Professional Documents
Culture Documents
appropriate technologies and timely investment in essential inputs and infrastructure such as
improved seeds, nutrients, plant protection, post production and marketing outlets can increase
the food production by 2-3 folds, while helping the farmers to obtain a better price for their
produce.
Livestock is another critical natural resource with a tremendous potential to provide
employment and income to rural people. India has the worlds largest livestock population. Out
of 500 M heads, 204 M are cattle, representing about 17% of the global total. There are 84
million buffaloes representing 56% of the world population and about 200 M sheep and goats.
Among the livestock, development of cattle for milk production can be a sustainable economic
activity in rural areas. Cattle is maintained by all the sections of the society irrespective of their
castes and income level and the demand for milk and dairy products will continue to increase
during the next 20 years, till the annual production rises from the present level of 76 M tons to
150 M tons. The task is not difficult as the bulk of it is presently contributed by 5 M crossbred
cows and about 10 M buffaloes, which represent only 15-20% of the milch animals. While the
crossbred cows yield an average of 6.5 - 7.0 kg per day and buffaloes yield 4.0 kg/day, the
remaining 85% indigenous cows yield an average of only 1 kg per day. The average milk yield
of cattle in India is only 987 kg as compared to the world's average of 2380 kg/lactation. With
breed improvement, better feeding and health care, it is possible to improve the production of
the existing cattle and substitute with high yielding stocks. Cattle development is an extremely
attractive occupation as with only three crossbred cows, a poor family can earn an annual profit
of Rs. 15,000-18000 and improve their quality of life.
It is unfortunate that with all the natural resources lying idle, the custodians of these
assets are also unemployed. As agriculture alone in non-irrigated areas cannot provide year
round employment, most of the farmers including the large land holders are under-employed for
over 6-8 months during the year.
In such a situation, there is good scope for introduction of appropriate technologies to
conserve these natural resources which in turn can provide sustainable livelihood to the local
communities.
The developmental problems in rural areas are multi- dimensional. The major areas
affecting agricultural production and rural prosperity are lack of resources, appropriate
technologies, inadequate infrastructure, skilled personnel and lack of confidence among farmers.
Being poor, most of the farmers are not able to procure critical inputs on time and thereby end
up with low yields. Even after successful cultivation, farmers often face marketing problems
arising of surplus production, lack of storage and marketing facilities. Thus the development
programme should be promoted as an enterprise and the farmers should manage their farms as a
business and not as a family tradition.
AGRI-BUSINESS
Introduction of management principles to operate agri-business on a pilot scale has paid
rich dividends in the recent past. With such an approach, India can be the leader of the South
countries. With plenty of labour, land and water resources alongwith tropical weather
conditions, India can compete with other developed countries and capture the global market.
2
With improved agricultural practices and water resources management, India can achieve food
sufficiency by cultivating only 100 M ha and alloting the remaining 45 M ha for growing crops
of commercial importance. These crops can be fruits, vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants
having good export market. The surplus land can also be utilised to cultivate crops like maize
and sugarcane and the produce can be diverted to industrial production of alcohol, a substitute
for imported petroleum. Such industrial products having good demand can provide assured
market and remunerative price to the growers. There is good scope to expand our agriculture
in this direction.
MANAGEMENT SUPPORT
The agricultural development programme requires the following management support
for enhancing its profitability:
Finance : Land development, irrigation systems and arrangements for marketing
require huge investments. The present financial resources for agricultural development are
neither adequate nor timely. Some of the activities such as water resource development and
land shaping need soft loan. Additional finance with village level distribution network are
needed for developing this industry.
Information Services : Information on new crops, technologies, systems and demand
for the produce would help to optimise profits. The information services can also provide the
latest know how and experiences with new varieties, new technologies, pest and disease
outbreaks and their control.
Transfer of Technology : As a large section of the farmers are not adequately educated
to make effective use of the technologies and information services, special efforts are needed to
motivate and educate the backward farmers. This is expected to be carried out by the
Agricultural Extension Officers. These field officers need to study the cost-benefit analysis of
various crops and help the farmers to select suitable crops. For effective transfer of technology,
these officers and field workers should be oriented from time to time. To enhance profits
through cost reduction and better price recovery, human resource development should be an
important component of the agri-business. This should start with confidence building in small
farmers.
Marketing Services : Inadequate marketing network is a major bottleneck in
agriculture. The farmers should be oriented to make a swift forecast of the demand for various
commodities and exploit the opportunities. There is good scope for setting up market outlets to
reach the customers without involving too many middlemen. Business houses can establish a
direct link with farmers organisations for procuring raw materials. Such agencies can support
farmers with seeds of improved varieties, finance and other critical inputs for optimising their
crop yield.
Management Personnel : A critical input for successful agri-business is dedicated
personnel with managerial skills. The managers should be familiar with the local agricultural
laws and socio-economic conditions of the region. The real challenge is to bring small farmers
into the network of efficient producers, for ensuring their share in the success.