Coconut based integrated farming: A climate-smart model for food security and economic prosperity

A coconut-based integrated farming system (IFS) model suited for lowlands was developed at the Integrated Farming System Research Station (IFSRS), Karamana, Kerala State, India, under Kerala Agricultural University. The area of the model was decided as 0.2 ha, matching the average per capita land availability of a marginal farmer in the State. Apart from the major crop coconut, intercrops, such as vegetables, fruit crops, spices, fodder and tuber crops were included in the model. The allied enterprises integrated were livestock, azolla, and agroforestry. Tree components of the model comprised of teak, jack, breadfruit, garcinia and mango. Research data for five years revealed that the model generated food products above the requirement of a four-member family, and the surplus production could contribute to farmer’s income. The productivity under the IFS model was enhanced ten-folds compared to that under the sole crop of coconut for the same area. Plant nutrients were generated within the farm through organic recycling, which contributed to the substantial saving of chemical fertilizers. The system was found climate-smart because of reduced use of chemical fertilizers and net negative emission of greenhouse gases mostly achieved through agroforestry. This IFS model could also ensure considerable employment generation. The model could be adopted by farmers of lowland tracts of Kerala having similar agro-climatic features for better economic returns and environmental benefits.

Occupational Diversification as Livelihood Strategy Among the Agricultural Labour Households of West Bengal, India

It is now difficult for an agricultural-labour household to get employment as agricultural labourers throughout the year. So, this type of household for survival purposes has to depend on diversified occupations when sometimes only the household head participates and sometimes more than one able-bodied household member participate. Based on a village-level field investigation in West Bengal, the article explores that possibility to keep an agricultural labour household above the poverty line will be more effective if more than one adult member participates in different types of occupations throughout the year. Except this, other possible determinants which can play an effective role to keep an agricultural-labour household above the poverty line are higher operational land among the marginal farmer household who are also working as hired agricultural labour in others’ land and accessibility of microcredit for income-generating activity for the female member(s) of a household from self-help groups (SHGs).

Economics of Makhana Production and Socio-economic Profile of Makhana Growers in Bihar

The Bihar state produces more than 80 per cent of Makhana globally. Despite having monopoly production, the net profit earned by Makhana producers is relatively small as the cost of cultivation is high. In order to analyse the cost of cultivation and to identify major cost incurring operations, the present study was conducted in Purnea, Darbangha and Saharsa districts of Bihar. A random sample of 120 Makhana growers and 60 processors was randomly selected from study area. Respondents’ personal interviews were conducted with the help of semi structured interview schedule to collect the data. Findings of the study revealed that majority of the Makhana cultivators belongs to Mallah community. The average age of Makhana growers was 47 years (SD=10.3). The majority of Makhana growers (65.83%) belonged to the age group of 45-64 years. Further it was observed that 100 per cent of the sampled growers’ and processors’ households were headed by males. The average family size of Makhana grower was 9. The majority of the Makhana growers were living in joint family. It was found that, majority (76.66%) of the Makhana growers were having small and marginal holdings of which 34.16 per cent were small farmer and 42.5 per cent were marginal farmer. It was also observed that the average income of the Makhana growers was Rs. 224925 per year. Further it was found that cost of Makhana cultivation per acre was Rs. 48248/acre, The major cost component of Makhana cultivation was found to be the harvesting activity which contributed around 60 per cent of total cultivation cost. The revenue earned by sales of Makhana was Rs. 59299 per care. From each acre of Makhana cultivated farmers earned Rs. 11051. The B:C Ratio of Makhana production activity was found to be 1:1.22. Therefore it was concluded that, there exists ample scope for reduction of cost of cultivation through mechanization of harvesting activity.

The Agrarian Crisis and Its Nutritional Consequences in India

India is currently in the grip of an unprecedented agricultural crisis, which has led to the suicide of over 300,000 farmers over the past two and half decades. The crisis has been caused by multiple factors including lack of a sustainable agricultural policy, globalization, and decreased state investment in agriculture concurrent with an increased role of private players and climate change. This has led to reduced income for farmers and increased farmers’ indebtedness, which in turn affects the nutritional status of farming families, particularly women and children. In 2017, India was ranked 100 out of a total of 117 countries by the Global Hunger Index. The focus of state schemes related to nutrition has been on ensuring food security rather than nutrition security. The agrarian crisis is increasingly making agriculture an unviable occupation and hundreds and thousands of farmers are opting out of working on the land to move to urban areas, where jobs are scarce, further deepening the nutritional crisis. The long-term sustainable solutions include sustainable use of resources of land, seed, and water through promotion of low-input agriculture that is tailored to the nutritional and income needs of farmers and their families, and to the agro-ecological conditions of the region. Agricultural policy must enable the small and marginal farmer to earn a fair income and to be free of debt by ensuring access to procuring agencies, an adequate price for produce, and low-interest micro-loans.

Ownership-driven Entrepreneurial Saga: A Case Study of Vinod Super Shop

Vinod Ramanlal Didwaniya, son of a marginal farmer, had the only worries of sustenance of his family members after he was a postgraduate in commerce from a local college. He started a small retail shop named Vinod Provisions in July 1993 in a rented space of 7 × 11 sq. ft area with a meagre working capital of ₹17,800 only. It was run by his family members including his father and wife with a daily turnover of ₹1,000 approximately (annual turnover of ₹0.30 million). Vinod reared a distinguishing character of sense of ownership and drew immense pleasure out of everything, every decision that he owned. This drove his small family business to rise to Vinod Super Shop in about 20 years’ time which is run today in 3,000 sq. ft area with a working capital investment of ₹7 million besides ₹15 million invested on creating owned infrastructure for this supermarket. Its annual turnover has grown from ₹0.30 million to ₹15 million (50 times growth), and it has 18 employees today. By heart a poet, Vinod feels within him every stakeholder of his business in whose interest he has been taking decisions involving management fundamentals and ethical issues. The present case study attempts to capture this unique entrepreneurial saga amidst highly competitive retail sector that leaves a number of lessons to learn.