The country's organic farming may touch Rs 10,000 crore by 2015 on account of rising demand for such products as people are becoming more health conscious, as per an industry body survey said.
At present, the size is about Rs 2,500 crore, an Assocham study said.
"The Indian organic farming is expected to grow mainly due to increasing awareness among people regarding these products and rising income levels," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.
Certified organic items, including basmati rice, cereals, spices, tea, fruits, herbal medicines and their value-added products are produced in the country, the survey said.
It said private sector with facilitation from the government has played a pivotal role in driving organic products' movement in the country, Rawat said.
Currently, India has about 4.5 million hectares area under certified organic farms and the number is growing fast.
The study said, although, the organic farming is picking up pace in India, the sector has been jostling with lack of awareness about benefits of these products.
Therefore, the chamber has suggested to the government to promote training programmes for producers with an aim to enhance their awareness level.
"Research and development is another significant area which requires serious attention. Therefore, there is a need to set up research institutions aimed at improving various aspects of organic production across the country, the study said.
Besides, the chamber said the sector should maintain quality of the products, especially, in the wake of concerns raised over the quality of Chinese organic products.
Further, the study said, only the educated and health conscious urban lot consumes organic food as the products are priced 30% higher than the non-organic food, the survey said.
Therefore, Assocham has urged the Agriculture Ministry to take initatives to spread awareness among farmers regarding the benefits of the products. This would help in boosting production, thus, bringing down the cost for growth of the sector.
