An Analysis of Crop Diversification: Experience in the Asia-Pacific Region
-- Samik Shome
In the process of structural transformation of any country, diversification is very essential. In
this direction, crop diversification is considered as one of the best options for maintaining food
security and thereby helping for income growth, poverty alleviation, employment generation and judicious
use of natural resources, sustainable agricultural development, and environmental and
ecological balance. Against this scenario, this paper analyzes the crop diversification in the Asia pacific
region, which consists of 44 countries. This study reveals that significant crop diversification has been
made during the past few years; however, the level of success varies from country to country. Despite
the significant progress in crop diversification, there is a need to further promote crop diversification
on scientific lines for the realization of its untapped potential.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Determinants of Yields in Shrimp Culture:
Scientific Vs. Traditional Farming Systems in West Bengal
-- Poulomi Bhattacharya
This paper aims at identifying various determinants of shrimp yield in scientific and traditional
farming systems in West Bengal. The primary data was collected from two shrimp farming districts—North 24
Parganas and Purba Midnapur during 2004-05. The empirical results derived from the multiple regression
analysis show that education and capital costs have a positive impact on the yield in both the systems. But apart
from these two variables, some other factors specific to the farming systems also have a significant impact on
the yield. In the case of scientific farming, the farmers' association with other occupations besides shrimp
farming has a detrimental effect on the yield. The culture of shrimp in the leased land has a positive impact on
the yield. Similarly, in traditional farming, the labor cost has a positive impact on the yield. These
evidences suggest that the government should promote alternative income generation schemes in traditional
farming especially for the farmers completely dependent on shrimp culture. In the case of scientific farming,
the government should promote incentives like crop insurance schemes, which will help the farmers to
concentrate entirely on shrimp instead of getting engaged in diversified activities.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Comparative Economics of Seed Production Vis-a-Vis
Commercial Grain Production of Paddy in Puducherry
-- A Pouchepparadjou, K Thimmappa, G Sarada,
K Vijayasarathy and K S Kumaravel
This study attempts to examine the economics of paddy seed production
vis-a-vis commercial grain production and the variables that are discriminating the seed production from commercial production
in union territory of Puducherry. Primary data on the cost of cultivation of both seed crop and
commercial production of paddy were collected from 120 selected sample farmers through a suitable
pre-tested schedule. The conventional tabular and linear discriminant functions were used to analyze
the data. The findings of the study indicate that the cost of cultivation
is higher in seed production as compared to the commercial production of paddy. But the total return
is higher in seed production than commercial crop production. Further, the
results of discriminant analysis reveal that there
are noteworthy differences in the gross return between seed production and commercial production of paddy.
Besides, it is evident from the analysis that the expenditure on miscellaneous items
also contributed to the significant differences between the seed and commercial
production of paddy.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Contract Farming and Agricultural
Development: A Case Study of Orissa
-- Braja Bandhu Swain
In the recent era of rapid economic changes, slow agricultural growth has become a major area of
concern in academic and public domains. In order to galvanize this sector, there are increasing efforts from
various corners of the economy through an alternative institutional arrangement. In response to this,
contract farming has evolved as an alternative institution. However, there is a growing debate in the academic
world whether contract farming would benefit Indian agriculture or not. The pro-contract farming
researchers argue that the contract-farming system could raise the income of farmers by increasing productivity.
The critics argue that contract production is one mode of capitalist penetration into agriculture for
capital accumulation and exploitation of the farming sector. This even leads to
loss to the farmers and gain to the companies. However, the contractual arrangement depends upon the structure of the economy and
how the market functions. The present study tries to analyze how the contract-farming system would be
suitable for agricultural development by considering a village from the state of Orissa, whose economy is
closely associated with a sugar industry. The study concludes that by entering into the contractual
arrangement, the income level of the farmer and employment level in the rural economy has increased despite
certain problems faced by the farmers like delayed payment, delay in procurement and low supply of
agricultural inputs to them.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Causes and Consequences of Tenancy-Labor
Interlinked Contract in the Agricultural Labor Market of West Bengal
-- Amit Kundu
In order to alleviate acute poverty and vulnerability in the absence of sufficient employment
opportunities both in the farm and non-farm
sectores, the landless agricultural laborers of West Bengal
have a tie with the landlord in an interlinked
contract, where the land market is linked up with
the labor market. This type of interlinked contract is a new version of Employer's risk hypothesis.
A landless agricultural laborer will be inclined to
bind himself with such an interlinked contract at the beginning of each year provided he
has a large family labor force, and a regular savings habit. But he will not be inclined to
such a contract if he gets sufficient employment in terms of man days
either in the farm or non-farm sector in his locality.
If he enters into such a contract, then the total size of land
he has to take on lease from the landlord prior to
the agricultural season is positively related to the
total number of able-bodied family labor force.
This paper also explains that the interlinked contract,
besides abating poverty of the landless
agricultural laborer, also reiterates the importance of land
reforms for poverty eradication.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Consistency, Growth Rates and Decomposition Dynamics of Agricultural Production in Madhya Pradesh:
A Study
-- Santosh Kumar Verma, Rupali Praminik and Gyan Prakash
This study explains that rapid growth in agricultural production and productivity is very important for
an agriculturally predominant state like Madhya Pradesh. The production of total pulses, oilseeds and
food grains has increased due to increase in the overall yield.
However, the area under the production of food grains has declined in
the post-economic reform period compared to that in the
pre-economic reform period, but the production has increased due to increase in yield. The area of oil
seed production has increased in the post-economic reform period and in the same way production and
yield have also increased significantly. The increase in production resulted mainly due to
the increase in yield only. So the study suggests that future growth in food grain production would demand a
substantial government commitment to the
technology-based growth in agriculture. Based on the findings, this
study suggests that the government should come forward to supply all inputs in time and in adequate
quantities for the rapid growth of agriculture in future.
© 2009 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
