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.
