eChapters

Introduction

Minerals are essentially required for growth maintenance, egg and meat production, health, nutrient metabolism, physiological function, reproduction, skeletal growth and development and maintenance of normal immune function. There are 25 essential minerals, seven are major minerals, as they are present in relatively higher amount in the body than the trace minerals and need to be supplemented in higher quantities in the feed. These major minerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, and sulphur. The micro minerals are present in small quantities in the body and their requirements in the diet are below 100 mg/kg. The 18 trace minerals are iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, selenium, cobalt, molybdenum, chromium, tin, vanadium, fluorine, silicon, nickel, arsenic, aluminium, lead and rubidium. Among these, the first nine micro minerals have been identified to play a significant role in birds. Total minerals in diet include feed sources and supplementary sources. 

Introduction

Development of feeding strategies that are more efficient and more eco-friendly by reducing waste is one of the key priorities in poultry production today. Thus, there is a focus on reduction of the crude protein content in a diet fortified with adequate amounts of currently available free amino acids (e.g. L-Lys, DL-Met, L-Thr, L-Val and L-Trp) in order to optimize protein utilization efficiency while maintaining production performance and reducing nitrogen excretion in chicken. Baker et al (1978) reported that animals do not need dietary protein to provide amino acids. Since, then numerous studies have been conducted to study amino acid requirement of poultry. They are components of tissue proteins and provision at insufficient levels leads to reduced protein synthesis. Provision of the different essential amino acids is therefore a prerequisite for maintaining optimal rates of protein synthesis. However, optimizing amino acid nutrition requires consideration of the different functions of amino acids, which are recognized to have several significant influences. Amino acids are precursors of important molecules.

Introduction

Until the 1960’s poultry in India remained largely a backyard dual purpose activity for eggs and meat. People from low social order and economically weaker sections in villages and suburbs generally took to poultry keeping primarily to supplement their diet with more nutritious eggs and meet, and secondly to enrich their livelihood. Despite on a small scale, the activity attracted sizeable proportion of population contributing immensely to the egg and meat supply. The Indian society, though largely vegetarian, gradually accepted eggs and meat in their diet. As demand for poultry products increased, small units transformed into larger well organized farms paving way for a poultry products supply network throughout the country.

1. What are Primary produce?

Primary produce, also known as primary products, refers to raw materials or natural resources that are derived from agriculture, forestry, fishing, or mining activities. These products are typically unprocessed or minimally processed, and are often used as inputs in further manufacturing or production processes. Examples of primary produce include crops such as wheat, corn, and soybeans, as well as livestock such as cattle, sheep, and pigs. Forestry products such as timber and paper pulp, as well as fish and other seafood harvested from the ocean or inland waterways, are also considered primary produce.

10.1. Success Story of Mahila Umang Producer Company Ltd.

Mahila Umang Producer Company is established at Almora district of Uttarakhand, India. The company is fully operated by the hill women of Uttarakhand. There were 1464 members associated in this company. The company was established as a formal Farmer Producer Company in the year 2009 by the help of the promoting Non- government Organisation ‘Grassroots’. Before that it was working as a conglomerate of SHGs. 

Social media can be defined as any media dedicated to community based input, interaction, content sharing and collaboration. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp, Google Plus, Hike Messenger, Pinterest, Reddit, Instagam, WeChat, Skype, YouTube are some of the social networking sites that have received tremendous response from billions of people all over the world.

Earlier, there were mass media like pamphlets, booklets, newspapers, radio, television, etc. to connect with the masses. These traditional mass medias were mostly based on one way conversation. Various researchers, scientists, policy makers, government and non-government organizations, research institutions utilized these traditional mass media to the fullest but mostly with a limitation of one way communication and farmers have to rely on the information mashed on them. In last decade, the social networking services (SNS) have emerged as a wonderful and powerful social media.

The success of any country’s agricultural sector depends on the strength of its farmer producer companies (FPCs) or farmer producer organizations (FPOs). These organizations, formed by farmers for farmers, are essential for ensuring the fair and sustainable production and distribution of food. However, many FPCs face significant challenges, including lack of access to finance, technology, and markets. To address these challenges, governments and other institutions have implemented various schemes and programs to support FPCs. 

Better functioning of FPO is possible through ensuring sustainability and promoting high growth activities. It can be achieved through working with specific planning. A brief road map for better functioning of FPO/FPC has been discussed here.

7.1. Factors for high growth of Farmer Producer Companies

The reason for high growth of FPC as perceived by ASA (2009) are energetic management team and the board of directors, cooperation from banking institutions which provided hassle free loans to the PC for working capital, and a clearly identified business opportunity that gives a high return on investment. A tentative assessment suggests that there are multifarious benefits for member in the form of timely and easily availability of fertilizers, seeds and other agriculture inputs at a reasonable rate; bulk selling of agriculture produce for better price; extension services received by the farmers which the PC had arranged with the agriculture department or from other service providers; receiving of cash dividends from the FPC (Mondal, 2010).

A business plan is a document that summarises a company’s operational and financial goals. It is a road map to success for a business, with detailed plans and budgets outlining how the goals will be met. A business plan outlines how a company will achieve its objectives. A business plan is an essential first step for anyone starting a business. These concrete milestones will aid in tracking the company’s success (or lack thereof). There are various business plans for various purposes, and the best business plans are living documents that respond as quickly as possible to real-world factors.

A good business plan adheres to widely accepted guidelines in terms of both form and content. A business plan is divided into three sections:

• The first is the business concept, in which you discuss the industry, your business structure, your specific product or service, and your plans for success.

A successful and sustainable farmer producer organization (FPO) is an entity that is owned and managed by farmers, and is focused on improving their livelihoods through sustainable and profitable agricultural practices. Such an organization operates with a long-term vision, and is able to adapt to changing circumstances in the agricultural sector. Viability, stability and sustainability are the three degrees of permanency in business. Analysis of these three is very important for any business and entrepreneurs.

5.1. Viability

viability of a business indicates that it is (or has the chance to be) successful. A viable firm is profitable, which indicates that it generates more income than it spends on operating expenses. It is tough to resurrect a failing firm. The company would need to either boost income or lower expenditures. 

4.1. Registration Procedure

Registering a Producer Company follows a process similar to that of a Private Limited Company. The first step involves obtaining a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) and Director Identification Number (DIN) for the proposed directors of the company. Following this, an application for name reservation is submitted to the relevant Registrar of Companies (ROC). It’s mandatory for the name of a producer company to end with the words “Producer Limited Company” as per the Act. Once the suggested name is approved, an application for incorporation of the Producer Company is filed in the prescribed format. The Registrar reviews the application and accompanying documents, and if satisfied, approves and issues a Certificate of Incorporation.

3.1. Theoretical background of FPOs

Farmers Producer Organization is a people based organization having both the outlook of cooperation and business. In this context the theories of collective action, group formation, social learning cooperation etc are very much pertinent here.

3.1.1 Collective action

Collective action is visible in FPCs. Collective action is defined as action taken mutually by a group of people to augment their status and achieve a common goal. Over the past two decades analytic philosophers have been investigating the nature of collective action in the sense of acting together.

Rural Economy and Agriculture

It is being progressively recognized that the globalized nature of economies across the world is affecting the economic security of all nations. Particularly, in this present era when globalization, liberalization and privatization are rapidly budding and creating new threats and opportunities, it is established that farmers need to be organized to participate and proliferate in the development processes. The phenomenon has triggered substantial debate as to whether globalization is positive evolution of economic action or detrimental to the interests of certain countries or specific groups (Kaplinsky, 2004; Nadvi, 2004).

Teamwork and collaboration is better than individual effort is a proven fact that human beings have realized since the Stone Age. Similarly, it was also recognized and applied in farming. The concept of farmer’s organization had emerged by realizing the power of unity. With the growing concern of present condition of decreasing size of land holdings the need for unity and collectivization has been prominently realized in agriculture. Agriculture sector is facing a rapidly overflowing basket of challenges. Population has increased 3.71 times from 350 million in 1947 to 1.3 billion in 2017; hence, demand for food has increased while total cultivable land has shrunk. The grain area per person has been shrinking steadily for several decades from 0.22 hectares in 1950 to 0.10 hectares in 2010 and it is projected to be as less as 0.06 hectares per person in 2050 (Larsen, 2003). So, the big and alarming question on food and income security has been raised.

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

The business plan answers the key questions about the business: who, what, where, when, why, and how. For a developing business, it begins the process of making an idea materialize into reality and determining whether or not an idea should become reality. It also establishes goals and benchmarks for the business. A comprehensive business plan makes it easier for a business to receive external support, especially in terms of financing from potential investors, lenders, and grant sources. Finally, and possible most importantly, going through the process of planning is very valuable because it forces the business owners and/or managers to think through every detail of the business.

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

What is a funding pitch?

A pitch deck lets you present your business plan to potential investors when new funding is needed to develop the business. You don’t need a pitch deck to attract funding if your business is successful, growing organically and at the right level and scale for the market and your ambitions.

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

Introduction…. A few key things to know

India is predominantly an agrarian economy which employs around 43% of its workforce in the agriculture sector, but it contributes only 16 % to the GDP (FY2020) and the sector contributes to 12 % of the country’s export.

The Food and Agri startup space constitutes agritech and food tech companies, incubators, accelerators, investors, farmers and MSME, etc.

Owing to the rising interest and conducive environment for business (esp. start ups), investment activity in this space has been increasing over the years.

We are still at a nascent stage. w.r.t to investment and market penetration.

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

Introduction

In the face of growing threat of accelerating climate change, global focus is shifting towards plant-based alternatives as a means for climate resilient ecosystems to meet the food requirements of global population. Such a change in priority is also seen in the growing global awareness towards a shift in daily ‘diets’ away from the meat-based ones towards healthier and balanced ones involving fruits and vegetables that provides cheaper yet nutritionally secure alternatives. A reiteration of this fact that speaks volumes about the changing priority is the UN declaration of the year 2021-22 as ‘the International Year of Fruits & Vegetables’ to raise awareness about balanced nutrition and to direct policy towards efficient management of production with minimizing post- harvest losses and wastage.

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

Business analytics focuses on data, statistical analysis and reporting to help investigate and analyze business performance, provide insights, and drive recommendations to improve performance.

What are the 4 types of business analytics?

Principal Scientist and I/c Head, Division of Social Sciences and Training, IIHR, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore – 560 089, Karnataka

Entrepreneurs have many forms of retail business ownership available to them. Each business model has its own list of pros and cons. Choosing a type of retail business to start will depend on why you want to own a business, as well as your lifestyle, family, personality, basic skills and much more. Here are a few of the main types of retail ownership and the advantages, disadvantages, and support system of each.