Promoters say natural farming gives the same or higher yield with no chemical cost. Friends who switched saw yields drop at first. What is the honest picture?
The honest picture is mixed and depends heavily on soil, crop and how the transition is managed. Many farmers who switch from heavy chemical use see a yield dip in the first one to three years while soil biology recovers, then yields often stabilise, and the big gain is lower input cost rather than a guaranteed jump in output. Some report comparable yields after the soil rebuilds, especially in rainfed and low input areas; others, particularly in intensive irrigated high yield systems, find yields stay lower. Treat any blanket miracle yield claim with caution, since results are field specific and few rigorous long term studies exist. If you want to try it, convert a small part of your land first, keep records, and compare honestly before scaling. Your local KVK can guide a low risk transition.
Honest experience: my yields dipped clearly for the first two seasons after I stopped chemicals, and only my lower input cost kept the net acceptable. By year three the soil improved and yields recovered somewhat. Anyone promising the same yield from day one is overselling it.
I shifted two acres to natural farming and the first two years yields were down, but my input cost almost vanished so the net was okay. By the third year soil was clearly healthier. I would not convert everything at once.
Be careful comparing only yield. My natural plot yields a bit less than my chemical plot, but with almost no input cost and a small premium from direct buyers, the net per acre came out close. Look at the whole picture of cost, yield and price together, not yield alone, and do not believe anyone who promises a higher yield from the first year. Your KVK can help you compare honestly.
I converted only one acre to test it and kept records against my regular field, which I strongly recommend. In my rainfed plot natural farming did fine on cost, but a friend on intensive irrigated land saw yields stay lower. Results are very field specific, so trial it small first.
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