BLESSING OR CURSE? THE IMPACTS OF NON-AGRICULTURAL PART-TIME WORK OF THE LARGE FARMER HOUSEHOLDS ON AGRICULTURAL LABOR PRODUCTIVITY

This study analyzes the mechanism of coexistence of non-agricultural part-time work of farmer households and large-scale cultivation of cultivated land, and the effect of non-agricultural part-time work of the large farmer households on the agricultural labor productivity. Results indicate that non-agricultural part-time work of large farmer households promotes the agricultural labor productivity, particularly for those with higher non-agricultural incomes, younger age, higher education level and shorter distance between working places in urban sectors and rural residence. At the mean value of the samples, non-agricultural part-time work of the large farmer households will improve agricultural labor productivity by 27.1%. These results remain consistent after we experiment several robustness checks and the instrumental variable method. Further, it is worth stressing that non-agricultural part-time work inhibits the agricultural production for farmer households with labors less than three, while it exhibits positive effects for those with labors more than three. Finally, analysis of mechanism suggests that non-agricultural part-time work of large farmer households enhances the productivity via entering the agricultural association, increasing farm mechanization degree, and promoting the centralized production and farm management on the transferred farmland. It’s suggestive to maintain total area of the transferred farmland to avoid the reverse effects and then the optimal total cultivated area within the range of (100, 200) Mu. Policy implications of our work are discussed.

Minimum Support Prices in India: Distilling the facts

In recent years, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and government procurement especially of paddy and wheat have been discussed widely, but these discussions have often drawn on evidence that is dated and incomplete. Consequently, such discussions have clouded the facts, resulting in a large number of factoids. According to these popular beliefs, very few farmers benefit (6% only), and primarily large farmers of Punjab and Haryana (and to some extent western Uttar Pradesh) benefit. In this article, we examine these three factoids and draw on multiple data sources to distil the facts. We argue that existing evidence suggests a more complex picture – (1) the MSP impacts 13(16)% paddy (wheat) sellers; (2) the geographies of procurement have expanded to new states including notably, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, and (3) Although, at the national level, there is a large farmer bias, this doesn’t imply exclusion of small and marginal farmers. In fact, majority of the beneficiaries are marginal and small farmers on both the extensive and the intensive margins. Further, we find substantial heterogeneity by states. Haryana for instance has a bias in favour of small and marginal farmers. We conclude that debates on the MSP and procurement must therefore take into account the changed geography of procurement and the profile of sellers and recognize the diversity of experiences with procurement across states.

Spilt Milk: COVID-19 and the Dangers of Dairy Industry Consolidation

Consolidation came later in the dairy industry than in other agricultural sectors. A long history of dairy farmer cooperatives owned by their farmer members and vertically integrated to produce and distribute fluid milk and cheese products staved off industrialized farming and horizontal consolidation. But by 1990, advances in technology and a change in antitrust regulation enabled investor-owned firms like Borden Dairy and Dean Food as well as large farmer cooperatives like DFA, Prairie Farm and Land O’Lakes to dominate the industry. Consolidation and the pursuit of economies of scale led to two inflexible and separate supply chains in dairy – one serving retail markets for consumers, the other serving commercial markets for institutional customers. The COVID-19 pandemic and economic lockdown revealed the lack of resilience and risks in a system dominated by a few large actors. Viable reforms in the dairy industry that limit the domination by powerful actors can achieve resilience and improve the ability of the dairy industry to respond to disruptions.

Cost and Return Analysis of Green Pea in Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh

The present study was based on an economic study of production and marketing of pea in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh in the agricultural year 2016-17. The primary data related to cost and return of green pea crop was collected from 60 green pea farmers of three villages of Jabalpur district under three sizes of groups, each group containing 20 farmers in each class. The required data were collected from selected respondents by survey method using the presented interview schedule, for estimation of cost of cultivation and profitability estimation, net farm income, gross income, and B:C ratio were calculated. The results showed that the total cost of cultivation of green pea was found to be `109749, 119949, and 130174 per ha for small, medium and large farmers, respectively. The average net income was `102342.10 and in the case of the small, medium and the large farmer was `106250.36, 104775.23, and 96000.56 respectively. The average gross income found to be `222300.00 per ha. It was estimated to be `216000, 224725 and 22617 in the case of the small, medium and the large farmer was, respectively. The average benefit-cost ratio came out to be 1:1.85. On the basis of the finding of the study, it was recommended that green pea cultivation was economically viable.

Economics of Aromatic and Non-aromatic Rice Production in Bilaspur District of Chhattisgarh

The present study is based on economic analysis of aromatic and non-aromatic rice production in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh in 2015-2016. The primary data related to cost and returns of the aromatic and non-aromatic rice crop was collected from 30 each aromatic rice and non-aromatic rice-growing farmers of five villages of Bilaspur district under three sizes of group, each group containing 10 farmers in each class. The results showed that aromatic rice production on a sample farm was `43606.48 per ha. The proportion of the operational cost and fixed cost to total cost on sample farm was 56.75 and 43.24 percent. The average net income over cost C3 was found 38805.04per ha and in the case of small, medium and large farmer was `38457.15, 38731.98 and 39225.97 per ha respectively. The average input-output ratio was 1:1.80 percent. The cost of production of rice varied from `1243.32 to 1273.45 per q with an average of `1259.55 per q. The cost of production was found minimum in the case of small farmers. While non-aromatic rice production on a sample farm was `40214.59 per ha which increased as the farm size increased. The proportion of the operational cost and fixed cost to total cost on sample farm was 58.46 and 41.53 percent. The average net income over Cost C3 was found 29417.1 per ha and in the case of small, medium and large farmer was `26168.23, 27899.631 and 34183.45 per ha respectively. The average input-output ratio was 1:1.66 percent. Cost of production of non-aromatic rice varied from `838.56 to 770.65 per q with an average of `812.22 per q. It was observed that the cost of production was found minimum in large farmers revealing to the extraordinary difference between the different farm sizes.

Income status of different fodder farmers in selected areas of Bangladesh

Producing and trading of green fodder are recognised as a profitable venture in many parts of the country, but data and information in this aspect are very scanty. The study determined the income coefficient of fodder farm households to study the fodder marketing and processing in different locations, and highlighted farmers problems related to fodder marketing and processing. In this regard, four study areas were selected from four districts viz: Dinajpur, Jessore, Kurigram and Rangpur purposively considering the concentration of fodder production and marketing. A purposive sampling technique was followed for collecting primary data from the field. In the study 3 categories of sample farmers were selected namely: i) Fodder Producer cum seller; ii) Fodder Producer cum Dairy owner having 1-2 dairy cows as small, 3-4 dairy cows as medium and 5 and above dairy cows as large farmer and iii) Fodder Middlemen. A total of 200 fodder farmers were interviewed. Field survey method and focus group discussions were followed to collect necessary data and information. Descriptive statistics and Cobb Douglas type revenue function were applied to meet the objectives and to get the desirable outputs. Functional analysis revealed that fodder sale and livestock rearing and fodder business significantly contributed to the household income of the fodder farmers and middlemen. The dairy farmers having 1-2, 3-4 and 4-5 cross-bred dairy cattle earned Tk. 1,20,227, Tk. 1,91,728 and Tk. 4,17,287, respectively, whereas local cattle earned Tk. 33, 658, Tk. 51,601 and Tk. 1,13,558, respectively from milk sell annually. It was found that fodder middlemen’s income from fodder business highest in Kurigram district and lowest in Jessore district. Fodder processing was not happened in the study areas. Main marketing channels were: (i) Producer cum seller-Dairy owner and (ii) Producer cum seller-Fodder Middlemen-Dairy owner. Fodder farmers faced various socioeconomic problems during its processing and marketing. The major problems were the lack of HYV fodder species, lack of knowledge, lack of input facilities, and lack of marketing facilities. The government should provide HYV fodder, cultivation training, preservation technique, and organized market to the fodder farmers in the study areas. Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 21-25: 133-141, 2018

Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for New Storage Technologies for Maize in Northern and Central Benin

The aim of this study is to identify the attributes of storage structures sought by maize producers based on a choice experiment. The experimental processes took place in the maize production areas of northern and central Benin. The sample consisted of 365 maize farmers (80.55% male and 19.45% female) randomly selected from 40 villages. Data were collected and analyzed using a latent class logit model to study the heterogeneous preferences of the key attributes of storage structures. The results show that men and women are eager to change their current practices and to adopt new storage technologies. The study identifies four potential producer segments, including three large-farmer segments that have access to credit and are particularly attracted to structures related to metal silos. Of those three segments, two are also attracted to improved traditional silos. Another segment of poor farmers, who do not have access to credit, prefer to have a very efficient structure (loss rate of less than 5%) that is designed with local materials. This study suggests that knowledge of the heterogeneity of preferences, as well as the preferred attributes, is important for the development and dissemination of better technologies by agribusiness firms, institutions and policymakers.

ANALISIS SALURAN PEMASARAN CABAI RAWIT (Capsicum Frutescens. L) (Studi kasus di Kecamatan Kanigoro, Kabupaten Blitar)

Marketing is an economic activity which functions to deliver goods from producers to consumers. The large number in agencies marketing of Capsicum annuum will bring effect the length of the marketing chain and the cost of marketing.This research was conducted in Kanigoro District of Blitar Regency with the purpose of study marketing pattern of Capsicum annuum, analyzing marketing margin, performing function in every agency marketing and analyzing efficiency of marketing channel. Marketing of Capsicum annuum in Kanigoro sub-district consists of three marketing channels namely first channel (I); Farmer-collector-consumer. Second channel (II); Large farmer-farmer farmers-retailer-consumer farmers. The third channel (III); Big farmers-retailer-consumer farmers. The amount of marketing cost of Capsicum annuum must be issued by collecting traders Rp 3,000 per kg on channel I, traders Rp 3,500 per kg on channel II and Rp 3,500 per kg on channel III. The amount of profit received by the collector / middleman Rp 3,500 per kg on channel I. Collector traders Rp 2.500 per kg, wholesalers Rp 1.500 per kg, retailers Rp 2,500 per kg on channel II. Large traders Rp 3.500 per kg, retailers Rp 2,500 per kg on channel III. The marketing margin value of Capsicum annuum is Rp 6,500 per kg on channel I, Rp 10,000 per kg on channel II and Rp 10,000 per kg in channel III. And share the price received by farmers amounting to 75% on channel I, 67% on channel II and 67% on channel III.

ANALISIS SALURAN PEMASARAN CABAI RAWIT (Capsicum Frutescens. L) (Studi kasus di Kecamatan Kanigoro, Kabupaten Blitar)

Marketing is an economic activity which functions to deliver goods from producers to consumers. The large number in agencies marketing of Capsicum annuum will bring effect the length of the marketing chain and the cost of marketing.This research was conducted in Kanigoro District of Blitar Regency with the purpose of study marketing pattern of Capsicum annuum, analyzing marketing margin, performing function in every agency marketing and analyzing efficiency of marketing channel. Marketing of Capsicum annuum in Kanigoro sub-district consists of three marketing channels namely first channel (I); Farmer-collector-consumer. Second channel (II); Large farmer-farmer farmers-retailer-consumer farmers. The third channel (III); Big farmers-retailer-consumer farmers. The amount of marketing cost of Capsicum annuum must be issued by collecting traders Rp 3,000 per kg on channel I, traders Rp 3,500 per kg on channel II and Rp 3,500 per kg on channel III. The amount of profit received by the collector / middleman Rp 3,500 per kg on channel I. Collector traders Rp 2.500 per kg, wholesalers Rp 1.500 per kg, retailers Rp 2,500 per kg on channel II. Large traders Rp 3.500 per kg, retailers Rp 2,500 per kg on channel III. The marketing margin value of Capsicum annuum is Rp 6,500 per kg on channel I, Rp 10,000 per kg on channel II and Rp 10,000 per kg in channel III. And share the price received by farmers amounting to 75% on channel I, 67% on channel II and 67% on channel III.

Economics of hybrid maize cultivation in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh

The present study was emphasized to study cost and return of cultivation, the trend in area yield potential and resource use efficiency of hybrid maize of different categories of farm holdings in Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh. A sample of eighty farmers was surveyed (fourty five marginal, twenty five small and ten large) by three stage stratified random sampling method. The result indicated that cost of labour constituted largest component in total variable cost accounted about( 46.89%) followed by manure and fertilizer cost (37.00 %), followed by seed cost (11.60%). Of all the components of fixed cost, rental value of owned land and depreciation cost constituted maximum share about (81.90%) and (16.50%) respectively. The total cost increased with the increase in size of holdings. The total costs of production of maize per hectare was highest for large farmer of Rs. 32079.54/ha followed by small farmer of Rs. 28794.74/ha followed by small farmers of Rs. 27334/ha. There is excess use of labour by marginal farms. The excess labour may be diverted for cultivation of other crops. Large farmers received higher income due to optimal application of fertilizer. Improvement of farm level efficiency relies on technical knowledge of crop as well as income diversification, institutional capacity building that can enhance assets ownership, extension and credit facility.