eChapters

Food prices have risen 6% in the last six months. But it is expected to rise further as expensive energy, squeezed supplies and volatile weather take a combined toll. The biggest factor pushing prices is the cost of producing and marketing crops. Several factors will make farming more expensive in the coming months. The first variable is weather. Preliminary forecasts by a few foreign and private Indian meteorologists say India could have a below-normal monsoon because a weather phenomenon called El Nino is warming the Pacific Ocean. El Nino usually affects monsoon winds headed for India. Forecasters say monsoon might arrive on time but could falter during August-September, especially in the north.

The present research had been conducted to study the Entrepreneurial behaviour of farmers in farmer producer organisations(FPO) in selected block of Odisha and in the end the comparison is made. The study had been conducted on 2 Farmer producer organisations (FPO) of Ranpur block from Nayagarh district of Odisha. A pilot study was conducted to understand the area,its people, institution ,communication and extension system of these states.

An exhaustive list of respondents was prepared critically with the help of FPO members. From the list, 100 respondents were selected for the study through Snowball sampling method. The primary data were collected with the help of structured interviewschedule by following the personal interview method. The secondary data werecollected from our departmental library, internet, Department of Agriculture, Odisha, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya ,etc.for establishing the conceptual framework of the study.

Introduction

In recent years, there has been an exponential increase in the volume of datasets generated across various application domains. However, a prevalent issue within these datasets is class imbalance, wherein the distribution of samples is biased towards the major class, resulting in an extremely skewed dataset. Number of samples in the major class far exceeds those in the minor class, sometimes with an extreme ratio like 1/1000 or even higher. While traditional machine learning models trained on such imbalanced datasets often yield high accuracy for the overall dataset and the major class samples, their ability to correctly predict class labels for minor class samples is signicantly compromised. In many real-world scenarios, the minor class samples hold greater signicance and importance compared to the major class samples. Therefore, researchers are increasingly focusing on addressing the challenges posed by class imbalanced datasets and exploring solutions to improve the performance of machine learning models in handling such imbalances

Abstract

Whenever human beings come together and interact, there are bound to be conflicts. It is the struggle between individuals or groups or organizations for values, status, power or scare resources, that creates tension and frustration. It cannot be totally eliminated, it has to be managed. Positive conflicts sometimes lead to innovations or new directions of thinking in the Research and Development (R&D) environment. But negative conflicts mainly breed unproductiveness, a climate of distrust and suspicion, antagonism, and neglect of organizational goals. Conflict arises due to one of the three reasons : unacceptability, uncertainty and incomparability of alternatives. The problem of unacceptability arises when the most preferred alternative is not found to be acceptable. Uncertainty arises when the individual faces problem to select one from the alternatives. The incomparability dilemma is a situation where the decision maker does not have standards to compare alternatives. Modern managers must be equipped to deal with different types of conflict and devise strategies to resolve them. This chapter deals with conflicts at individual level, at group level or at organizational level, their resolution through negotiation or collaboration, models and methods for managing conflicts, etc in details. A healthy organization climate can unblock creative potential of its employees, streamlining and facilitating efforts for the good of the organization and its employees.

Objectives
• Provide a comprehensive understanding of consonant sounds in English.
• Familiarize learners with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols for consonant sounds.
• Enhance pronunciation skills through the correct articulation of consonant sounds.
• Enable learners to distinguish between voiced and voiceless consonants
• Equip learners with practical examples to apply phonetic knowledge in speaking and listening effectively.
Introduction
Consonant sounds are an integral part of spoken English, contributing significantly to the clarity and intelligibility of speech. Unlike vowel sounds, consonants are produced with a degree of constriction or closure in the vocal tract, which modifies the airflow. These sounds can be categorized based on various parameters, such as their place of articulation, manner of articulation, and whether they are voiced or voiceless.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent these sounds, ensuring a consistent approach to learning pronunciation. Understanding consonant sounds and their IPA symbols allows learners to decode and produce words accurately, improving their overall communication skills.

Introduction

The total population of India according to recent estimates in 2015 is 1.28 billion (Anonymous, 2011). The population in the age-group of 15-34 years in India increased from 353 million in 2001 to 430 million in 2011. More than 50 per cent of India’s current population is below the age of 25 years old and over 65 per cent below the age of 35 years old.

The total population of Chhattisgarh State is 25,545,198 of which male and female are 12,832,895 and 12,712,303. Sex ratio is 991 i.e. for each 1000 male, which is above national average of 940. Literacy rate in Chhattisgarh has seen upward trend and is 71.04 per cent (Anonymous, 2011). Out of total population of Chhattisgarh 23.24 per cent people live in urban regions and 76.76 per cent people live in the villages of rural areas.

Women are the most potent segment of the population of a country. The women of today are the hopes of tomorrow. They are the back bone of the country. The socioeconomic development and prosperity of rural areas depends to a considerable extent, on the type of women living in rural areas, because the rural women have abilities to orient themselves to go along the main stream of the development process. They reflect the national potentiality and represent the life blood of a nation. Development of women determines the development of community and country as a whole. So, the future of the country lies in their hands, what they will become, what role they will play in a democratic society and what they will do, will be dependent to a greater extent on the period between their childhood to adulthood.

Consumer Behaviour / Buyers Behaviour

Marketing management can succeed easily and smoothly of the behaviour of present & potential consumers are understood properly. Marketing success or failure depends on target customers individual and group reactions. The individual buyer behaves in a different design and pattern depending upon the internal & external marketing environment. The individual attitude & motivation along with economic conditions influence the consumers to behave in a certain fashion. The consumer behaviour is primarily understood in the content of consumption goods. The factors influencing their behaviours are demographic, economic, sociological, cultural and psychological.
The aim of marketing is to need and satisfy target customers needs & wants. The field of consumer behaviour studies how individuals, groups and organizations select, buy, use & dispose of goods, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires.

Consumer perception plays a critical role in shaping agricultural marketing strategies, influencing purchasing decisions, brand loyalty, and market trends. This chapter explores the dynamic relationship between consumer behavior and agri-marketing strategies, emphasizing the psychological, social, and economic factors that drive consumer choices. This chapter explores consumer perception in agricultural marketing, focusing on factors that influence purchasing decisions, including quality assessment, branding, packaging, and labelling. It also examines the challenges faced by farmers, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, where traditional agricultural practices are shifting toward sustainability-driven approaches. The study highlights emerging trends in agricultural consumer behavior including the role of digital marketing, eco-labelling, and traceability in building trust and loyalty. Additionally, it discusses supply chain inefficiencies and marketing strategies that can enhance profitability for farmers while meeting consumer expectations. By integrating consumer-driven insights with innovative marketing approaches, this chapter presents a roadmap for improving agricultural market structures, fostering consumer confidence and ensuring sustainable growth in the agri-food sector.

Abstract
Consumer perception plays a critical role in shaping agricultural marketing strategies, influencing purchasing decisions, brand loyalty, and market trends. This chapter explores the dynamic relationship between consumer behavior and agri-marketing strategies, emphasizing the psychological, social, and economic factors that drive consumer choices. This chapter explores consumer perception in agricultural marketing, focusing on factors that influence purchasing decisions, including quality assessment, branding, packaging, and labelling. It also examines the challenges faced by farmers, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, where traditional agricultural practices are shifting toward sustainability-driven approaches. The study highlights emerging trends in agricultural consumer behavior including the role of digital marketing, eco-labelling, and traceability in building trust and loyalty. Additionally, it discusses supply chain inefficiencies and marketing strategies that can enhance profitability for farmers while meeting consumer  expectations. By integrating consumer-driven insights with innovative marketing approaches, this chapter presents a roadmap for improving agricultural market structures, fostering consumer confidence and ensuring sustainable growth in the agri-food sector.

4.1 Formulating Marketing Strategy for Agribusiness

STP – SEGMENTATION, TARGETING & POSITIONING

STP is the core concept which is followed while building a brand. A marketer decides a product which he is about to market first, and then goes about building a brand by deciding upon the specifications.

SEG MENTATION

Segmentation is process of dividing customers into a set of homogenous groups customers in general can be divided into groups based on geographic (or) location.

The below given chart like the major segmentation variable considered for consumer and industry market.

Agri Business Market Segmentation

The below given charts illustrates lists of segmentation variable that is customized for Agribusiness market. The following variable were suggested by the quarter Mr. Dute and were published in his base on principles of management in agribusiness segmentation based on physical attributes

Components of biodiversity are all the various forms of life on Earth including ecosystems, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms, and genetic diversity. Ecosystems, species and genetic resources should be used for the benefit of humans, but in a way that does not lead to the decline of biodiversity. Substantial investments are required to conserve biodiversity, but it will bring significant environmental, economic and social benefits in return. To address these challenges various initiatives were taken in the past such as Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, 1979 Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) in 1979.

Abstract

This chapter highlights the importance of re-engineering the functional processes prevalent in organizations today and realigning organizational resources with policies, procedures and systems that foster innovation in the technological and managerial space and institutionalize long term sustainability of businesses in emerging market economies such as India. These economies can serve as an engine for growth in a globalized era, if the intellectual capital of these economies is utilized and enhanced with maximum possible efficiency. It is in this scenario where entrepreneurial and decision making techniques based on the knowledge management-organizational learning continuum can help in the confluence of open innovation practices and stable management expertise. Such a comprehensive strategic shift from being a financial economy to a knowledge economy needs to be supported by integration of practical actions with the untapped cognitive potential of emerging economies. This chapter shall also be useful in explaining the importance of coexistence of competition and cooperation for enhancing the viability of the organizational ecosystem in the emergent Indian economy. 

Abstract

Intellectual property right (IPR) is the most serious, new branch of law and a legal right conferred by federal government in accordance with International conventions and treaties. IPR protects some of the finer manifestations of human achievement. IPR safeguards the application of ideas and information that are of commercial value. The exploitable ideas become more sophisticated and hope for a successful economic future depends increasingly upon the superior corpus of new knowledge and fashionable conceits.  Copyright law is one of the effective tools of IPR. Copyright law provides an incentive to creative activity of author and permits the society to benefit from those inventions. However, the technological advancement has made violation of copyright very easy and regulation very difficult. This paper aims at familiarizing  copyright laws and the powers enshrined in copyright laws.

I. INTRODUCTION

The Websites are soaked in information, much of it with varying degrees of copyright protection. In fact, the reality is that almost everything on the Net is protected by copyright law. E-business Websites are a composition of materials, often consisting of words, graphics, audio, and video that are expressed to the consumer as information content. The owners and Website developers carefully select the content to sell the company’s product or service. The subject matter expressed in the site is an electronic publication of this content. Since, designing, producing, and maintaining a sophisticated Website is very expensive, protecting content ownership is extremely important. Electronic commerce will continue to be highly competitive. As Websites become more and more interactive with consumers, their creation, design, and maintenance place enormous demands on innovative marketing techniques that should be legally protected.

Never before has it been so easy to violate a copyright owner’s exclusive right to copy the material. Everyone with a computer and an Internet connection creates his own Web pages and thus become a publisher. Hence the rules that once applied to only a few companies bind million of people now. Imagine having paid a Website developer hundreds of thousands of rupees to launch a killer application and acquiring millions of Rupees from a venture capitalist firm, only to discover that another e—business is using your online material. Or consider a scenario where your Website is linked to an e-business that displayed copyrighted material without the owner’s consent. Could your company be liable under a theory of copyright infringement? This paper highlights the scenario when contents of your Website are exploited by others without your permission or knowledge. The discussion is centered on copyright issues involved in the practices of linking, inlining and framing technologies which are normally being used on the Internet.

Copyright is a legal entitlement granted to creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, as well as producers of cinematographic films and sound recordings. This legal right encompasses various privileges, including the reproduction, adaptation, translation, and communication to the public of the work. The composition of these rights may vary slightly, depending on the nature of the work. Along with Intellectual Property (IP), Copyright is a legal concept that safeguards the rights of creators and inventors. Copyright confers upon creators the exclusive legal right to reproduce, distribute, and exhibit their work, while IP comprises other legal rights such as patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Copyright applies to a diverse range of creative works, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, as well as sound recordings and cinematographic films. Piracy is a worldwide issue that adversely affects various content industries, such as software, television, recording, and movies.

Copyright and IP laws play a crucial role in promoting creativity and innovation by safeguarding the rights of creators and inventors. These laws grant exclusive rights to creators and inventors, allowing them to financially benefit from their work. This encourages investment in research and development, leading to the creation of new ideas, products, and services. Without copyright and IP protection, creators and inventors may be discouraged from investing their time and resources into creating new works, resulting in a decline in innovation and economic growth. These laws also protect consumers by ensuring that they receive original, high-quality products and services instead of counterfeit or low-quality imitations.

Abstract

The agriculture and allied sector provide livelihood for 58% of India’s population. A large population and rising disposable incomes are key growth drivers. Growing external demand has increased its contribution to exports. The demand for processed food has also led to increasing requirements for agricultural inputs, hybrid seeds, machinery and fertilizers. Investment opportunities in storage infrastructure and agrochemicals also present immense opportunities. Organised retail has made India attractive for multinationals. The industry has a combination of multiple organisational forms, like associations, co-operatives, government (departmental) undertakings, foreign entities, trusts and companies, private and public. Unlisted companies encompass a vast range (private limited companies, family business, group-owned firms, and joint ventures are major actors.) The form and complexity of business ownership highlights Corporate Governance (CG) debate. Given this background, our objective is to understand the CG characteristics of unlisted agricultural and allied companies operating in India, the driving forces for improving CG practices, and the need for a policy framework in supporting good CG. We propose to examine the extent of control in the various types of entities and explore the mechanisms that contribute to the development of an efficient CG framework. Using data from the Prowess database, on 2,879 firms, from 2012-2013 to 2016-17, we analysed how CG problems are caused and how it can be alleviated. The results provide stakeholders and agri entrepreneurs with an overview of the policy and managerial issues that arise in the debate on CG of companies in this key sector. Finally, we conclude how the unlisted companies are likely to stimulate growth and development if CG mechanisms are enhanced.

Organizations Indebtedness Towards Society

The organizations in the present world operate as an open system by having ongoing interactions with the society for their existence and effective functioning. There is an interdependence between corporations and societies and as such, company’s activities have a direct impact on the communities with which they work.  As a part of such interactions, the organizations use valuable resources of the society, for producing goods and services, which are exchanged with the customers for a profit margin. Due to these exchanges, the business organizations take away the profits reflecting the debt they owe to the society and the world.

Abstract
Corporate Social Responsibility is one of emerging term now-a-days in the corporate arena. Sustainable growth is possible only when all sphere of the society is self sustained. Since the early 1990’s, corporate responsibility issues including social obligation of corporations have attained prominence in political and business debates. This is mainly in response to corporate scandals but also due to realisation that development centred only on economic growth paradigms is unsustainable and therefore there is a need for more pro-active roles by states, companies and communities in a development process aimed at balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and social cohesion. Some people think sustainability is all about environmental issues. Others see it in terms of the bottom line. And then, of course there are the people who use the term synonymously with corporate social responsibility. CSR and Sustainable development are two different concepts having different traits. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) promotes a vision of business accountability to a wide range of stakeholders who are directly and indirectly dealing with corporate entities, besides shareholders and investors. Therefore, there is a need for evaluating the working of CSR on social sustainability. Besides, this paper try to identify the key areas of concern are environmental protection and the wellbeing of employees, the community and civil society in general, both now and in the future (by international institute for Sustainable Development),various issues and challenges faced by corporate bodies.

7.1 Investment Analysis for Agribusiness Projects

Financeis the Art and science of managing money. Financial Management is the manage rial activity concerned with the planning and controlling of the firm’s financial resources. Finance can be classified as Public finance, Private finance (Personal & Business), and finance for Non-Profit organizations. The objectives of financial management are Profit Maximization and Wealth Maximization.

The Cash flow is the net amount of cash and cash-equivalents moving into and out of a business.The types include Operating Cash Flows, Investing Cash Flows and Financing Cash Flows. Annuity cash flows are a series of periodic cash flows of equal amount. The time value of money is the change in the value of money as a result of change in the time duration. They are broadly classified into Future Value of Money and Present Value of Money.

Capital Budgeting is long-term planning form aking and financing proposed capital outlays. It is the process of making investment decisions in capital expenditures. The influential factors ofCapital Budgeting are Urgency, Degree of certainty, Intangible factors, Legal factors, Availability of funds, Future earnings, Obsolescence, Cost considerations, R&D projects and Competitivepressure.

Theory of Costs

In both short-run and long-run analyses, there exist different cost curves.

Short run is the duration of a given factor or factors. Equipment and business owners are typically fxed in the near term

Long run is the period over which all factors become variable.

Fixed costs: are those expenses that remain constant regardless of output or production levels.. Eg: depreciation, annual maintenance cost etc.

Variable cost: are those expenses that change depending on the volume of output eg : inputs/raw material costs, wages etc.

Short Run Cost Curves

There are seven cost concepts or curves in short run analysis. They are :

1. Total cost (TC)
2. Total Fixed cost (TFC)