The 6 stages are:
Problem Recognition (is the awareness of need)--difference between the
desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assorting the products.
Eg: Hunger--Food. Hunger is stimulated by the need to eat food. This can
be stimulated by the marketer through providing product information
Information search
Internal search, memory.
External search if you need more information then friends and relatives
(word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources like comparison shopping;
public sources etc.
A successful information search leaves the buyer with possible
alternatives, this suggests a set.
o Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is
chinese food
indian food
burger king
klondike kates etc
Evaluation of Alternatives--need to establish criteria for evaluation,
features that the buyer wants or that he does not want. Rank or weight
alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something
spicy,

Indian

gets

highest

rank

etc.

If not satisfied with the choice then returns to the search phase. Think of
another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information gathered
from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers must try to
influence by "framing" these alternatives.
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Purchase decision--Choose buying alternative that includes product,
package, store, method of purchase etc.
Purchase--May differ from decision, as time lapse or product availability.
Post-Purchase Evaluation--outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction

has

the consumer made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties,
and after sales communication etc.
Eg: After eating an Indian meal, may think that really you wanted a
Chinese meal instead.
Other factors that effect the buying behavior is
1. Personal
2. Psychological
3. Social

The marketer needs to be aware of these factors also to develop an

appropriate marketing strategy for its target market.
The dissertation will also try to study these factors
Personal
Uniqueness to a particular person which includes the demographic Factors
like Sex, Race, Age etc.
e.g. Young people purchase things for different reasons than older people.
Psychological factors
Psychological factors include:
Motives

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A motive is defined as an internal energizing force that orients a person's
activities toward satisfying a need or achieving a goal. Actions are effected
by a set of motives, not just one. If marketers can identify motives then
they

can

better

develop

marketing

mix.

MASLOW hierarchy of needs!!

o Physiological
o Safety
o Love and Belonging
o Esteem
o Self Actualization
Need to determine what level of the hierarchy the consumers are at to
decide what motivates their purchases.
Health Organic Drinks, a product marketer targeted at consumers that
needed to receive additional energy from their drinks after exercise etc., a
healthy natural drink.
Perception
It is defined as what do you see? Perception is the process of selecting,
organizing and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning.

Ability and Knowledge

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It defines the need to understand individuals capacity to learn( His/her
Educational Qualification). Learning, changes in a person's behavior
caused by information and experience.

Attitudes
It is the knowledge and positive and negative feelings about an object or
activity-maybe tangible or intangible, living or non- living.....Drive
perceptions
Individual learns attitudes through their experience and their interaction
with other people. Consumer attitudes toward a products is greatly
influence the success or failure of the products marketing strategy.
Personality
It is all the internal traits and behaviors that make a person unique,
uniqueness arrives from a person's heredity and personal experience.
Examples include:
o Workaholism
o Compulsiveness
o Self confidence
o Friendliness
o Adaptability
o Ambitiousness
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o Dogmatism
o Authoritarianism
o Introversion
o Extroversion
o Aggressiveness
o Competitiveness.
This is not included in the study as there is a weak association between
personality and Buying Behavior, this may be due to unreliable measures.
Lifestyles
It is defined as e consistent patterns people follow in their lives.
EXAMPLE healthy foods for a healthy lifestyle.
Social Factors
The consumer wants, learning, motives etc. are also influenced by opinion
leaders, person's family, reference groups, social class and culture.
Because 2 income families are becoming more common, the decision maker
within the family unit is changing...also, family has less time for children, and
therefore tends to let them influence purchase decisions in order to alleviate
some of the guilt. (Children influence about $130 billion of goods in a year)
Children also have more money to spend themselves.
Social Class

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An open group of individuals who have similar social rank. India is a
class society. The

criteria; class, occupation, education, income, wealth,

race, ethnic groups and possessions.

A person buys or uses the types, quality, and quantity of products
determines the social class to some extent.
Lower class people tend to stay close to home when shopping; do not
engage in much pre-purchase information gathering. Stores project
definite class images.
Family, reference groups and social classes are all social influences on
consumer behavior. All operate within a larger culture.
Culture and Sub-culture
Culture refers to the set of values, ideas, and attitudes that are accepted by
a homogenous group of people and transmitted to the next generation.
Culture also determines what is acceptable with product advertising.
Culture determines what people wear, eat, reside and travel.
Different society, different levels of needs, different cultural values.
Culture can be divided into subcultures:
o geographic regions
o human characteristics such as age and ethnic background.
Culture effects what people buy, how they buy and when they buy.

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HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC FOODS AND ITS
MARKET:
In the early era when human beings were born, they lived on fruits, grass,
vegetables and animals which grew on their own in their natural environment.
Slowly and gradually they found out and developed the awareness of growing
these plants. With the passage of time, research and experiments along with
advanced technology helped them to grow vegetables faster than their natural
period of growth by using different kinds of fertilizers, pesticides, modifying
their genes and etc. They began to feed animals with different antibiotics and
growth hormones so as to enable them to produce more than what they would
naturally produce. The ill-effects and hazards of the amount of chemicals
absorbed by the food were forgotten in the course of achievement by modern
technology and science, given out in the environment and finally consumed by
humans., The consumption of this food and also by the environment which has
been polluted by the use of the chemicals has affected humans from two sides.
During the First Generation Green Revolution Organic farming an age old
practice in India, got disturbed. Since the Vedic times Organic manure has been
in practice in Indian agriculture. A British Agronomist Sir Albert Howard,
however had started the organic agriculture way back in 1900. In the early 1920s
a group of practising farmers in UK ,to solve the problem of decline in the
quality of soil, and the general deterioration in crop and livestock and the
resultant future of agriculture, sought the advice of Dr. Rudolf Stenier (the
founder of anthroposophy, who had spent all his life researching and
investigating the forces that regulate life and growth), who then, with the help of
a series of lectures and conversations held at the Koberwitz, Germany, in June
1924, brought forward the fundamental principles of biodynamic farming and
gardening (Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association). This was the
beginning of organic farming/agriculture. Biodynamic farming involves
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restoring to the soil a balanced living condition through the application and use
of the completely digested form of crude organic matter known as stabilized
humus. Crop rotation, correct compost and proper intercropping can all
contribute to a healthier biodynamic yield. (Saunders, 1999) The term organic
farming was first used by Lord Northbroune (Sharma, 2004 and Duram, 2005) in
his book, Look to the Lands which was published in 1940. He is said to have
coined the term organic farming (Northbroune, 2005). He was the one Who
embraced the teachings of Rudolph Steiner and biodynamic farming and had a
vision of the farm as a sustainable, ecologically stable, self-contained unit,
biologically complete and balanced-a dynamic living organic whole. (Sharma,
2004)
Organic Farming Situation in India:
Only 30 per cent of Indias total cultivable area is covered with fertilizers due to
assured irrigation and the balance 70 per cent of arable land is mainly rain-fed
with little or no use of fertilizer hence Indian farmers had an inborn
understanding on how to work closely with the nature. In organic farming the
precondition is commitment to Mother Natures protection. In India major part of
countrys land can be instantly converted to organic farming and has comparative
advantage over other countries as its vast cultivated area, which has remained
free of pollution from chemical fertilizers, spread over distinctly varying agro
climatic conditions, for example, large area in north-east region, northern hills
and rain fed regions with very low or zero use of agro chemicals fertilizers.
Readily available organic manure is often used by the farmers as a source of
nutrients that are either in their own farm or in their locality. Nearly 70 per cent
of organic agriculture products produced in India is being exported because of
the big bucks involved. In the world market Organic products do obtain a 20-30
per cent higher price than inorganic products. Indian Competence Centre for
Organic Agriculture study reveals, the global market for organically produced
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foods is roughly about $26 billion and is estimated to increase up to $102 billion
by 2020.
For the promotion of sustainable agriculture in the country, as part of 10th Five
Year Plan (2002-07), the government has earmarked Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion),
but the main elements of this initiative have benefited the exports, from the
establishing of national organic standards under NPOP (National Programme for
Organic Production), also putting in place a system of certification for the
organic products, and establishing APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food
Export Development Authority) as the nodal agency to promote exports
opportunities in organic product. Conventionally the domestic retail avenues for
organic produce has been the age odd cottage emporium, bakery, fruit mart, and
grocery store along with retail malls and an up market provision store. Marginal
growth is today slowly becoming apparent in the increase in organized
producers, retailers and organic product offerings in the market, whereas
previously the force of individual initiatives of the farmers, odd entrepreneur and
non-governmental organizations entirely drive the movement.

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Standards for Organic Products
The national standards for organic products are provided by Indian Organic Logo
governed by APEDA and Indian National Standards for Organic Production,
through a National Accreditation guidelines and Programme.
The objectives of the National Programme for organic production include:
(1) Provide the resource of evaluation and certification programmes for organic
agriculture
& products according to the criteria approved internationally.
(2) Endorse certification programmes for organic produce.
(3) Facilitation of certification to organic products in agreement to the National
Standards for
Organic Produces.
(4) Support the development of organic processing and farming in the country.
According to the definition of the Indian National Organic Standards, "Organic
agriculture is an ecological production biodiversity, biological cycles and soil
biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on-farm
management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."
management system that promotes and enhances
ii. Certification in Organic Farming
For the customers confirmation that the product is totally organic, the
certification for organic farms is required. The certificates are issued to the
farmer after inspection of the Certification Agency whether the minimum
requirements prescribed for organic agriculture is fully met or not. After the
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) was
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formed in 1972, an international framework was given to discuss and codify the
internationally recognized principles of organic farming. For consumer
protection and information FAO-WHO has officially stated that International
guidelines for organically produced food products should also be considered
important as they facilitate trade. The guidelines for the production, processing,
labeling and marketing of organic food has been developed in 1991 by Codex
Alimentarious Commission, a joint FAO-WHO food standards program body.
Under the rule of World Trade Organization (WTO) Codex guidelines are
important for the corresponding judgments. According to the Codex
Alimentarious Commissions definition, organic agriculture is a holistic food
production management system that promotes and improves agro ecosystem
health including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It
accentuates the use of management practices in inclination to the use of farm
inputs, considering the regional conditions required to locally adapted systems.
The commercial organic farming in India is still at a budding stage. (
According to IFOAM - SOEL (Stiftung Oekologie & Landbau) survey of
February 2005, in India only 0.05 per cent of total agricultural land is managed
by about 5147 certified organic farms, where as about 76,326 hectare of land is
under organic management. As per (APEDA)Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority, about 67292 tons of organic
products worth of Rs 7123 lakhs are being exported from India by a nodal
agency involved in promoting Indian organic agriculture. According to APEDA,
2508 thousand of hectare area is

under organic farming including herbs

collections from the forest area of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (2432500
hectare) producing 119656 tons of organic products, 165700 numbers of
seedlings and cuttings and 264000 litres of effective micro organism in India.
Indian organic agriculture industry is almost entirely export oriented and is
approximately at US $ 20 million. Because of their farmers faith or purely for
reason of fiscal deficiency, there are a number of farms in India which have
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either never been chemically dealt with or cultivated or has changed back to
organic farming. Indian farmers are not categorized as organic though these
thousands of farmers are cultivating hundreds of thousands of acres of land that
is purely organic. They either sell their produce with traditionally grown produce
in the open market at the same price or sell purely on conviction or goodwill as
organic through selected means and usual specialist markets. Elongated
documentation and the price involved that is required by certifiers prevent these
farmers for opting for certification. (Organic Farming in India: by Dr
Gursharan Singh Kainth )

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Organic food picture across India
The organic market report by Siddarth Jain and Deepti Behl (2007) .There are
two kinds of organic products available at present, the one which is certified
and other which is uncertified. Production process assured by an authorized and
recognized certifying agency is a certified product. Product packaging is
exhibited with the quality assurance logo on it. One should also find another logo
- 'India Organic'.
i. Current Trend of Organic Product In India :
As per the reports of the Indian Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture
(ICCOA), the organic food industry in India is estimated to be presently around
Rs. 600 cores where about 60-70% is being exported. The global market is
estimated to increase by $102 billion by 2020 and currently the market for
organically produced foods is about $26 billion.Peoples awareness for a
healthier lifestyle has been a surge of interest around the world for organic foods
primarily. As per the studies conducted by Organic Trade Association (OTA)
Organics sales raised up to nearly $16.7bn in 2006, in the USA alone a 21%
increase from the previous year was recorded. However there has also been a
supply scarcity of everything from organic oats to organic milk along with this
double-digit growth rates. Since to a greater extent supermarkets are rapidly
expanding their organic walkways, according to experts what is now an
undersized problem could rise into a total crisis. Wal-Mart, the world's largest
retailer, has currently revealed his plans to double its offering of organic product
across it shelf line (BW Online, 3/29/06) In the Indian consumer market it has
been slow to catch up what has become a rage in the USA. The industry here is
still in a initial stage and when we look at the unhealthy lifestyles led by current
Indian professionals shall start be turning more heads.
The International Competency Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA)
has been set up in India in partnership with FIBL Switzerland to promote the
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prolong agriculture growth in India. (ICCOA) has been informative and a
studying centre for all sides motivating organic agriculture and building
capability in organizations and individuals in organic agriculture, manufacturing
and agribusiness that aids to contribute environmentally, financially and
communally to retainable agriculture and living methods.
The certification of organic produce and production centres are been
carried out by primarily 10 agencies in India. Some of them are FKAL
International, OneCert Asia, SGS, Indo Cert IMO Control and Ecocert
International. These organisations conduct through checks on farms and issue
USDA Organic and EUREP GAP certifications. Getting such a certification is a
complicated and tedious process and it takes nearly three years if one tries to
carry it out on his own however it has been made easy by the consultancy
provided by such organisations which pursues step by step procedures involved.
Since the high growth prospective for export of organic produce and certification
requirement for the exports of organic produces are the major advantages
farmers are progressively entering the sector in spite of the tedious journey.
Presently there are about 15,000 certified organic farmers in India.
Growing supply inequality between organic and other produce is the basic
reason for the worlds rising curiosity in such initiatives. The demand for
Organic foods is growing at 21% whereas supply is mounting at a rate of only
15%. When it comes to certifications, IndoCert in India clearly holds the
periphery with the majority of the produce being certified by them. On the other
hand SGS is not the first choice among organic food farmers as it loses out
because its services are pathetic and also provides various other services.

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ii. Organic more about B2B in India than B2C

Due to lack of awareness and higher prices the off take in volumes is not
much in the local consumer market as a result in India Organic food is more of a
business to business activity rather than a business to consumer one and is
consider as a lifestyle requirement, however organic foods in India demands a
best price due to escalating export requirements. Even Sri Lankan Companies
like Lanka Organics (Pvt. Ltd.) are setting up their offices here in order to
acquire orders from India.
Indian states have become aware or have taken to organic production is evident
from the above picture. Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are known for
various organic food crops like rice, barley, mower etc, Gujarat for co-operative
farming of various organic products Maharashtra for cotton, Karnataka for
organic coffee and spices and Kerala is now known for its organic spices. Indeed
in Karnataka Bangalore is rapidly turning out to be a hub for all organic food
related activities. In the year 2005 and 2006 Bangalore has arranged for the
organic trade fair. Organic Food Fair 2007 by ICCOA was organised in New
Delhi in order to achieve more acceptance and enhance awareness in the masses.

iii. Demand for Organic Product in India

For growth of organic product market in India the demand for organic
agricultural products has been a motivation. In other words farmers will be
encouraged to implement the organic farming practices and also to use organic
input like bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, vermi-compost, green manure and FYM,
if there is demand in market for organically produced farm products. As there is
no central agency that gathers or accumulates the information regarding organic
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farming, estimating the area under organic cultivation in India is a very difficult
task. The studies undertaken by different agencies like FIBL and ORG-MARG
(Garibay S V and Jyoti K, 2003) shows that the area under organic agriculture is
2,775 hectares (0.0015% of gross cultivated area in India) but there are other
estimation undertaken by SOEL-Survey which shows that the land area under
organic cropping is 41000 hectare. The total numbers of organic farms in the
India as per SOEL-Survey are 5661 but FIBL and ORG-MARG survey puts it as
1426. Crops like vegetables, pulses, fruits, spices, plantation, and oil seeds etc
are some of the foremost organically produced agricultural crops in India. (Table:
1) (Source: Garibay S V and Jyoti K, 2003)
Table 1 : Major products produced in India by organic farming

Type of Product

Products

Commodity

Tea, Coffee, Rice, Wheat

Spices

Cardamom, Black pepper, white pepper,

Ginger, Turmeric, Vanilla, Tamarind, Clove,
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mace, Chili

Pulses

Red gram, Black gram

Fruits

Mango, Banana, Pineapple, Passion fruit,

Sugarcane, Orange, Cashew nut, Walnut

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Vegetables

Okra, Brinjal, Garlic, Onion, Tomato, Potato

Oil seeds

Mustard, Sesame, Castor, Sunflower

Others

Cotton, Herbal extracts

iv. Export of Organic Products from India

In India there is great export prospective for many other organic products other
than organic tea and coffee for which it is best known for. Other organic products
are its spices and fruits for which India has a market. According to Org-Margs
survey approximately 30% of respondents that includes exporters, traders and
producer have responded that in India organic tea is produced and this is elevated
response for any single crop, next are fruits, vegetables, spices, rice and coffee
(Garibay S V and Jyoti K, 2003). There has been a little response for wheat, oil
seed, cashew and pulses. From India Mangos, Bananas and oranges are among
the fruit crops that are most preferred as organic product.
Export Market: The major driver of greening of agriculture in India is Organic
farming export market. Organic crops current production of is around 14,000
tons (Garibay S V and Jyoti K, 2003). Out of which, fruits and vegetables
combine only makes 17% whereas 24% is contributed by tea and rice each, of
this total production. Around 11,925 tons of organic products are being exported,
that makes approximately 85% of total organic crop production is exported.
France, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Italy, Belgium, Canada,

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Netherlands, Sweden, UAE, UK, Japan, USA and Singapore are the major
countries which form Indias major export market.
India in 2002 estimated quantity of the various products that have been exported
is shown in Table 2 (Source: Org-Marg, 2002).The table shows that around 3000
tons of tea was exported and in quantity term it was the highest exported produce
from India, next major exports are cotton (1200 tons), fruits & vegetables (1800
tons), rice (2500 tons) and wheat (1150 tons) (Garibay S V and Jyoti K, 2003).
Table 2 : Major organic products exported from India

Product

Sales (Tons)

Tea

3000

Coffee

550

Spices

700

Rice

2500

Wheat

1150

Pulses

300

Oil Seeds

100

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Fruits & Vegetables

1800

Cashew Nut

375

Cotton

1200

Herbal Products

250

Total

11,925

The rising US and European green markets has opened the scope for Indian
organic food exporters. According to the International Trade Centres (ITC)
estimation of organic food all over the world shows high rise in retail sales in US
$ 10 billion in 1997 to US$ 17.5 billion in 2000 and about US$ 21 billion in
2001 (in 16 different countries in Europe, USA and Japan). Even after excluding
the demand for non certified products of Japans so called green product from
overall estimation, it moved up to US$ 16 billion in the year 2000 and further
raised to US$ 19 billion in 2001. According to the experts, this market is likely to
grow at a higher pace even though the current market share for organic produced
is approximated only between one or two percent of total food products market.
By 2010 around five percent of the market is anticipated to be organic market as
forecasted by experts. (Minou Yussefi and Heldge Willer, 2003).
Domestic Market
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Due to unorganized nature of the domestic organic agriculture market in India it
is complex to guess the degree and trends in this growing market. The data
available and the studies done so far on the sale of organic produces is limited to
metros like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Organic agriculture study and sale is also based on Non Governmental
Organizations, some entrepreneurial traders and individual initiative of the
farmers etc. Data available shows that the current domestic organic products
market demand is mainly for fruits, vegetables, rice and wheat. Other products
which include tea, coffee and pulses (ORG-MARG Survey, 2002). There is a
possible market for other commodities like organic herbal plants, spices, and
cotton which are relatively high. According to (ORG-MARG Survey, 2002) for
next five years it is anticipated that the demand for organic fruits would grow by
8%, spices by 14%, and that for cotton and herbal plants it is projected to be
around 7%. The market for different range of organic agricultural products as
shown in Table: 4 is anticipated to reach up to 1568 tons in 2006-07.

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Table: 4 Growth forecast for specific organic products in the domestic
market

Product

% Projected Growth in the 5 next

Years

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Spices (all)

14

Pepper

Turmeric

4.5

Tea

13

Rice

10

Fruits (all)

Banana

15

Mango

Orange

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Pineapple

Herbal

extracts

Cotton

Coffee

Oil seeds

Honey

Groundnut

Baby food

Coconut

VI Retail sales of Organic Foods in India:

Even though the vague patterns of retail are changing slowly into more organized
retail with an estimated 2-3 million potential consumers for organically produced
agricultural products in India, the problem has always been the absence of
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organized marketing and retailing.Companies like FabIndia, 24lettermantra,
Gopalan etc have initiated organized retail which is now slowly picking up and
significant growth is observed. Even if these companies are providing a wide
variety of organic products, however the numbers of channels offered to organic
food are very few in numbers. In fact Delhi, the capital of India has only about 3
outlets namely by 24lettermantra, FabIndia (a section of organic foods) and
Dubden (Delhis first multibrand retail outlet for organic food). Thus it shows
that the retail market for organic is in emerging stage. Supermarkets are now
increasingly stocking up on organic products that command a 25-30% cost.

The Product List on Organic Food available in Retail outlets as per

available data are:
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables :
Fresh fruits
Fresh Vegetables
Staples:
Brown Rice & Other Rice
Whole Wheat Flour, Other Flours, Rava & Amarnath (Ramdan) Flour
Dals, Pulses & Beans
Spices
Masalas
Cold Pressed Edible Oils
Jaggery
Sugar

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Bakery Items:
Cakes, Breads, Cookies
Processed food:
Snacks & Confectionary
Dried Fruits & Nuts
Honey
Ghee
Jams, Marmalades, Spreads
Pickles
Diary:
Farm Fresh Handmade Natural Cheese
Beverages:
Tea
Coffee
CONSUMER AWARENESS ON ORGANIC FOODS:
i. Organic Food Consumption in India is on the Rise.
Pepsi cola controversy has brought more awareness in the consumer and so he is
now watching his diet more closely. Organic food products have suddenly
modified from a fad to a healthier option. Some people believed that organic
food is only a concept well-known in the developed countries. They think that,
India has only been an exporter of organic food and very little is consumed
domestically which is untrue. There are many who look towards organic food for
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the domestic consumption market although 50% of the organic food produce in
India is targeted towards exports. According to studies the Organic Trade Fair in
2007 witnessed an extraordinary rise in footfalls and sale of organic products as
well as in participation of Organic Food Manufacturer. Number of enquiries
recorded in trade fair shows that there exists a huge potential for organic produce
sale which is possible if supply chain constraints could be eased out.
ACNielsen, a leading market research firm recently conducted survey in 38
countries among 21,000 regular Internet users to find their preference for
functional foods foods that have additional health benefits. It was revealed that
among the top ten countries, India was one of them where health food, including
organic food, was in great demand by the consumers.The most important reason
in the survey for buying organic food in India was the concern for the health of
children, with over 66 percent parents preferring organic food to non organic
food. Although organic food is priced over 25 percent more than conventional
food in India, many parents are willing to pay this higher price due to the
perceived health benefits of organic food for their children.The increase in the
organic food consumption in India is evident from the fact that many organic
food stores are spurring up in India. Today (2006) every large city in India has
numerous organic food stores and restaurants and every supermarket has an
organic food. The first organic food store was started in Mumbai in 1997 which
is considered as an immense change in India consumers pattern of organic food
consumption includes organic strawberry, organic honey, organic cashew butter,
organic tea, organic marmalade and various organic flours which is much
different than in the developed countries. However, the Indian consumers are
unaware of the difference between natural and organic food hence they need to
be educated. People who purchase products labelled as Natural think that they
are Organic also since the requirement of certification is not compulsory for
domestic retail in India, consumers are not aware about the certification system
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available for organic product and hence there are many fake organic products
available in the market.
i. Factors that drive the increase in Organic Food Sector
Total food consumption in India for 2003-04 is estimated at around Rs.
8,60,000 crore. For

the year 2010 and 2015 food consumption growth is

projected at 5% growth in GDP i.e.appoximately Rs. 6,68,300 crore and Rs.

8,80,400 crore respectively. The foods market is undergoing a significant change
in consumption patterns with the chief drivers being:
a) Changing age profile
The youth is typically more leaning to try out new products, including natural
and organic foods. The changing age profile with growing share of population in
the age bracket of 15-59 years, a large part of which constitute the active
workforce, bodes well for the growth of food consumption.
b) Increasing education and exposure
The demand for organic foods is likely to grow among upward mobility of
income classes as has already been revealed in USA, Europe and more recently,
in several countries of South East Asia. In India the middle and upper middle
income groups are growing faster than the low income groups. Owing to travel
as well as the media aid in building awareness of the organic products results in
the increased education and exposure levels, thereby creating a high demand for
organic products.
c) Increasing health consciousness
Growing concern about environmental issues and mounting health consciousness
with changing lifestyles will further compel growth of products which are

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hygienic and healthy. Health conscious consumers will certainly have an edge in
the increasing demand for organic foods being healthier.
d) Need for convenience
Need for convenience is another important lifestyle related aspect which
includes convenience in purchase as well as convenience in carrying, cooking
and eating. Ready to cook and ready to eat Organic processed foods will be
increasingly in demand.

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Future of organic industry in India
In spite of the purchase of organic food product raises the current kitchen budget
approximately by 25% but still the future is definitely one that we can have a
high opinion of. Rising amount education and awareness levels, disposable
income and with growing health consciousness among consumers in India
promises a bright future for the new found industry. Organic market will help to
change the current status of the Indian agriculture which will assist in making a
better future for the organic farmer. Popularity and the impact of organic food
items will be mainly based on effective sales and distribution of organic produce
coupled with marketing and promotion which is a big challenge. This can be
certainly taken care by the industry as a whole (trade fairs being one such
example) and also by upcoming retail stores. The government will analyze the
current state of the industry and continue its efforts of accepting new ideas and
aid the states to promote this kind of farming along with the interests of the
producer. Certain private organizations and NGOs are extending their help in the
promotion of both producing and distributing of organic produce which again act
as advantageous for the industry. Thus, we can anticipate for a fine growth in this
industry in both domestic and international (exports) market.

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CHAPTER II
Literature review
Yadav et al.(2004) conducted a study on the production of tomato under organic
conditions to determine the suitable combination of organic manure with inorganic fertilizer to
increase the tomato production. Treatments comprised: two levels of farmyard manure (FYM; 20
and 40 t/ha) alone or with one-half and full dose of recommended NPK (180:120:80 kg/ha), green
manure (sunn hemp) alone and with one-half dose of recommended NPK on tomato hybrid
ARTH-3 , Application of FYM at 20 t/ha + full dose of NPK recorded the highest fruit yield
(327.69 q/ha) with benefit: cost ratio of 1:1.49 and was at par with full dose of NPK alone. The
lowest yield (113.5 q/ha) was observed in the treatment receiving only FYM at 20 t/ha. Slightly
higher yield levels were obtained when the plants were supplied with FYM at 40 t/ha (184.66
q/ha) and green manuring (141.44 q/ha). The total soluble solids percent was highest (4.6%) upon
treatment with 40 t FYM alone and lowest (3.5%) upon treatment with NPK alone. The maximum
net return was obtained with full dose of NPK, followed by 20 t FYM + full dose of NPK, with
cost:benefit ratios of 1:1.85 and 1:1.49, respectively.
Kumari and Sharma(2006) A study was carried out to determine the effects of boron,
zinc, molybdenum, copper, iron and/or manganese, applied as foliar sprays, on the growth and
fruit and seed yield of tomato. All the treatments were applied at 100 ppm starting 30 days after
transplanting and repeated twice at 10-day interval. The recommended NPK rate (100 kg N, 75 kg
P2O5 and 55 kg K2O/ha) were uniformly applied in all the treatments including the control where
no spraying of micronutrients was carried out. Variations in plant height, number of days taken to
first flowering, number of branches per plant, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant,
yield/ha, seed yield and 1000-seed weight were observed. Foliar application of boron at 100 ppm
resulted in the highest growth and seed yield, with net returns of Rs. 150 811.44/ha and cost: benefit
ratio of 1:2.13.

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Silspour and Omidghaemi (2006) conducted a study on the effects of different irrigation
water quantities and use of Fe and Zn on yield and water use efficiency of tomato. Treatment
comprise of three irrigation water regimes based on evaporation from pan class A (60 , 80 and 100
percent evaporation) and four fertilizer treatments (NPK , NPKZn , NPKFe and NPKFeZn) in clay
loam soil on tomato yield were studied , result showed that use of Zn and Fe increase yield and
water use efficiency significantly . in general, use of NPK +Fe + Zn and irrigation based on 100
-1

100% evaporation was best treatment with 48.1t/ha .

Abdel-Mawgoud et al.(2007) studied on the responses of tomato plants to different rates
of humic-based fertilizer and NPK fertilization. Field experiments were carried out to study the
effects of Grow-Plex SP

TM

(a water soluble fertilizer with humic acid) in rates of (0, 60, 90 and

120 g/100 l of water) on tomato plants fertilized with different rates of chemical fertilizers of NPK
(0, 50, 75 and 100% of recommended dosage). The data showed that the application of Grow-Plex
SP

TM

in rates of 90 g/100 l with 75 and 100% NPK increased the number of leaves, fresh and dry

weights of the plants. Total and marketable yield showed a similar positive trend with the same
treatment. Data are further discussed in particular to the increment of endogenous hormonal levels,
which possibly led to improvement in fruit production and quality.
Dhanasekaran and Bhuvaneswari (2007) conducted a study on the effect of different
levels of NPK and foliar application of enriched humic substances on growth and yield of tomato.
The treatments consisted of three levels of NPK (75%, 100%, 125% of recommended dose of
NPK) and eleven sub-treatments which includes S 0-control, S1-Humic acid (HA) 0.2%, S2Polycarboxylic acid (PCA) 0.2%, S3-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) 50 ppm, S 4-Micronutrient
mixture,

S5-HA+NAA,

S6-PCA+NAA,

S7-NAA+NM,

S8-HA+NM,

S9-PCA+NM,

S10-

HA+NM+NAA (enriched HA) andS11-PCA+NM++NAA (Enriched PCA). The sub-treatments

were applied through foliar application. Tomato cv. S-22 was grown as test crop. The observation
on growth, and yield attributes were recorded. The results revealed that foliar application of
micronutrients and NAA enriched PCA to the plants supplied with 125% NPK recorded the
highest fruit yield. Though foliar application of enriched PCA to the plants supplied with 100%
NPK improved the yield at par with treatment receiving 125% NPK and enriched PCA foliar spray
.

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Kumari and Sharma(2007) reported on the effect of integrated nutrient management

strategies in tomato production Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of
biofertilizers (Azotobacter, Azospirillum and Pseudomonas), applied alone or in combination with
75 and 100% doses of NPK (100, 75 and 55 kg/ha) and full dose of FYM (25 t/ha) on the growth
and yield of tomato. Data was recorded for plant height, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per
plant, fruit yield per hectare and cost: benefit ratio. Application of Azotobacter in combination
with 75 and 100% NPK and full dose of FYM FYM 25 t/ha recorded the highest fruit yields and
cost: benefit ratios.
Parry et al.(2007) studied on the physicochemical parameters and growth yield on tomato,
role of FYM and Neemcake. This study to evaluated the different FYM and Neemcake under
different treatment levels of FYM (500,1000 and 1500) g / plot , Neemcake (50 and 100) g / plot ,
the combination of FYM and Neemcake showed an increase in plant high , No. of leaves , No. of
flowers , total yield , chlorophyll , ascorbic acid , lycopene content were enhanced compared to
control .
Segura et al.(2007) studied on the Response of greenhouse tomato crop to NPK
fertilization and quality of irrigation water. This work studies the effect of different nitrogenphosphorous-potassium (NPK) dosages applied by fertigation and two types of irrigation water on
tomato production under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted on a greenhouse
'Pitenza' tomato crop, on a sand-mulched sandy loam soil and trickle irrigation. Two factors were
considered: fertigation dosage and quality of irrigation water. Three NPK dosages, equivalent to
50, 100 and 200% of the crop uptake under the local conditions, were established, being the total
-2

N, P, K concentration of treatment 100% (40.1, 7.6 and 54.1 g m ) respectively. Two sources of
-1

water of different E.C. were also adopted (C.E.: 0.6 and 2.2 dS m ). The tomato crop showed a
positive response to an increase of the nutrient solution NPK concentration, which raised the NPK
extraction, yield and number of fruits per truss. An increase of the nutrient concentration from 100
to 200% produced a slight increase of yield (less than 10%), but lowered the nutrient uptake
efficiency (27% for N, 44% for P and 34% for K) .
Balemi (2008) reported the response of tomato cultivars differing in growth habit to
nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers and spacing. A field experiment was conducted during
2003/2004 and 2004/2005 cropping seasons to investigate the response of tomato cultivars

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varying in growth habit to rates of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) fertilizers and plant spacing.
The treatment consisted of factorial combination of two cultivars (Margelobe and Melka shola),
three NP fertilizers rates (50 kg N + 60 kg P 2O5/ha, 80 kg N + 90 kg P2O5/ha and 110 kg N + 120
kg P2O5/ha) and three spacing (100 cm x 30 cm, 80 cm x 30 cm and 60 cm x 45 cm) . Results
revealed that fertilizer rates and spacing significantly affected the total and marketable fruit yields
as well as % marketable fruit yield. Similarly, plant vigor (plant height), number of fruits per
cluster and 10 fruit weight were significantly influenced by all of the main factors. Besides the
main factors effect, fertilizer rate*spacing and cultivar*spacing interaction effects were also
observed on % marketable fruit yield and 10 fruit weight, respectively. The results showed that the
application of 110 kg N + 120 kg P 2O5/ha or 80 kg N + 90 kg P 2O5/ha resulted in significantly
higher total as well as marketable fruit yield of the tomato cultivars. however, demonstrated that
only the application the highest fertilizer rate (110 kg N + 120 kg P 2O5/ha) resulted in superior
fruit yields whilst the other two rates did not significantly differ from each other in affecting fruit
yields. Results confirmed significantly higher % marketable fruit yield due to the application of
either 110 kg N + 120 kg P 2O5/ha or 80 kg N + 90 kg P 2O5/ha. Closer spacing of 80 cm x 30 cm
and 60 cm x 45 cm gave higher total as well as marketable fruit yield than the wider spacing of
100 cm x 30 cm.
Jagadeesha (2008). Studied the effect of organic manures and biofertilziers on plant
growth, seed yield and quality parameters in tomato. The experiment consisted of 8 treatment
combinations laid out in two factor randomized black design with three replication. revealed that
the application of RDF (60:50:30 kg NPK/ha) + biofertilzier (Azospirillum and P solubilizing
bacteria 2.5 kg/ha each) records higher plant height (64.37, 109.50 and 162.33 cm), number of
2)

leaves (92.50, 153.33 and 146.50), leaf area (898.05, 4314.31 and 4310.94 cm ,
followed by FYM (50%) + vermicompost (50%) + biofertilzier.The
biofertilziers
vermicompost

records

higher seed yield (106.87 kg/ha)

(50%)

(101.94 kg/ha) over FYM alone. The

higher with the application of RDF + biofertilziers was attributed

application of

RDF +

followed by FYM (50%)+

seed yield was

significantly

to number of fruits per

plant (45.22) and fruit weight per plant (1280.98 g) .

Olaniyi and Ajibola (2008). studied on the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizers
application on the growth, fruit yield and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill).The

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treatments consisted of two levels of urea (0 and 60 kg.N/ ha) and five levels of poultry manure (0,
3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5 t/ ha). The growth parameters (plant height and number of leaves) showed
increasing response as the amount of fertilizer applied increased. The combined application of the
two types of fertilizers resulted in the highest marketable fruit yield.
Adekiya and Agbede(2009) reported on the growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon
esculentum Mill) as influenced by poultry manure and NPK fertilizer, Four field trials were
conducted to study the effect of poultry manure (PM), NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and NPK 15-15-15
fertilizer + poultry manure on the growth and yield of tomato. Seven treatments were applied to
-1

-1

the soil: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 t ha poultry manure , 300 kg ha NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and 150 kg
ha

-1

NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + 10 t ha

-1

poultry manure. The treatments were compared on the

basis of their effect on soil chemical properties, leaf nutrient content, growth and yield of tomato.
All levels of poultry manure and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + poultry manure increased leaf N, P, K,
Ca and Mg levels. The soil chemical properties except pH increased with amount of poultry
manure. NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer alone did not increase the soil and leaf Ca and Mg. All levels of
poultry manure, NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer alone and NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + poultry manure
increased the number of leaves, plant height, leaf area, number of fruits and fruit weight
-1

significantly. Among poultry manure levels, 30 t ha poultry manure gave the highest fruit yield.
Among the seven treatments, NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + poultry manure gave the highest yield. On
an average over the two years, 10, 20, 30, 40 t ha
fertilizer alone and 150 kg ha

-1

-1

poultry manure, 300 kg ha

NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + 10 t ha

-1

-1

NPK 15-15-15

poultry manure treatments

increased fruit weight. Results revealed that poultry manure is a suitable source of nutrients for
-1

tomato especially if applied at 30 t ha .The combined use of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and poultry
manure increased tomato yield compared to the application of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer or poultry
manure alone and is therefore recommended for sustainable productivity .

Hernandez et al.(2009) studied on the Nitrogen-potassium ratios to fertigate the protected

tomato crop and its effect on biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake, The present study was
carried out to the evaluating the effect of nutrient solutions with different nitrogen/potassium
fertigation ratios for protected tomato (HA-3019 hybrid) crop on biomass accumulation and
macronutrient uptake within two planting times. Four N/K ratios (1:1.5; 1:2.0,

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1:2.5 or production check, and 1:3.0) were studied in spring-summer season (March/July) and
-2

winter (September/January). Biomass accumulation (g.m ) and N, P, K, Ca and Mg consumption

-2

were determined per plant organ and total biomass (g.m ) for each treatment. In winter, dry
weight and N, K and Ca uptake were significantly higher than in spring-summer season, whereas
the top growing and nutrient consumption period corresponded to full production phase. The
lowest leaf, stem and total biomass production corresponded to N/K ratio 1:1.5 in spring-summer;
meanwhile dry fruit weight was significantly higher for N/K ratios 1:2.0 and 1:2.5. In winter
season, significant fruit and total biomass values were recorded for N/K ratio 1:2.5 (production
check); however, leave growth was similar in treatments 2, 3 and 4 (1:2.0, 1:2.5 and 1:3.0).
Macronutrient extraction showed a similar behavior to that obtained for biomass accumulation.

Law-Ogbomo and Egharevba (2009) reported on the effect of planting density and NPK
fertilizer application on yield and Yield Components of Tomato. The effect of planting density and
NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer application on two cultivars were a study conducted to determine the
optimum planting density and fertilizer rate. Roma VF 3900 and Roma VF 5-80-285 tomato
cultivars were grown at three planting densities (33333, 41667 and 55555 plants per hectare) and
three levels of NPK fertilizer (0, 200 and 400 kg/ha). The trials revealed that a combination of
planting density and NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer application increased the productivity of tomato as
they positively influenced the plant height at maturity, fruit yield and % marketable yield. The
plots without fertilizer application had the least values in all the measured parameters. From the
-1

trials, a combination of 55555 plants per hectare and 400 kg NPK.ha gave the highest significant
yield of 38.90 t . ha

-1

and 35 t . ha

-1

from Roma VF 3900 and Roma VF 5-80-285, respectively.

The highest % marketable yield was also obtained from the same combination with both cultivars.

Akhtar et al.(2010) conducted a study on effect of potash application on yield and quality
of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). A field experiment was conducted to evaluate
comparative effects of sulphate and muriate of potash (SOP and MOP) application on yield,
chemical composition and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, M. cultivar Roma), from
-1

two sources i.e., MOP and SOP was applied @ 0, 100 and 200 kg K ha with constant dose of 200
kg N. ha

-1

-1

and 65 kg P. ha . A significant increase in tomato yield with K application was

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-1

observed. Potassium applied @ 100 kg K. ha as MOP produced significantly higher marketable

tomatoes as compared to SOP and control .Vitamin C contents in tomato fruits increased with K
application in the form of MOP.
Joshi and Pal (2010) conducted a study on the effect of vermicompost on growth , yield
and quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill). The treatments (control), VC15 (Soil+15%
VC), VC30 (Soil+30% VC), VC45 (Soil+45% VC) . Various growth and yield parameters like
mean stem diameter, mean plant height, yield/plant, marketable yield/plant, mean leaf number and
total plant biomass were recorded for each treatment. Various quality parameters like ascorbic
acid, titrable acidity, soluble solids and insoluble solids were recorded for tomatoes from each
treatment.. Almost all the growth, yield and quality parameters increased significantly as
compared to control.
Ming et al. (2010) reported on the Influence of organic and chemical fertilizers on tomato
yield, quality, and the content of available heavy metals in tomato fruits and soil. Seven treatments
including control (no fertilizer application), organic fertilizer, 80% organic fertilizer + NPK
chemical fertilizer, 60% organic fertilizer + NPK chemical fertilizer, 40% organic fertilizer + NPK
chemical fertilizer, 20% organic fertilizer + NPK chemical fertilizer, and NPK chemical fertilizer.
The incorporated application of organic and chemical fertilizers significantly increased the tomato
yield when the amount of applied nitrogen was equal. The highest total yield of tomato was
obtained in the treatment with the ratio of organic and chemical fertilizer was 6:4, and the total
yield increased by 15.6% compared with the control. The content of ascorbic acid was the highest
in the organic fertilizer treatment. Comparatively, the fruit taste and nutritional quality of fruits
were the best in organic fertilizer treatment.
Salam et al.(2010) The study was conducted to investigate the effects of boron and zinc in
presence of different levels of NPK fertilizers on quality of tomato. There were twelve treatment
combinations which comprised four levels of boron and zinc viz., i) 0 kg B + 0 kg Zn/ha, ii) 1.5 kg
B + 2.0 kg Zn/ha, iii) 2.0 kg B + 4.0 kg Zn/ha , iv) 2.5 kg B + 6.0 kg Zn/ha and three levels of
NPK fertilizers viz., i) 50% less than the recommended NPK fertilizer dose (50% <RD), ii)
Recommended NPK fertilizer dose (RD), iii) 50% more than the recommended NPK fertilizer
dose (50% >RD). The highest pulp weight , dry matter content, TSS, acidity, ascorbic

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acid, lycopene content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll-b, marketable fruits at 30 days after storage and
shelf life were recorded with the combination of 2.5 kg B+ 6 kg Zn/ha and recommended dose of
NPK fertilizers (N= 253, P= 90, and K= 125 kg/ha).
Sathya et al.(2010) reported on the effect of application of boron on growth, quality and
fruit yield of PKM1 tomato. The field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of
application of boron on growth, quality and fruit yield of PKM1 tomato. The biometric characters
such as plant height and number branches were significantly influenced by soil and foliar
application of boron. It was observed that among the various levels of soil application of boron,
borax @ 20 kg. ha

-1

was recorded increase in height and number of branches whereas among the

various levels of foliar application of boron, 0.25 per cent borax spray produced taller plants with
more No. of branches. The quality parameters of PKM1 tomato fruit such as lycopene, ascorbic
acid, crude protein and total soluble sugars were significantly increased due to the soil application
of borax @ 20 kg. ha

-1

recording a value of 3.99 mg. 100g

-1

, 23.0 mg. 100g

-1

, 10.13 per cent

and 9.20 brix respectively. The results also revealed that the highest fruit yield of 33 t per hectare
was recorded in treatment that received borax @ 20 kg. ha

-1

recording 33.6 per cent increase over

control and was found to be significantly superior to rest of the treatments.

Singh et al.(2010) A field experiment was conducted with an objective to investigate the
effects of vermicompost and NPK fertilizer application on morpho-physiological traits, yield and
quality attributes of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) with an ultimate aim of optimizing
nutrient requirements of tomato in mild-tropical agro-climate. The application of vermicompost
together with NPK fertilizer increased plant height, leaf area, leaf weight, fruit weight, fruit yield,
fruit density, post-harvest life and TSS of tomato. Present study reveals that application of
vermicompost in the amount of 7.5 t/ha in combination with 50% dose of NPK fertilizer (60:30:30
kg/ha) was optimum for obtaining better quality and productivity of field grown tomatoes in mildtropical agro-climate, eventually integrated nutrient supply will sustain the soil fertility and plant
productivity eco-friendly.
Arahunashi (2011) studied on the influence of organics on growth, yield and quality of
tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill). Treatments include different organic sources of nutrients
i.e.compost, FYM, green leaf manure, poultry manure, sheep manure and

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vermicompost alone and their combinations compared with RDF alone and RDF+FYM. The
morphological characters mainly total dry matter accumulation, plant height, number of branches,
canopy spread, leaf area were significantly higher with RDF+FYM. The chlorophyll contents were
higher with the application of RDF +FYM. The fresh fruit yield of tomato was found superior with
the application of RDF+FYM. Net returns were significantly higher with RDF+FYM .

Chanda et al.(2011) conducted a study on the effect of vermicompost and other fertilizers
on cultivation of tomato plants Field trials were conducted using different fertilizers having equal
concentration of nutrients to determine their impact on different growth parameters of tomato
plants. Six types of experimental plots were prepared where T1 was kept as control and five others
were treated by different category of fertilizers (T2-Chemical fertilizers, T3-Farm Yard Manure
(FYM), T4-Vermicompost, T5 and T6-FYM supplemented with chemical fertilizers and
vermicompost supplemented with chemical fertilizer respectively. The treatment plots (T6)
showed 73% better yield of fruits than control, Besides, vermicompost supplemented with N.P.K
treated plots (T5) displayed better results with regard to fresh weight of leaves, dry weight of
leaves, dry weight of fruits, number of branches and number of fruits per plant from other
fertilizers treated plants.
Irshad (2011) conducted a study on the effect of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers
on biochemical constituents of tomato. In this study tomato plants were treated with organic
manures (F.Y.M, Sewage sludge) and inorganic fertilizers (N.P.K, Zn, S) were analyzed for
biochemical composition. T.S.S, lycopene, carbohydrate, vita. C, acidity,and carotenoid content
exhibited an increase at all the test concentrations and were found maximum in sewage sludge
treated along with N.P.K, followed by @ FYM along with NPK.
Kanwar (2011) studied on the Performance of tomato under greenhouse and open field
conditions. The performance of five tomato genotypes was compared under polyhouse and open
field conditions. The study revealed that the performance of all tested tomato genotypes is far
superior in the polyhouse, as compared to open field conditions, for all the considered characters.
'Shivalik' performed best with respect to yield characters followed by 'Pusa Rohini' under
polyhouse conditions. However, in the open field, 'Pusa Rohini' showed the highest values,

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followed by 'Shivalik'. Cultivation of tomato under the polyhouse produced 136.12% more yield
per ha and 188.93% more fruits per plant compared to open field cultivation.
Noor et al.(2011) reported on the integrated nutrient management for tomato-okra-indian
spinach cropping pattern. In this study was conducted to find out a suitable combination of
chemical fertilizers and organic manure for sustainable crop yield. There were 5 treatments
comprising different percentages of the recommended chemical fertilizers (RCF) with two levels
(0 and 5 t/ha) for tomato, An amount of 75% dose of RCF (N150 P40 K80 S20 Zn2 B1 kg/ha)
along with poultry manure @ 5 t/ha appeared as the best suited combination providing tomato
yield 95.3 t/ha and 88.2 t/ha for the first year and second year, respectively. Poultry manure
performed better over cow dung. A package of 75% recommended chemical fertilizer along with 5
t PM/ha appeared as the best suited combination providing higher yield and economic return.
Prativa and Bhattarai (2011) conducted a study on the effect of Integrated Nutrient
Management on the growth , Yield and Soil Nutrient Status in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum
L.).The study revealed that the integration of organic manures in combination with inorganic
fertilizers was found significant in improving the overall plant growth, yield and soil macro
nutrient status than the sole application of either of these nutrients. Maximum plant height and
number of leaves per plant were observed with treatment 16.66 mt/ha FYM + 8.33 mt/ha
Vermicompost + NPK. Highest number of fruit clusters, maximum fruit weight and fruit yield
were recorded in treatment 16.66 mt/ha FYM + 8.33 mt/ha Vermicompost + NPK .
Salam et al.(2011) The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of boron, zinc,
and cow dung on quality of tomato. There were 16 treatments comprising four rates of boron and
zinc viz., BoZno, B1.5Zn2, B2Zn4 and B2.5Zn6 kg/ha and four rates of cowdung viz., CD o, CD10,
CD15, and CD20 t/ha. Every plot received 253 kg N, 90 kg P, 125 kg K, and 6.6 kg S per hectare.
The results reflected that the highest pulp weight , dry matter content , ascorbic acid. lycopene
content, chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, marketable fruits at 30 days after storage and shelf life were
recorded with the combination of @2.5 kg B/ha + 6 kg Zn/ha, and 20 t/ha cowdung

Suge et al.(2011) reported on the effect of organic and inorganic sources of fertilizer on
growth, yield and fruit quality of eggplant (Solanum Melongena L). The experiment aimed at
evaluating the effect of combination between two levels of the recommended mineral

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fertilizers(50% and 100% of research recommended rates) with three types of organic manures on
growth, fruit yield and quality of egg plant (Solanum melongena L) var.black beauty. The
experimental design was split plot design with three replications, where two levels of
mineral fertilizers treatments (50% and 100%) were randomized in
types of organic
randomized

manures(FYM, Compost and Tithonia) and

main plots while

three

control. treatments

were

in the subplots. Results showed the Soil fertilized with 100% recommended NPK

combined with organic manures produced the superior growth of

amount of total

plants and the highest

fruit yields. The promising combination was 100% of recommended NPK

combined with farm yard manure produced the best response.

Meenakumari and Shekhar (2012) An experiment was conducted to determine the
effect of vermicompost and other fertilizers on growth, yield and fruit quality of tomato in the
field condition. The field trails were conducted using different fertilizers having equal
concentration of nutrients to determine their impact on different growth parameters of tomato
plants. Six types of experimental plots were prepared whereT1 was kept as control and five
others were treated by different category of fertilizers (T2-Chemical fertilizers, T3-Farm Yard
Manure (FYM), T4-Vermicompost, T5 and T6- FYM supplemented with chemical fertilizers
and vermicompost supplemented with chemical fertilizer respectively).The treatment plots (T6)
showed 73% better yield of fruits, and dry weight of leaves, dry weight of fruits, number of
branches and number of fruits per plant than control, followed by T5.
Naga et al. (2013).conducted a study on effect of Foliar Application of Micronutrients on
Growth Parameters in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.).The treatments consisted of
boron, zinc, molybdenum, copper, iron, manganese and mixture. All the Micronutrients except
manganese at 50 ppm were applied at 100 ppm in three sprays at an interval of ten days starting
from 30 days after transplanting. All the treatments resulted in improvement of plant growth
characteristics viz. plant height, number of primary branches, compound leaves, tender and
mature fruits per plant in both the varieties out of which application of micronutrients mixture
showed the maximum effect. In tomato cv. UtkalKumari, maximum growth rate (85.7 %) was
observed with application of zinc, followed by application of micronutrients mixture (78.2 %)
and boron (77.5 %). Tomato cv. Utkal Raja, maximum increase in branches per plant was
observed with the application of manganese (148.7 %), followed by micronutrient combination
(144.1 %). In UtkalKumari, the fruit yield per plant ranged from 1.336 kg to1.867 and in Utkal

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