eChapters

Tractor is a self-propelled power unit having wheels or tracks for operating agricultural implements and machines including trailers. Tractor engine is used as a prime mover for active tools and stationary farm machinery through power take-off shaft (PTO) or belt pulley.

Power tiller is a prime mover in which the direction of travel and its control for field operation is performed by the operator walking behind it. It is also known as hand tractor or walking type tractor. The concept of power tiller came in the world in the year 1920. Japan is the first country to use power tiller on large scale. Power tiller was first introduced in India in the year 1963. Power tiller is a walking type tractor. The operator walks behind the power tiller, holding the two handles of power tiller in his own hands. Power tiller may be called a single axle walking type tractor, though a riding seat is provided in certain designs. In agricultural applications it is often required to transmit the mechanical power from its source to the point of application. The main sources of power for agricultural machines, i.e., the diesel engine for self-propelled machines and the electrical motor for many stationary machines are primarily rotary power and are transmitted by means of belts and chains. Tractor power is utilized by traction, power-take-off drives (PTO) by fluid power.

• A machine is a device which receives some sort of energy and does some work.
• A rigid link is one, which does not undergo any deformation while transmitting motion.
• A flexible link is one which is partly deformed in a manner not to affect the transmission of motion.
• A structure is an assemblage of a number of resistant bodies having no relative motion between them.
• A turning pair has a completely constrained motion.
• Cam and follower includes higher pair.
• The lower pairs are self-closed pair.

It is the operation of cutting, picking, plucking and digging or a combination of these operations for removing the crop from under the ground or above the ground or removing the useful part or fruits from plants.

Thresher is a machine to separate grains from the harvested crop and provide clean grain without much loss and damage. During threshing, grain loss in terms of broken grain, un-threshed grain, blown grain, spilled grain etc. should be minimum. Bureau of Indian Standards has specified that the total grain loss should not be more than 5 per cent, in which broken grain should be less than 2 per cent. Clean un-bruised grain fetch good price in the market as well as it has long storage life.

It is a machine designed for harvesting, threshing, separating, cleaning and collecting grains while moving through standing crops. Bagging arrangement may be provided with a pick up attachment. The main functions of a combine are: (i) Cutting the standing crops (ii) Feeding the cut crops to threshing unit (iii) Threshing the crops (iv) Cleaning the grains from straw (v) collecting the grains in a container.

Sprayer is a machine to apply fluids in the form of droplets. Sprayer is used for the following purpose.

• Application of herbicides to remove weeds.
• Application of fungicides to minimize fungus diseases.
• Application of insecticides to control insect pests.
• Application of micro nutrients on the plants.

Seeding or sowing is an art of placing seeds in the soil to have good germination in the field. A perfect seeding gives a) Correct amount of seed per unit area. b) Correct depth at which seed is placed in the soil. c) Correct spacing between row-to-row and plant-to-plant. Seed drill is a machine for placing the seeds in a continuous flow in furrows at uniform rate and at controlled depth with or without the arrangement of covering them with soil. Planter is normally used for those seeds which are larger in size and cannot be used by usual seed drills. A planter consists of: (i) hopper (ii) feed metering device (iii) knock out arrangement (iv) cut-off mechanism (v) furrow opener and (vi) other accessories. A planter has seed hopper for each row.

It is a mechanical manipulation of soil to provide favourable condition for crop production. Soil tillage consists of breaking the compact surface of earth to a certain depth and to loosen the soil mass, so as to enable the roots of the crops to penetrate and spread into the soil.

Tillage operations following primary tillage which are performed to create proper soil tilth for seeding and planting are secondary tillage. These are lighter and finer operations, performed on the soil after primary tillage operations. Secondary tillage consists of conditioning the soil to meet the different tillage objectives of the farm. These operations consume less power per unit area compared to primary tillage operations. Secondary tillage implements may be tractor drawn or bullock drawn implements.

Classification of Materials

Broadly there are two groups of materials used for making farm machines namely metallic and non-metallic:

Agricultural mechanization involves the design, manufacture, distribution, use and servicing of all types of agricultural tools, equipment and machines. It includes three main power sources: human, animal and mechanical with special emphasis on mechanical (tractive power).

Mechanization has been identified as one of the critical inputs for production agriculture. It may be described as an appropriate package of technology to i) ensure timely field operations to increase productivity, reduce crop losses and improve product quality, ii) increase land utilization and input use efficiency and iii) increase labour productivity through labour saving and drudgery reducing mechanical devices. The mechanization of Indian agriculture has proceeded along two-pronged approach based on improved equipment and enhanced power supply. However, compared to the mechanization of western agriculture which was motivated by the need to substitute human labour and draught animals with mechanical prime movers, the guiding principle in mechanizing Indian agriculture has been to maintain a socially desirable mix of human labour, draught animal power and mechanical power.

Introduction

The right to food is the most fundamental among the human rights. Food production, distribution and consumption is an important issue for developing countries. The dimensions of food problem in Asia have been changing since the food crisis of sixties and seventies. The lesson of those years is well-learnt, and attaining self-reliance in food came to be recognized as a key goal of development. Most of the Asian countries have been suffering with many problems such as slow growth rate in cereal production, large share of agriculture in the gross domestic product, weak infrastructure, low purchasing power and massive rural poverty which had made the South Asia region as a whole food deficit (Plumb, 1998).The possibility of impending world food crisis looms largely from increasing pressure on national agricultural sector to meet the demands triggered by rising population, growth in people’s income and change in expenditure and consumption pattern (Ghosh, 2001).

Introduction

In India, per capita cereal consumption has been declining since the early seventies, despite a significant increase in per capita cereal production (Radhakrishna and Ravi, 1992 and Rao, 2000). Cereal consumption per capita per month fell from 15.35 kgs in 1970-71 to 12.70 kgs in 1999-2000 in rural area and from 11.40 kgs to 10.40 kgs in urban area during same period. It might be due to shifting of consumers’ choice from food to non-food items; from cereals to non-cereals within the food group and from course to fine cereals within the cereal group. The decline in cereal consumption has been higher in the rural area due to development of rural infrastructure and availability of job opportunities which ultimately helped in improving their level of income (Rao, 2000). Despite spectacular growth in food production during last 30 years the problem of malnutrition still persists across different regions in India because increase in food grain supply alone cannot conquer hunger and malnutrition.

The consumption pattern and nutritional status have also experienced a significant change during last two decades in Bihar. Cereal consumption per capita per month has declined from 476 gms in 1983 to 455 gms in 19992000. The situation is more alarming in poor households who constitute about half of rural population in north Bihar. There is lack of research on consumption pattern, nutrient intake and nutritional status based on household data, particularly in context of Bihar. In view of the above observations the present study is undertaken to analyze the consumption pattern and nutritional status of poor households in north Bihar.

Introduction

The Integrated Watershed Development has come to be recognized internationally as an important holistic approach to natural resources management and poverty reduction, wherein promoting the concept of sustainable development. In the Indian context, watershed development has come to be acknowledged as key and discrete units in rural development which forms an important vehicle for achieving the objectives of increased production and availability of food, fodder and fuel restoration of agro ecological balance and in improving the livelihood status of the village communities.

In line with the above, the conceptualization of Integrated Watershed Development Project Hills-II (initiated in September 1999) has been built up on the success of IWDP Hills-I project with a laudable vision to arrest environmental decline, boost agricultural growth, and ensure better management of scarce land and water resources and reducing poverty dimensions in the Siwalik & Karewas regions, which are one of the most environmentally degraded areas in India. The project area encompasses two sub-watersheds in sub-tropical belt of Siwaliks of Jammu region and two in temperate Karewas of Kashmir valley, covering an area of 1,11,080 ha. Ramnagar and Akhnoor sub-watersheds are located in Siwalik range of Jammu region whereas the sub-watersheds of Rajwar and Rambiara are located in Karewas belt of Kashmir valley.

Introduction

Food and nutritional security continues to be the main plank of India’s food policy despite its tremendous achievements on food production front during the last three decades. The Green Revolution helped India to overcome chronic food scarcity and made it self sufficient in food production. The per capita availability of cereals increased from 360 gms/day in 1966 to 422.4 gms/day in 2004. On the other hand, availability of pulses, the main source of protein for over- whelming vegetarian population of India, declined from 48 gms/day to 38 gms/day, which is attributed largely to diversion of land from pulses to cereals crops (Gopalan et al, 2004). The extra income generated due to Green Revolution has increased the access of rural population to a wide variety of foods, like milk, meat, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables, which perhaps could offset the protein deficiency due to decline in per capita availability of pulses, therefore, resulting in the increase in per capita consumption of protein in rural areas. The trends in cereal consumption indicate that per capita cereal consumption has been declining in most of the states. This trend is more prominent in agriculturally developed states, like Punjab and Haryana. In these states, production and per capita consumption of milk have increased substantially.

The dietary pattern in India remains cereal based and the expenditure shares of foods of animal origin (meat, eggs and fish) and fruits, which are rich in nutrients, are trivial. More than 22 per cent of the population stays below poverty line and generally suffers from various nutritional disorders due to lower purchasing power. The nutrient rich foods like milk, meat eggs, fruits, etc. are highly responsive to income changes. Besides, choice of food and consequently the level of nutrient intake is also influenced by the other economic, social, cultural and climatic factors. Spurt in income growth and increasing consumerism in rural areas in recent years has heightened the need for understanding the food consumption pattern. Using the farm level data from three regions of Maharashtra this paper attempts to examine the pattern of consumption of nutrients by cultivators and sources of supply of different nutrients.

Introduction

Goats provide multiple products like chevon, milk, skin, fibre, manure and transport. Pashmina occupies a prime position among animal fibres for its firmness, warmth, durability, lightness, softness and ability to absorb dyes and moisture compared to mohair and/or wool for being free from modulation and crimps. Pashmina is highly valued fibre for manufacturing quality apparels. It has recorded its name in the Guinness Book of World Records for being costliest cloth in the world after trade ban of most precious natural fibre Shahtoosh (King of fibre) of small Tibetan Antelope known as Chiru. In India, two recognized pashmina breeds are Changthangi and Chegu. Changthangi is native to high altitude areas (3700 to 4500m) in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir reared by a pastoralist nomads Changpas whose population is 1,96,000 (LADHC, 2006). The Chegu breed is distributed in cold-arid trans-Himalayan mountain ranges from Himachal Pradesh to Uttaranchal at an altitude of more than 3000 m (Thakur et al., 2006).

Introduction

The world’s population is expected to grow from 6 billion people in 2000 to 7.5 billion people in 2020. Availability of land for farming is on the decline, and water for agriculture and other uses is increasingly scarce. Together these and other forces will challenge the capacity of the world’s food production system. The world has experienced an unprecedented increase in population during the past century, with a billion people added every decade during the last three decades alone. Dramatic shifts in production and consumption of food have accompanied this population explosion, including a surge in grain production, a spectacular rise in meat production and consumption, and the emergence of an increasingly vital role for international trade (Fig. 1). High-yielding varieties of wheat and rice swept across much of Asia during the 1970s and early 1980s, easing fears of imminent famine. Cereal yields have risen more modestly in recent years, but they have still outstripped gains in other crops such as cassava, potatoes, and beans.

Introduction

Food security at the national level refers to the capacity of a country to provide sufficient food for its population, and will depend on such factors as food production in relation to the population, food aid and within-country food distribution. The ability to withstand emergencies arising from drought, floods, and such other calamities, also fall in its purview. While many definitions of household security exist, they agree on a household’s ability to get sufficient food to the household. Gillespie & Mason (1991) gave a more lucid account and defined household level food security as access to food that is adequate in terms of quality, quantity, safety and cultural acceptability, for all household members. Two main factors determining household food security are income generated by the members of the family from the avenues available and food prices in operation at the given point of time. The cost of achieving and maintaining food security is important.

Food security takes into account only the nutritional requirements of the individuals in the society, which is basic to all the living beings for keeping the body and soul intact. Our needs go beyond this and necessarily include fiber and shelter, not only to be called civilized but also to face vagaries of weather. Once we add these dimensions to the food security then it can be termed as livelihood security. In this century, many driving forces are added in the process of evolution of strategies. Loss of biodiversity, global climatic change and information dissemination are some of the major factors that drive the rate of livelihood changes and determine the direction of its evolution.

Introduction

The availability of food depends on the production and distribution while the access to food is determined by an individual’s purchasing power. Thus, the food security in the framework of economic welfare is the situation in which the lowest income strata has a near zero probability of being vulnerable to famine and in terms of calorie it requires a near zero probability of falling below the poverty line (Rentlinger and Selousky, 1978). Therefore, food security concerns every sovereign country, especially the developing and poor nations, owing to its profound implications for their socio-politico-economic stability and which co-exists with international diplomacy. According to 1998 annual report of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), about 73 million people would be added to the world’s population every year between 19952020 increasing it by 32 percent to reach at 7.5 billion. Much of the population growth is expected to occur in the developing countries mainly in India where the population is expected to increase by 36 percent to touch at 1.27 billion by 2020 and is likely to overtake China by 2035. Therefore, meeting the food and nutrition needs of growing and urbanized population with rising incomes will have profound implications for agricultural production and food security of the country and Himachal Pradesh is no exception.

Introduction

India is more an agrarian economy, wherein about 50 percent of people directly depend on agriculture for employment. Like other developing nations, however, this country is facing some of the challenges like food insecurity, agricultural backwardness and unsatisfied farming community. Though green revolution in 1970s had brought much relief in this direction, liberalized trade polices since mid 1990s created new and complex issues, especially for small and marginal farmers. Also, since recent years the contribution of agriculture to GDP is declining, indicating that there is growth is shifting away from agriculture to industrial and service sectors. The rural-urban migration, primarily due to the poor employment absorption capacity of our traditional agricultural system, lower productivity, changing life styles, etc. is increasing at alarming rate. In spite of all these, the disparity persists within the society and across the region. Such inequalities, as measured through income distribution, consumption pattern and spending of the income, pose a big challenge, as the gaps are widening with the passage of time. Inadequate purchasing power among the poorer communities leads to undernourishment, which in turn affects their productive capacity. Even though huge food grain stocks are distributed among the needy, considerable proportion of the population lack economic access to such food, and have to rely upon the cheap and insufficient food.

Introduction

Food security problem has multiple dimensions that range from ensuring the food supply at global, country and local levels to create its effective demand round the year. The ultimate goal of an effective food security policy is to provide individuals with adequate dietary requirements through availability and accessibility of food, which are necessary conditions for nutritional well being. The level of food security existing in a country, however is a complex interactions, operating at different levels from the macro to the micro level. The components of the system would include international trade and macro policies, the agricultural sector, the market economy, consumption pattern, the micro economy or household income, urban-rural differentiation and gender issues, etc.

Food insecurity is a complex issue having several dimensions such as, poverty, unemployment, famine, gender discrimination, inequity, starvation, food and nutritional practices, for human growth, natural calamities and so on. Poverty has been recognized globally both as a cause and consequence of food insecurity. In the mid 1980s, 72 per cent of the world’s poor and 66 per cent of the world’s extremely poor lived in the Asia-Pacific region. In this region, 272 million people would suffer from chronic malnutrition during the next decade i.e. in the year 2010. In Asia-Pacific region, India alone has 204 million undernourished people, which is quite alarming when compared with neighbouring countries like China, which has only 164 million undernourished people despite being much populous than India. World Health Organization (WHO) report (1998) points out that health expectancy is more important than life expectancy. The impact of poverty and malnutrition on health has widened the gap between the rich and the poor.

Introduction

Agriculture provides unique solution to various developmental issues including poverty and hunger. World Development Report (2008) reveals that the agricultural growth has significantly contributed to the decline in poverty world over (as in China and Latin America). Though the non-agriculture sector pays more dividend, and grows steeply, the capital generated, however benefits a few (mostly urban areas) thus leading to uneven distribution of income. Whereas, the development of agriculture, which employs most of the rural population, is expected to benefit a large section of the population simultaneously and uniformly. It is in this context that this report predicts agriculture as a vital development tool for achieving Millennium Development Goal that calls for halving by 2015 the share of people suffering from extreme poverty and hunger.

Introduction

The diversifi cation and modernization of the present agricultural and other related activities supported by efficient on and off farm processing of the commodities for the purpose of value-addition is expected to increase food production and create employment and income generation. Adding value to food commodities after harvest is also aimed at minimizing the losses during storage and to maintain the quality of product. Efficient post-production practices, particularly the preservation and processing of agricultural and allied produces may bring a wide range of benefits to the people in this country, generating job opportunities by opening up village-level processing units. The goals of post-harvest and food processing technology are loss prevention as well as adding value to the harvested biomass, which result in more income to the farmers/processors and better quality produce provided to the consumers. Post-harvest and food processing technology are commodity-and location-specific and it is done at home, village and/or cottage levels at small and large industrial scale. On-farm post-harvest storage and primary processing integrated with production technology help to generate more employment opportunities and additional income for rural people. Minimization of the post-harvest losses is an important means to increase per capita food availability. It also helps to generate more employment and income. Investment in post-harvest measures is more economical and time saving than in productivity to obtain the same amount of a particular commodity. Furthermore, post-harvest measures automatically add value to the raw commodities as they pass on their marketing channels. Adoption of postharvest technologies and value additive measures are very strong tools for rural and social development through employment and income generation. Development and adoption of efficient value addition practices will enhance national food supply and sustain food security even at the household level. Fruits and vegetables processing industries have a good deal of potential in serving the rural economy. First, it helps in generating more employment for rural people. It will also check mobility of rural masses towards urban areas in search of employment. Employment opportunities offered by agroprocessing industries are plenty to the farm population and entrepreneur seeking self-employment. Cottage scale units particularly offer self-employment opportunities. Traditionally women handle food and are familiar with skills of food processing. In order to improve the status of living of woman and rural food processing, low cost appropriate fruit and vegetable processing technologies offer excellent opportunities for production of processed foods. The improvement of status of socially backward and landless labor classes will be possible only through providing non-farm employment at their doorsteps. This will generate a sense of security and confidence amongst rural people for overcoming uncertainty in agricultural income and providing self-employment to the land-less labor. The locally available untapped resources should be used effectively.