"I don't believe organic farming is viable in Hyderabad. Not even in the next five years." Ram sat back in his chair as he made his point. I'd obviously picked on a topic that got the man fired up. "The Government is inept," he insisted as I marvelled at the diction of a man who claimed to be a rural farmer. "What little subsidy we had is now gone and we have to buy fertilizer bags in black, like Chiranjeevi movie tickets." Farmers paying a hefty amount for a movie ticket is acceptable. He implied that the exploitation of the common man's need to be entertained is alright. "Fertilizer bags cost Rs. 250, but we pay Rs. 450 per bag."
"So you're saying the added costs of fertilizers and pesticides still makes inorganic farming the cheaper option?" I asked. "Look," he shifted to the edge of his chair and lowered his voice, as if letting me in on a State secret. "Organic farming takes a lot of labour work. Now, I might get 25 bags in my paddy fields. With organic farming, I'll only get maybe 15 bags. Fertilizers and macro nutrients, they help increase my output. With so much competition in farming, organic food will get the same price as normal food. If we put the price of organic food up to cover the costs, the common man cannot afford it."
We were waiting for his wife so she could look at the apartment they were both interested in purchasing. "Just looking for a flat to stay when we visit Hyderabad." A holiday home. Inorganic farming must be good business. I enjoyed chatting with him and getting a different perspective on home-grown vegetables and the economics of mass-produced foods.
