Economic Effects of Introducing a High-Efficiency Weeder in Organic Rice Cultivation

Abstract

In this study, we focused on the task of weeding that had been an issue in organic rice cultivation, and investigated the economic effects of introducing a high-efficiency weeder. We analyzed working hours and production costs, and estimated the possibility of expanding the organic rice acreage. The results were as follows: (1) The weeding time in organic rice cultivation decreased significantly; (2) although the production cost of organic rice cultivation was higher than that of conventional rice cultivation, it was more advantageous, considering the price of organic rice; and (3) estimation by linear programming revealed that using a high-efficiency weeder could increase the area under organic rice cultivation.