India Increasing Use Of Organic Farming

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar believes that Indias rapidly expanding production of organic agricultural goods can play a critical role in the future of the countys organic food trade.

Organic agriculture in India has made good progress during the last six years, Pawar stated while speaking in front of the parliamentary consultative committee for his ministry on Wednesday. With a combined effect of farmers efforts, NGOs work, government interventions and market forces, Indian organic agriculture has reached a stage where it can play a significant role not only in the growing domestic market, but also in global organic food trade.

Pawar said his ministry is promoting and spreading organic farming throughout the country with a variety of state-funded projects like the National Horticulture Mission, the National Project on Organic Farming, the Technology Mission for the Northeast and Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

In India, as against 42,000 hectares under certified organic farming during the 2003-04, initial estimates for 2009-10 indicate organic agriculture under certification has grown to 1.05 million hectares. Out of this, nearly 750,000 hectares are fully certified while the remaining 300,000 hectares are under various stages of conversion.

Pawar believes that organic farming is an ideal option for raid-fed, marginal land, and hilly areas and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has initiated an All India Network Project on organic farming to scientifically test and prove the most effective methodologies in organic farming.

Promotion of organic farming will not only ensure increased availability of organic and biological sources of nutrients, but will also provide technologies and information which help other forms of agriculture in restoring soil health and conservation of resources, the minister said.

In addition to national initiatives in the organic farming field, a collection of state governments have also initiated their own organic farming promotion programs. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand have drafted policies for the promotion of organic farming and, of those, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand have declared that they wish to go 100 percent organic in the future.

Car Rental Gurgaon Explore Gurgaon after Sunset

Whenever it comes to the extravagant and exciting nightlife experiences, the name of the city of dreams Gurgaon always crops in the mind. The city that never sleeps, Gurgaon stays alive all day and night and brings together a cocktail of fun, thrill and endless pleasure. The horizon of the city stays embedded with numerous grand clubs, bars and nighttime attractions offering the best party experiences to those who take partying as an art and not as an activity. >

Unlike other modernized cities in India, Gurgaon presents a passive and secure ambience free from undesirable hassles. Being a BPO hotspot, this fabulous city is moving with a great pace towards a professional custom. Professionals after completing their shifts in MNCs look for places to chill with friends. The pubs of Gurgian present an aura which is extremely calming. Some of the most popular night clubs in Gurgaon such as Buzz, Mojo and Odyssey are hot spot of fun and frolic and have become great destinations to party hard.

Taking diversified concerns of the visitors into mind, these pubs bestow pleasing live music, pulsating hard rock, exciting dance floor along with endless drinks. Bars like The Fox Bar, Barrique Bar, Last Chance Bar and Staying Alive Bar are great for those who wish to indulge in . Situated mostly in Shopping Malls these bars also offer meals with drinks so as to make it the veteran party experiences.

One of the most spectacular facts that make the pubs of Gurgaon popular among travelers and locals alike is that they are very safe and keep the visitors away from any kind of unwanted incidences. Thus, the nightlife of Gurgaon always brings smiles on the face of party lovers looking some moments of fun and thrill.

In addition to this, the availability of car rental in Gurgaon adds to the excitement of the visitors providing them a safe and convenience traveling experiences during odd hours. Gurgaon car rental services have become a great choice for all kinds of people from stingy to those who just look for occasions to spend their green stuff.

Apart from this, travelrs can also explore the glittering malls of Gurgaon city at twilight. They are grand, they are luxurious and they present some of the most high tech brands all under one roof. You can shop your dreams, eat the king size meals and also visit the various play zones located here which make a whole family fun.

Amar Sharma is a traveler who loves to share his experiences. All the articles published by his will help you understand India better and answer all your queries regarding with Taxi service Gurgaon and Cab service Gurgaon.

Academic Management System Delhi Marks Bright Future of Learning

Classroom sessions with monotonous ways of teaching can now be done away with by the usage of academic software. This software is indeed ideal for improving resource planning and target attainment of entire college.

Globalization has influenced all the sectors contributing to economy of India. When education is specifically spoken about, then, there are no doubts that traditional learning pattern had several flaws. Most of all, with the passage of time, dire need of improvising the entire mechanism of college operations has been felt greatly. Since, the earlier modes of managing academic processes were time consuming and often left trails of discrepancies, Delhi software companies innovatively designed a competitive substitute for it. This in turn implicates the emergence of software solutions totally meant to handle all the tasks pertaining to daily schedule in a much simplified manner.

Comparatively, monitoring students, imparting education, invigilation during exams, exposing the learners to new age classroom sessions and keeping a proper track on their movements are few of the merits served by academic management system Delhi. This system offers a glimpse of future of education management in an instant way without letting lesser effective procedures affect the productivity of the college. As a matter of fact, it can be well examined that in the present times, learners are adept at handling tech-savvy system considerably. Thus, the management of learning institutes should invest on a solution which represents idyllic atmosphere for the students. On a pragmatic note, there is a two-way pattern which simultaneously fetches appropriate solution in the favour of learners as well as college authorities.

At first, when the perspective of students is reflected over, then, it can be asserted that learners get accurate platform to inculcate their understanding about varied intricate lessons through tutorials. In short, academic management software Delhi has been highly demanded by the colleges as its tutoring style is technologically advanced. It further implicates that with the aid of computer based tutorials or visual web supported tutorials together act as beneficial source of grasping new aspects related to any subject easily. Apart from this, the mentors, teachers or computer lab tutor play ideal role in making the comprehensive studies interesting.

On the other hand, when administrative or other management officials within academic premises are taken into account with accord to this software, it can be stated that target attainment becomes simplified for them. To cut it short, college management software Delhi is regarded as effective resource for the accounting officials, teachers, librarians and all the other staff members of the institute by enabling them to strategically plan their actions. Furthermore, comprehensive syllabi can be managed with utmost ease by the lecturers and based on their tactful planning; they can proceed with the portions to be completed in a given span of time.

The same goes with other officials who are responsible to perform their tasks timely and contribute to the turnover of college systematically. Frankly speaking, all the departments of the institute within academic sector can currently enhance the utility of the varied resources with the optimal utilization of academic management system Delhi. Lastly, it can be concluded that colleges can reach their objective ultimately if this software is chosen wisely.

College Management Software Delhi designed and developed by HR Software Solutions incorporates the facilities of management of resources though Academic management software Delhi .

The History And Agriculture Of The Wolfberry

Wolfberry is the name given to the Chinese and European variety of the Goji berry. It actually goes by many other names and has more than 100 species. The Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry is the most popular species of this plant. It is the best tasting one and is used for making Goji juice and for medicinal uses in Asia and India.

The Wolfberry is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet with trailing vines spreading to up to 20 feet. In China it is cultivated in large plantations for commercial use. These commercial farms use conventional chemical methods to grow the Wolfberry and protect it from insect damage. The largest growing area is the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in Northern China. This is where they grow the Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry. This species was originally taken from Tibet and the Himalayan region.

Other varieties of this plant can be found growing wild in various parts of the world including the UK. It is known as the Wolfberry and also has other names, like The Box Thorn Fruit and The Matrimony Vine Fruit. This plant grows wild in the cooler parts of Europe and Asia.

In Tibet and Inner Mongolia the Wolfberry is known as the Goji Berry. It is one of the protected medicinal plants in this area. Because of its use as a medicine plant the Wolfberry is grown organically there with no additional chemicals. The areas it grows in are labeled as “wild places” and are relatively untouched by urban development. An organization Co-op for the Goji farmers that ensures they get fair prices and help continue growing Wolfberry plants, was created in 1975. The Tanaduk Institute has also helped to protect the medicinal plants grown in this region. Several monasteries in India also grow medicinal plants including the Wolfberry. They are grown organically here and are sold on a limited basis.

The plants are quite easy to grow and can be started from seed. The seeds take around 7 days to germinate. The Wolfberry can also be cultivated from roots. It is resistant to drought and can withstand temperatures of -15 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The Wolfberry prefers light soil for optimum growth but will grow in any soil. Ideally the plant prefers full sunlight but will also grow in partial shade.

You can cultivate The Wolfberry in containers. If you do this, you need to hand pollinate the Wolfberry flowers, to get the fruit. The fruits are quite vulnerable to insect damage so you should take steps to protect the plants when they are producing fruit. The Wolfberry plants begin to bear fruit from the age of 1 year and will produce heavy crops when they are between 4 and 5 years old. They start to bloom in early summer and develop fruit in late summer. The Wolfberry will continue to bear fruit until the first severe frost. The best way to get the maximum health benefits from this plant is to try to grow it naturally without chemicals, herbicides or insecticides.

The History And Agriculture Of The Wolfberry

Wolfberry is the name given to the Chinese and European variety of the Goji berry. It actually goes by many other names and has more than 100 species. The Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry is the most popular species of this plant. It is the best tasting one and is used for making Goji juice and for medicinal uses in Asia and India.

The Wolfberry is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet with trailing vines spreading to up to 20 feet. In China it is cultivated in large plantations for commercial use. These commercial farms use conventional chemical methods to grow the Wolfberry and protect it from insect damage. The largest growing area is the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in Northern China. This is where they grow the Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry. This species was originally taken from Tibet and the Himalayan region.

Other varieties of this plant can be found growing wild in various parts of the world including the UK. It is known as the Wolfberry and also has other names, like The Box Thorn Fruit and The Matrimony Vine Fruit. This plant grows wild in the cooler parts of Europe and Asia.

In Tibet and Inner Mongolia the Wolfberry is known as the Goji Berry. It is one of the protected medicinal plants in this area. Because of its use as a medicine plant the Wolfberry is grown organically there with no additional chemicals. The areas it grows in are labeled as “wild places” and are relatively untouched by urban development. An organization Co-op for the Goji farmers that ensures they get fair prices and help continue growing Wolfberry plants, was created in 1975. The Tanaduk Institute has also helped to protect the medicinal plants grown in this region. Several monasteries in India also grow medicinal plants including the Wolfberry. They are grown organically here and are sold on a limited basis.

The plants are quite easy to grow and can be started from seed. The seeds take around 7 days to germinate. The Wolfberry can also be cultivated from roots. It is resistant to drought and can withstand temperatures of -15 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The Wolfberry prefers light soil for optimum growth but will grow in any soil. Ideally the plant prefers full sunlight but will also grow in partial shade.

You can cultivate The Wolfberry in containers. If you do this, you need to hand pollinate the Wolfberry flowers, to get the fruit. The fruits are quite vulnerable to insect damage so you should take steps to protect the plants when they are producing fruit. The Wolfberry plants begin to bear fruit from the age of 1 year and will produce heavy crops when they are between 4 and 5 years old. They start to bloom in early summer and develop fruit in late summer. The Wolfberry will continue to bear fruit until the first severe frost. The best way to get the maximum health benefits from this plant is to try to grow it naturally without chemicals, herbicides or insecticides.

The History And Agriculture Of The Wolfberry

Wolfberry is the name given to the Chinese and European variety of the Goji berry. It actually goes by many other names and has more than 100 species. The Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry is the most popular species of this plant. It is the best tasting one and is used for making Goji juice and for medicinal uses in Asia and India.

The Wolfberry is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet with trailing vines spreading to up to 20 feet. In China it is cultivated in large plantations for commercial use. These commercial farms use conventional chemical methods to grow the Wolfberry and protect it from insect damage. The largest growing area is the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in Northern China. This is where they grow the Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry. This species was originally taken from Tibet and the Himalayan region.

Other varieties of this plant can be found growing wild in various parts of the world including the UK. It is known as the Wolfberry and also has other names, like The Box Thorn Fruit and The Matrimony Vine Fruit. This plant grows wild in the cooler parts of Europe and Asia.

In Tibet and Inner Mongolia the Wolfberry is known as the Goji Berry. It is one of the protected medicinal plants in this area. Because of its use as a medicine plant the Wolfberry is grown organically there with no additional chemicals. The areas it grows in are labeled as “wild places” and are relatively untouched by urban development. An organization Co-op for the Goji farmers that ensures they get fair prices and help continue growing Wolfberry plants, was created in 1975. The Tanaduk Institute has also helped to protect the medicinal plants grown in this region. Several monasteries in India also grow medicinal plants including the Wolfberry. They are grown organically here and are sold on a limited basis.

The plants are quite easy to grow and can be started from seed. The seeds take around 7 days to germinate. The Wolfberry can also be cultivated from roots. It is resistant to drought and can withstand temperatures of -15 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The Wolfberry prefers light soil for optimum growth but will grow in any soil. Ideally the plant prefers full sunlight but will also grow in partial shade.

You can cultivate The Wolfberry in containers. If you do this, you need to hand pollinate the Wolfberry flowers, to get the fruit. The fruits are quite vulnerable to insect damage so you should take steps to protect the plants when they are producing fruit. The Wolfberry plants begin to bear fruit from the age of 1 year and will produce heavy crops when they are between 4 and 5 years old. They start to bloom in early summer and develop fruit in late summer. The Wolfberry will continue to bear fruit until the first severe frost. The best way to get the maximum health benefits from this plant is to try to grow it naturally without chemicals, herbicides or insecticides.

The History And Agriculture Of The Wolfberry

Wolfberry is the name given to the Chinese and European variety of the Goji berry. It actually goes by many other names and has more than 100 species. The Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry is the most popular species of this plant. It is the best tasting one and is used for making Goji juice and for medicinal uses in Asia and India.

The Wolfberry is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet with trailing vines spreading to up to 20 feet. In China it is cultivated in large plantations for commercial use. These commercial farms use conventional chemical methods to grow the Wolfberry and protect it from insect damage. The largest growing area is the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, in Northern China. This is where they grow the Lyceum Barbarum Wolfberry. This species was originally taken from Tibet and the Himalayan region.

Other varieties of this plant can be found growing wild in various parts of the world including the UK. It is known as the Wolfberry and also has other names, like The Box Thorn Fruit and The Matrimony Vine Fruit. This plant grows wild in the cooler parts of Europe and Asia.

In Tibet and Inner Mongolia the Wolfberry is known as the Goji Berry. It is one of the protected medicinal plants in this area. Because of its use as a medicine plant the Wolfberry is grown organically there with no additional chemicals. The areas it grows in are labeled as “wild places” and are relatively untouched by urban development. An organization Co-op for the Goji farmers that ensures they get fair prices and help continue growing Wolfberry plants, was created in 1975. The Tanaduk Institute has also helped to protect the medicinal plants grown in this region. Several monasteries in India also grow medicinal plants including the Wolfberry. They are grown organically here and are sold on a limited basis.

The plants are quite easy to grow and can be started from seed. The seeds take around 7 days to germinate. The Wolfberry can also be cultivated from roots. It is resistant to drought and can withstand temperatures of -15 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. The Wolfberry prefers light soil for optimum growth but will grow in any soil. Ideally the plant prefers full sunlight but will also grow in partial shade.

You can cultivate The Wolfberry in containers. If you do this, you need to hand pollinate the Wolfberry flowers, to get the fruit. The fruits are quite vulnerable to insect damage so you should take steps to protect the plants when they are producing fruit. The Wolfberry plants begin to bear fruit from the age of 1 year and will produce heavy crops when they are between 4 and 5 years old. They start to bloom in early summer and develop fruit in late summer. The Wolfberry will continue to bear fruit until the first severe frost. The best way to get the maximum health benefits from this plant is to try to grow it naturally without chemicals, herbicides or insecticides.

Agricultural Products Manufacturer Company In India

Agriculture is known as the process of cultivating the land or we can say it is the process of making various eatable products like rice, wheat etc. these products are also known as the Agriculture Products, which are available from Agriculture Products Manufacturers.

India is called as the country of farmers or we can say it farmland. Agriculture is the important activity for many products. Several years ago the traditional methods were followed in which we mainly do agriculture productivity with the help of animals due to which time taken to cultivate a land increases. But now time has changed we have various Aquaculture Equipment Suppliers that can be used to nurture the productivity like we can use vehicles like tractor and other type of vehicles.

Irrigation is another important activity that is performed during agricultural activity. It is the process of Artificial supply of water to fulfill the requirements of water of the agricultural land. This is done with the Help of agriculture products i.e. Irrigation Equipments like

1) Fogger Machine

2) Thermal Fogger Machine

3) Field Fogging Machine

4) Sprayer and dusters.

5) Rotating sprinklers.

When the crops are growing ,we have also taken care that our crops must be free from insects which can damage our products .We can use various Pesticides that are available in the market which help our crops to be free from any diseases. There are various types of Pesticides Companies in India. Some of the are-

A) Herbal Extracts

B) Plants Growth Regulator

C) Bio pesticides

D) Bio Chemical pesticides.

Another agriculture activity that comes under agriculture is Poultry Farms. These farms can be used to provide as resources to produce healthy products like eggs ,meat etc. These farms can be of chicken or birds. These types of farms can be maintained using Poultry Equipments; some of them are given below.

A) Feather Pluckier in conveyer based dressing plant

B) Chicken slaughter Equipments

C) Poultry Processing Machinery.

D) Breeding Equipments, etc.

Aquaculture is another type of agriculture in which farming of products like wheat ,rice is replaced by aquatic plants such as phytoplankton, Microphyton, fish like catfish, salmon etc, crustacean like lobsters, crabs, shrimp etc. this is done with the help of Aquaculture Equipments as follows-

A) Aquarium Filters

B) Aquarium Accessories

C) Aquatic plants Enhancer

D) Fish Accessories etc.

We can produce various products that are used in our daily life like tea and coffee, which are available From tea manufacturers and coffee manufacturers. Fruit and vegetable are also the important product that is beneficial for our health. We can have them in fresh, processed or dry condition. There are variety of fruits that can be grown like apple, bananatc. we can get either of them from Fruit Suppliers.

All these agricultural activities mentioned above do require some equipments or machinery than can be used to enhance the productivity and can reduce the overall manufacture time. Whether agriculture is done in small scale or big scale, use of these Agriculture Products Equipments can greatly be used to enhance the productivity and profit.

There are several manufacturers and supplier of agriculture equipments, some of them are listed in our Agriculture products manufacturers list.

Next Generation India – beyond servicing, drive the world with innovation…Where is Odisha’s share

India, as a nation, is going through a transformative stage during the past 2 decades. On the IT-related business front, India has made great strides by creating software giants like Wipro, Infosys, Mindtree, TCS, Cognizant etc., and many more smaller companies sprung across the country of more than 1.2billion people. The entire world respects India for her leadership in services industry – means doing more with less than the rest of the world can do.

How did India get there? It is because India’s educated graduates with good English speaking skills substantially contributed to the revenue of the country – from a foreign currency deficit country to foreign currency surplus country. But as world becomes flat, doing services business in other parts of the globe like Africa, China and Russia becomes competitive, and things move to those countries too. So what is next for India? How can India go to the next level? Let us take the special note that it is just the education system of the India has contributed to where India is now, but to go to the next level, we need to change the way we educate our kids now. When can a country of 1.2billion people step up to architect and develop world-class products instead of servicing to the successful manufacture of somebody else’s product? When can the universities in India germinate companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo. This is not an easy task – it comes from the way the minds are cultured.

So how do we culture such minds to innovate? It is a long nurturing process – a combination of the society around us, the education system around us. Is our society business friendly? Does our parents encourage us working for ourselves or working for somebody else? Does the environment around us encourage to take my passion to the next level? Probably not.

Based on the Kaufmann foundation, America’s non-profit promoting entrepreneurship, 500,000 people started companies in America in 2009 alone in the midst of global recession. The venture funding has created 35 million jobs in America during the past 35 years until 2005. Based on a recent Survey, young people between the age of 8 through 24 likes to start companies, thus contribute to the community. This age group believes that better community is built with the quality of people plus the small businesses in the area – not by the government and not be the mega companies. This itself speaks something about the way education happens in America. Most parents encourage their children to take up high profile government jobs like administrative services etc. and private jobs in large so-called multinational firms. The job security is still a curse in disguise around the country. The education system tells us what has happened, but not how and why certain things happened.

An concerted effort needs to be built to inform people, educate people, and tell them that what see around them is not the whole world. Demonstrate them how to make money, how to make investments, go by examples. The government may consider starting a course on entrepreneurship and social values at the high school level. This is where the global organized effort is required, and so global organizations – InvestBhubaneswar and TiE Bhubaneswar are required.

In contrast, if we look at major US universities like Stanford and Harvard, the culture is different. There is no bureaucracy, and everybody is called by their first name, and everybody commands respect by the capabilities. The professor position is not a permanent position until the professor demonstrates his/her capabilities during the first several years of the career to get tenure. Being in Silicon Valley, in the midst of world class startups who have made it big to create billion-dollar companies creating employment for best-minds around the world, I must say that it is the society and education that matters. The Stanford University in Silicon Valley fosters an environment for the minds to bring out the best. The university strives to attract the best minds around the world – not limited to home country, and then have the best minds around the world interact in one environment conducive to innovate. When innovation happens, this gets translated into business. That is how CISCO, Yahoo, Google and several others started. It is to be noted that Stanford University is not supported by government, but is a private university that lives off of endowments from its long list of patrons and tuition fees.

How long will a country of more than a billion people only be driven by the world by providing services instead of driving the world with class products proudly saying – Made in India? Why cannot India create the conducive atmosphere to attract the best minds of the world even leave their mother country to immigrate to India, and help innovate? I think India can do this, and it is the private sector, who could more efficiently do this than government. As long as governments sets policies right, clears hurdles fast as they come, treats and cares for the businesses with dignity, it will work. Currently, India is trying to get innovation universities around the country, but does the country have the right mind-set – even if policies exist, to create innovation universities like Stanford University in the current context. Probably the answer is no. When IIT kind of elite institutions are marred by irregularities, how can we expect them to innovate? In several cases, the top decision makers of such institution does not have the vision and capability to make the right call for key positions. When you approach such schools to innovate, first item on the agenda that comes up is the money that you can put on the table for your activities, and then talk about innovation with the industry. This comes from people who do not have any intention to do any good for the society at the end of the day, no respect for innovation, and no motive to innovate. When innovation university comes up, most likely such people become the heads of innovation universities, and so you can imagine what is next. Just to put in context, why are private institutions like Indian School of Business in Hyderabad and Great Lakes Institutes of Management, Chennai doing better than government-run IIMs. It is the vision and passion of the people behind such institutions to only create the best. And it comes with a price, which is worth it. As a matter of fact, Government cannot create such institutes of excellence in the modern era. By the time Government springs into action taking its own time, several processes may be already obsolete.

In India context, the proposed Vedanta University, with the large endowment from one of the world’s billionaires, has the vision and the financial strength to create the best in class university similar to Stanford and Harvard in US. Looking by the vision plan of the university, it seems conclusive that this is an opportunity of a lifetime for the local people in India to get bestowed upon such a world-class university. The university has the layout to attract the best minds – both students and faculties to the university, and the preserved nature of greenery and rivers, and ocean is key to free-flowing of the minds to dream and innovate. The self-contained campus ensures everything in a striking distance conducive for a 24×7 research environment, providing safety and atmosphere to the staff and their families. Just imagine, when innovation happens, businesses shape up around it, and thus creating high-paying jobs in the area, and in return creating several support downstream jobs.

Currently, it is Puri, the coastal town of Odisha is lucky to have been chosen for the university. Living in silicon valley for decades close to the Stanford University do realize what it takes to build a university of Stanford’s stature, and happy to learn that a similar university, Vedanta University, is coming up in Puri, Odisha. It is up to the local people to realize themselves the benefits of such an university in their city, co-operate only to expedite the set up of this university, create world-class employments in their city, and thus helping to shape up the future of Puri like Silicon Valley in California, USA.

Purna Mohanty is a member of the Invest Bhubaneswar effort to globally brand Odisha as a business destination, an entrepreneur and semiconductor professional based in Silicon Valley, CA.
This initiative by- Invest Bhubaneswar is supported by SEO service provider AuroIN LLC.

Agriculture Not Be A State Subject

CII today organized a Seminar on Reforms in the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act , and its impact in the Southern States. This is an initiative of the Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Shankarlal Guru, Chairman-International Society for Agricultural Marketing said Agricultural sector is in urgent need of reforms by the respective State governments to help drive the economy to a higher growth rate that is expected by the policy makers, but a comprehensive agenda for reforms in this crucial sector is yet to emerge. Hence, the need for Agriculture to be made a central subject and not a state subject, thus alienating it from politics, said Mr. Guru. Contract farming should be encouraged as it will help bring technology and modern practices into the agriculture sector – opined Mr. Guru.

The APMC Act in each state of India requires all agricultural products to be sold only in government – regulated markets. These markets impose substantial taxes on buyers, in addition to commissions and fees taken by middlemen, but typically provide little service in areas such as price discovery, grading or inspection. A key impact of this regulation is the inability of private sector processors and retailers to integrate their enterprises directly with farmers or other sellers, eliminating middlemen in the process. Farmers also are unable to legally enter into contracts with buyers. This leaves no incentives for farmers to upgrade, and inhibits private and foreign investments in the food process sector.

Also addressing the audience was Mr. Sivakumar, Chairman Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region and Chief Executive – Agri, ITC Ltd. Said that Agri business in India is at a transition point. Having sailed through the shortage economy to an economy with surplus in grains, it is important that Governments at the Centre and State recognize the need for inclusive growth to take agriculture forward in India. Setting the context for the day’s discussion, Mr. Sivakumar emphasized that in spite of employing about 57% of the population of the country, agriculture on contributes 27% to the GDP of India. This distortion makes agriculture not a lucrative employment generator and hence, keeping with the global view, India needs to carve out opportunities in agri-exports sector. Contract farming and direct marketing to retail chains and processing units are the need of the hour he said.

Regulations to keep pace with these needs are required, which need alternative marketing mechanisms. Hence, reforms in the APMC Act are recommended in various fields, he added.

Making a presentation on “Aligning State Policies with emerging new marketing models”, Prof. S Raghunath from the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, emphasized the need for an effective and efficient distribution system for agri-produce and provision for supply-demand transparency. Since the main objective of the APMC Act was to prevent exploitation of farmers by various intermediaries, reforms were required in the Act, with changing face of agriculture and the agricultural supply chain, opined Prof Raghunath. India is the largest producer of vegetable in the world, with a total share of 15% of global produce. 8% of world’s fruits are produced in India, ranking it second in the world market. In spite of this, there is a high cumulative wastage of 40% in India, informed Prof. Raghunath. Inadequate infrastructure and lack of organized supply chain were the main cause for such a disparity, he said. Thus, reforms in this sector need to catch up with the pace of development in the economy and dis-intermediation and participation of organized players in the sector will remove the lacunae, opined Prof. Raghunath.

Centre asks states to amend APMC Act

In a move to allow farmers to directly sell their produce to industry, contract farming and setting up of competitive markets in private and cooperative sector, the Centre has asked the state government to amend the Agricultural Produce Marketing Act.

Under the present Act, the processing industry cannot buy directly from farmers. The farmer is also restricted from entering into direct contract with any manufacturer because the produce is required to be canalised through regulated markets. These restrictions are acting as a disincentive to farmers, trade and industries.

The government has recently approved a central sector scheme titled Development/strengthening of agricultural marketing infrastructure, grading and standardisation.

Under the scheme, credit linked investment subsidy shall be provided on the capital cost of general or commodity specific infrastructure for marketing of agricultural commodities and for strengthening and modernisation of existing agricultural markets, wholesale, rural periodic or in tribal areas.

The scheme is linked to reforms in state law dealing with agricultural markets (APMC Act). Assistance under the new scheme will be provided in those states that amend the APMC Act.

The Centre has asked the state governments to inform as to whether necessary amendments to the APMC Act have been carried out, in order to notify the reforming states for applicability of the scheme.

Along with the Centre, the industry is also interested in the amendment to the APMC Act as it restricts the growth of trade in agricultural commodities.

The policy regime pertaining to internal trade is particularly restrictive. The agricultural sector continues to be hamstrung by a plethora of controls, which were introduced during the era of shortages, said the PHDCCI.

Meanwhile, a decentralised system of procuring wheat and rice would make the Public Distribution System more cost effective, the government has said.