Economic characteristics of organic farms with special regard to weed management

Koltai, Judit Petra – Mazán, Márió

Keywords: organic farming, income, cost, weed management

The demand for relevant and practical information about organic farming practices is likely to become greater as more growers enter the industry, presumably with little or no experience in commercial organic production. However, numerous reports state that institutional organic research and expansion is poorly developed, with relevant information being difficult to obtain.

On the one hand, organic agricultural yields are likely to fall behind conventional ones. On the other, higher prices can be achieved as consumers’ needs tend to shift towards products of higher or special quality, and they are willing to pay up to 100-200% extra in order to purchase a product resulting from “non chemical” production.

Its cost structure differs from conventional production as some cost forms are lower (e.g. pesticides), while others tend to be higher (e.g. salaries and employer’s contributions). Altogether, an 80-100% cost level can be seen as valid.

Weed management is widely acknowledged as a major constraint in organic agriculture. The lack of relevant, accessible information, and concerns about the impact of weeds on production have highlighted the need for further research and an extension of OWM practices.