Informatics Publishing Limited

Kuldeep Choudhary ¹, Amit Lathiya ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Human Resource Management, Agriculture Cooperation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, IN
2 Department of Marketing Management, Agriculture Cooperation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, IN

Abstract

Agriculture plays a vital role in the social and economic development of India and is the main contributor to economic growth and stability. Small-scale agriculture and the harvesting of natural resources provide livelihoods for over 55% of the Indian population. However, most smallholders are resource-poor and face many challenges. Modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the potential to increase agricultural productivity through communicating knowledge and information to rural agricultural communities, providing capacity building, accessing markets and credit, restructuring of extension and scaling up inter-linkages of development interventions. This paper points out the potential of emerging ICTs in efforts aimed at dealing with some of the challenges small-scale farmers face. Findings suggest that the FM radio stations and the cellular phone have become important tools in improving small-scale agriculture in rural areas. The internet, web-sites and web-based applications are becoming increasingly important in sharing and disseminating agricultural information and knowledge and marketing of goods and services. Other emerging ICT applications for small-scale agriculture include radio frequency identification technology (RFID), market information systems (MIS), geographic information systems (GIS), precision agriculture and public access facilities. The study also established that low usage levels of these technologies is the result of low technical capacity and limited ICT infrastructure in the sector, especially in rural areas.

Keywords

Small Scale Agriculture, Information And Communication Technologies, MIS, GIS

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Kuldeep Choudhary ¹, Arvind Rathod ², Amit Lathiya ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Human Resource Management, Agriculture Co-Operation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic (N.A.U.), Waghai (Gujarat), IN
2 Department of Financial Management, Agriculture Co-Operation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic (N.A.U.), Waghai (Gujarat), IN
3 Department of Marketing Management, Agriculture Co-Operation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic (N.A.U.), Waghai (Gujarat), IN

Abstract

Vegetable cultivation in India is growing rapidly. Farmers in all parts of India are now shifting from traditional crop cultivation to vegetable cultivation. But due to poor marketing system and involvement of so many value chain players, farmers are not getting optimum prices for their produce; on the other hand money goes into the hands of agents or middlemen. Vegetable being a perishable product cannot be stored for a long time which forces farmers to sell their products regardless of the price offered to them at the local level. Every agent or middleman plays a role in the value chain; which has a cost component. After accounting for the costs, the middleman retains certain profit. Lf the roles performed by the middlemen can be replaced by the middleman can be replaced by a less costly system; the profit can go to the farmers themselves. The Forest Department has tried to do the same in case of vegetable farmers in Mandvi range of Surat Forest Division. Basically, 'Farmers' Own Marketing System' has been established.

Keywords

Collective Marketing, Collection Centre, Trading Centre, Self-Help Groups.

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Kuldeep Choudhary ¹, Amit Lathiya ¹, Arvind Rathod ¹

Affiliations
1 Agriculture Co-operation, Banking and Marketing Polytechnic, Navsari Agricultural University, WAGHAI (GUJARAT), IN

Abstract

The poor farmers had little knowledge of how to market their produce, so they fetched very low price for their produce, sometimes which even ran into losses. The market study hinted at the fact that raw safed musli is unprofitable to sell, so the farmers should go for value addition, like making musli powder, packaging, branding and selling either in wholesale or retail markets. For this in Dang district, some villages have made sincere effort in value addition through purchasing of machineries by jointly /co-operative basis. This effort helped these villages in terms of more production, quality improvement, process improvement and higher earnings. For marketing, villagers have tied up with some retailers. They are also thinking to establish their own wholesale and retail counters at Waghai, Saputara (major tourist centers) and Surat (major market for medicinal plants in south Gujarat). However, to start with, it was decided that farmers would be educated to start collective marketing of safed musli at a better price at terminal markets in India. A number of big traders were identified in Indore, Nasik and Mumbai; their terms and conditions were compared and a trader was finalized. Due to collective marketing the net benefit was found around Rs. 100-250 per kg. of safed musli.

Keywords

Value Addition, Collective Marketing, Livelihood Enhancement, Processing, Packaging.

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