UNCERTAINTY AND CHAOS IN INDIAN FARMING: PRODUCTION, LIVELIHOOD AND INCOME
authored by: S.K. Acharaya, A.B. Sharangi & Swagata Patra
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Indian agriculture has been characterized by a significant degree of uncertainty, encompassing a range of factors such as climate change, fluctuating productivity, unpredictable market prices, escalating costs of cultivation, and diminishing returns. These uncertainties are inherent in complex systems where numerous contributory factors are either unpredictable or unfathomable. The higher the complexity, the lower the resilience, and the greater the uncertainty. The Indian agricultural production system, particularly in rain-fed, open-air conditions that are susceptible to numerous risks and uncertainties, is highly vulnerable to weather and resource unpredictability, market volatility, limited access to technology, and an unstable input delivery mechanism.
Indian agriculture is currently facing a crossroads, as it grapples with the unpredictability and uncertainty of its environment. The growth rate of food production is only marginally higher than the population growth rate. The book under consideration has uniquely addressed a range of perceived uncertainties that contribute to stress and risk for both farmers and the economy as a whole.
It is worth noting that the world's largest agrarian economy is largely managed by private landowners, who are often at the mercy of middlemen and the vagaries of weather. Furthermore, the book, which is based on an empirical study, has identified the key variables that influence farmers' responses to and compliance with the unpredictability and social dynamics of their environment.
Prof. (Dr.) Sankar Kr Acharya, former Head, Dept. of Agril Extension and Director, Extension Education, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, WB, born on 6th October, 1960, started his career as Assistant Professor at BCKV in 1988 and has been in teaching, research and extension over 30 years. An erudite teacher as well as an elegant speaker, Prof. Acharya has also been the topper and awarded the certificate of merit in his M. Sc. (Ag) academic career in Agril. Extension. He is internationally acclaimed for his unique research domain of Social Entropy and Energy Metabolism, Social Ecology and Environmental Sociology, Enterprise Ecology Framework, Farm Stewardships: The Transition from Conservation, Technology Socialization Process, and The Social Ecology of Livelihood, which have got tremendous policy as well as scholastic importance. Research Publication: 237 in National and International Journals. Book Publication: 107 books authored / co-authored, covering areas Participatory Extension Planning and Management; Value, Extension Strategy for Natural Resource Management; Horticulture Management with Quality Issues, Technology Socialization Process; Fish bio-diversity; Income and Livelihood; Enterprise Management and Entrepreneurship Building;; Social Metabolism, Farm Energy Metabolism, Community Perception on Climate Change , Social Entropy and Chaos, ,Decision ecology Commission; Marketing and Extension Sub Committee, Govt. of West Bengal; Expert member WWF projects in BTR (Buxa Tiger Reserve Project); Expert member; DFID project on Primary Education (DPEP); REIA, Visited Italy, France, Germany, China , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Delivered 17 Key note addresses, 13 guest, invited and lead speakers in International Congress, Chaired 19 Sessions in International conferences, Editors of a score of national and international journals. He has so far been awarded with 13 best paper awards in National and International Conferences Organizing Secretary of two International Conferences, held in the years, 2016 & 2018, Jointly Organized by Department of Agricultural Extension, BCKV, WB and Krishisanskriti, New Delhi. His Present RG score: 28.64. He has also been honoured to be selected as the Convener of Panel (PE-32) entitled The hunger , poverty and silence, of IUAES, University of Manchester, UK, 2013 .Co-PI of ICAR, NAHEP and World Bank funded project on Conservation Agriculture. So, far he has successfully guided 19 Ph D scholars and 77 M Sc students from BCKV CU, KU, Vidyasagar University. He is the fellow, ISEE, IARI, New Delhi
A. B. Sharangi is a Professor of BCKV (Agricultural University) attached with teaching, research and extension for about 25 years. He completed his Doctoral degree from BCKV and Post-Doctorate from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is specially trained from IISR, IIHR & ARO (Tel Aviv, Israel); experienced in herbs, spices & MAPs. He spent some productive times in several laboratories of Australia, USA and UK for continuing research on those crops as well as teaching Post Graduate students in the universities abroad. Prof Sharangi has several international awards including FULBRIGHT(USA), INSA-RSE Visiting Scientist (UK), ENDEAVOUR Award (Australia), MarquisWho’sWho (USA),Young Achievers Award (SADHNA), Higher Education Leadership Award, Outstanding Scientist Award, Bharat Ratna Mother Teresa Gold Medal Award, etc. He is life member of several academic bodies and Fellow of eightprestigious academies/societies. He has published about 104 peer-reviewed papers, about 30 books from SpringerNature, Taylor & Francis, Nova Publisher, CRC Press, NIPA, Agrotech, etc and numerous book chapters within his area of expertise. He is also associated with 55 journals worldwide as editor-in-chief, regional & technical editor, editorial board member and active reviewer. He has guided seven PhD and more than 20 MSc scholars, so far. He also has administrative experience for four years as HOD, chaired several sessions of national and international conferences, executed six research projects so far as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI, developed as well as restructured PG courses as BSMA committee member (DG, ICAR, Govt of India) at national level. Prof Sharangi is Fellow of eight scientific academies and societies and member of many national and international organizations as well. He is Honorary Professor, (Texas) USA.
Swagata Patra, born on 23rd october1996, completed her M Sc in Agricultural Extension, BCKV, Mohanpur. She has been a brilliant scholar although and an awardees of best paper presentation in an International conference, July, 2022. She passed out her M Sc in first class with a cumulative grade point 9.10. To her credit there have been a couple of paper publications.
1. Introduction
2. Literature and Citations
3. Concept and Theory
4. Social Ecology
5. Methods of Inquiry
6. The Case Study
7. Summary and Conclusion
8. Limitations and Future Scope
9. Bibliography
Indian agriculture at large has been on the trajectory of grand uncertainty. The brunts of climate change, sharp undulation in productivity, unpredictability in market price, the consistent up rise in cost of cultivation and downfall of net return are amounting to what we may call the grand uncertainty. Uncertainty is an inevitable character of any system where most of the contributory factors are either unpredictable or unfathomable. The higher is the complexity, the lesser would be the resilience, and, higher would be the uncertainty. Agricultural production system, as it is managed in Indian condition, is the most vulnerable to a plethora of uncertainties.
Uncertainty is an inevitable character of any system where most of the contradictory factors are either unpredictable or unfathomable. The higher is the complexity, the lesser would be the resilience. Agricultural production system, as it is managed in Indian condition, is the most vulnerable one to a plethora of uncertainties. Mostly managed in an open air rained conditions, it has been exposed to weather and resource uncertainties comprising of market volatility, poor access to technology and a fragile input delivery mechanism. The present study examines and depicts the possible issues and reasons for uncertainty.
Review of literature helps a scholar describing and citing related works to justify the topic and objectives set in the thesis work. This is a splendid scholastic exercise to vindicate and validate the reasons and output of the research work undertaken. Following is the classified review of literature for a systematic illustration and interpretation of the problem and axioms: Source of risk Boris and Radivoj (2017) reveal that agricultural risk and uncertainty come from many different places, but they can be categorized into five management-related categories: production and technology, prices and the market, finance, legislation, and employees.
Concept of uncertainty Uncertainty refers to a scenario in which a person is unsure of what will happen, i.e. when all possible outcomes of events are unknown, and neither the likelihood nor the outcomes are known. Uncertainty cannot be quantified; however, risk may be quantified using probability principles. Farming is a financially hazardous profession. Farmers face an ever-changing panorama of possible pricing, yield, and other outcomes that affect their financial returns and overall well-being on a daily basis. Because the effects of decisions or events are frequently unknown until long after they occur, the outcomes may be better or worse than planned. When aggregate crop output or export demand fluctuates dramatically, for example, farm prices can swing dramatically, and farmers may see returns that are significantly below their expectations (Bairwa et al., 2013).
Research setting refers to the detail information of an area where the study has been conducted. The study area, generally comprises of a particular geographical area viz. a state, district, block, or gram panchayat area selected according to the convenience of the investigator who possesses adequate knowledge regarding the location, communication facility etc. of the locality so that he/she can easily approach each and every corner of the area for data collection. Here. in this study the data collection was done mostly over telephone based on the interview schedule due to Covid-19 pandemic situation. Besides the investigators must also have the basic knowledge about the socio demographic background of the people so as to have an easy understanding of their knowledge, attitude and behavior.
The deliberation on the methodology has been made to understand the concept, methods and techniques which have been executed for delineating the study, collection of information, analysis of data, and interpretation of the findings for the revelation of hard evidences and formulation of theories. This chapter deals with the method and procedure used in the study consisting of eight main parts A. Locale of research B. Pilot study C. Sampling Design D. Item analysis and experts rating for devising scoring technique on dependent variables E. Empirical measurement of the variables.
The chapter deals with the empirical findings and analyses in order to offer ample interpretation for a reliable conclusion to be drawn. In order to enhance and supplement the textual materials in this chapter, tables and models are frequently employed. Discussion is helpful in putting the study’s findings into proper perspective and connecting them to related research. Table 6.1: Descriptive Statistics of Variable with respect to Minimum, Maximum, Mean, Standard Deviation of Values, Variance, and Coefficient of Variance
Uncertainty is an inevitable character of any system where most of the contradictory factors are either unpredictable or unfathomable. The higher is the complexity, the lesser would be the resilience. Agricultural production system, as it is managed in Indian condition, is the most vulnerable one to a plethora of uncertainties. Mostly managed in an open air rainfed conditions, it has been exposed to weather and resource uncertainties, market volatility, poor access to technology and a fragile input delivery mechanism. Objectives To estimate and assess the general status of perceived uncertainty of farmers by scale and dimension
8.1. Limitations The most important limitations which have been observed in this research are as follows: Bench marking on the status of reigning uncertainty and chaos on farming’has really been a difficult task. There are problems of overlapping of some variables that could have been avoided. Some new scales could have been better if created. Since the concept is complex, it was very difficult to get qualitative response. Farmers nowadays are reluctant to engage in conversation and produce data. Due to non-random sampling , there is possibility of error or biases.
Aimin, H. (2010). Uncertainty, Risk Aversion and Risk Management in Agriculture. J Agric Sci . Procedia., 1, 152–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaspro.2010.09.018 Ali, W., Abdulai, A., Goetz, R., and Owusu, V. (2021). Risk, ambiguity and willingness to participate in crop insurance programs: Evidence from a field experiment. Aust J Agric Resour Econ, 65(3), 679–703. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12434 Azarov, A., Maurer, M.K., Weyerhaeuser, H., and Darr, D. (2019). The impact of uncertainty on smallholder farmers’ income in Kyrgyzstan. J. Agric. Rural Dev. Trop. Subtrop., 120(2), 183-195. Bairwa, S.L., Kushwaha, S., and Bairwa, S. (2013). Managing risk and uncertainty in agriculture–a review. Agril. Edu. Res. Exten. India. Poddar Publication, Chittupure, Varanasi. Chavas, J., and Nauges, C. (2020). Uncertainty, Learning, and Technology Adoption in Agriculture. Appl Econ Perspect Policy, 42(1), 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13003 Diwekar, U., Amekudzi-Kennedy, A., Bakshi, B., Baumgartner, R., Boumans, R., Burger, P., Cabezas, H., Egler, M., Farley, J., and Fath, B. (2021). A perspective on the role of uncertainty in sustainability science and engineering. Resour Conserv Recycl, 164, 105–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec. 2020.105140
Agricultural Uncertainty, Crop Instability, Farming Chaos, Income Fluctuations, Production Uncertainty, Livelihood Challenges, Monsoon Variability, Market Volatility, Yield Inconsistency, Weather Uncertainty, Crop Failure Risks, Economic Instability, Rural Income Variations, Price Fluctuations, Agrarian Challenges, Financial Insecurity, Unpredictable Harvests, Climate-Related Risks, Farmer Income Struggles, Harvest Uncertainty, Market Uncertainty, Sustainable Farming Concerns, Price Instability, Crop Yield Risks