Comparative Profitability Analysis of Conventional and Organic Vegetable Farming in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu Kahsmir, Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan is blessed with ample diversity in ecological and diverse environmental aspects, due to its varying landscapes provide of opportunity for cultivation of crops, fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Given that, Three vegetable crops as cauliflower, tomato, and Turnip can be grown through both farming system (organically and conventionally ) in different parts of the two provinces of Pakistan (AJK&KPK).The study aims to better understand , how much these three vegetable crops can be economical beneficial for farmers aside with desire of healthy food .Targeted data collected through a semi structured interview and questionnaire survey of  150 KPK 150 AJK sample of  vegetable farmers in these Provinces . This study revealed in two parts, first parts highlights to the present condition of organic vegetable farming (OVF) and after that computation of financial behaviour of three major cropped vegetables. In the last, we examined the financial execution of cultivated veggie under three presumed states. That were analyzed in connection with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides price of organic vegetables. The analyzed results showed that organic vegetable farms have employed comparatively marginal fraction of the extents as compare to the conventionally grown vegetables. Financial analysis of the research illustrates that due to low level yield, plantation of organic vegetables has economically less attraction to the consumer than that of conventional which usually has not met the production cost of vegetables. But still farmers are showing their interest to grow organic vegetables on small scale to fulfil their household desires. The findings shown that directly or indirectly exception of subsidies synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, appreciation in the yield and price of organic vegetables can enhance the financial performance of organic vegetable farming. On the basis of these assumptions, this study provides accurate rationalisation that could lead for provision of good opportunity not only for organic vegetable producers but also its users.

Keywords: Organic vegetable farming; fertilizer; Average Cost; Net profit; benefit cost ratio