(The Gist of Kurukshetra) BOOSTING AGRICULTURE THROUGH AGRI-BUSINESS

[FEBRUARY-2019]

BOOSTING AGRICULTURE THROUGH AGRI-BUSINESS

It has been noticed over a period of time, share of processing , distribution and trade is going up. In other words, with the increase in backward and forward linkages, the distinction between agriculture and agro-industry is getting disappeared and the word supply chain, which includes transformation of raw material and components
into finished products and marketed and then delivered to consumers. In a nutshell, agribusiness sector involves four different sub-sectors. These are:

I. Agricultural inputs;
II. Agricultural production;
III. Agro processing, and
IV. Marketing and Trade

Government efforts to Promote Agri-business

1. Eco-friendly preparation of absorbent cotton for medical & hygiene products, which are Antimicrobial and provide UV protection.
2. Water repellency Nano- finishing Technologies for Cotton Textiles.
3. Cotton rich blends for functional textile applications.
4. Innovative Finishing processes for garments & home textiles: Mosquito repellent, pesticide protection cloths & denim.
5. Software module for non-metameric color matching In textiles.
6. Central Institute for Research Technology (CIRCOT) Calibration Cotton for global outreach.

Sustainable business model for cotton at village level:

1. Quality based trading.
2. Supply chain logistics (custom hiring) for chipped cotton stalk supply.
3. Value addition to cotton biomass.
4. CIRCOT minicard for sliver preparation.

A. Microbial Degossypolisation of cottonseed meal for poultry, fish & piggery sectors.
B. Enhancing farmers and other stakeholders income by Cotton value chain through startup & entrepreneurship development.
C. Cotton Trading based on Quality Parameters for better price & remuneration to Farmers.

In addition to above, the Government has launched an umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan' (PMAASHA). Under PM-AASHA, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, implements the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra. For oilseeds, DAC&FW also Implements the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (POPS).

Giving a major boost for the farmers income, the Government has approved the increase in the MSPs for all Rabi crops for 2018-19 at a level of at least 150 per cent of the cost of production. Further, under PM-AASHA, procurement for paddy, wheat and coarse grains at MSP are done 1:7, Department of Food .& Public Distribution (DFPD) through Food Corporation of India (FCI). Government is providing financial assistance to APMCs for upgrading their infrastructure and improving their forward and backward linkages through various schemes such as Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) etc.

Conclusion

It Is clear from above that Government has initiated a number of measures not only to augment the income of farmers, but also to put agriculture on a sound footing in the country. Farmers and other stakeholders involved in agri-business activities need to be made aware about these initiatives. Further, effective convergence between and among various programmes may also be operationalised in a time bound manner. Among others, two important programmes are Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme and National Rural Livelihood Mission so that efforts of different programmes are optimized. For this, proper leadership at grassroots level with adequate trained manpower is required. Here, extension is the cornerstone of the success of agribusiness.

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Courtesy: Kurukshetra