eChapters

Introduction

Sustainable farming, rooted in the harmonious interaction between nature and agriculture, stands as a beacon of hope for India's agricultural landscape, paving the way for a resilient and ecologically balanced future. In a world increasingly confronted by environmental challenges, the urgency to adopt sustainable farming practices has become paramount, and India, with its rich agricultural heritage, exemplifies a tapestry of wisdom and innovation in this regard.For millennia, India's agrarian communities have cultivated a deep relationship with the land, inheriting traditional farming practices that fostered harmony with nature. From the ancient techniques of the Indus Valley Civilization to the holistic principles of Ayurveda influencing farming methods, the country's agricultural history is a repository of sustainable wisdom. These practices, ingrained in the cultural fabric, not only sustained livelihoods but also preserved the ecological equilibrium.

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.

Table 6.1: Descriptive Statistics of Variable with respect to Minimum, Maximum, Range, Mean, Standard Deviation of Values, Variance, and Coefficient of Variance

Result: Table 6.1 presents the distribution of 24 independent variables (x₁-x₂₄) and 8 independent variables (y₁-y₈) in terms of their range, mean, standard deviation and co-efficient of variance.

Revelation: The distribution pattern of variable, age, depicts that the minimum age of the respondents is 25 and maximum is 80. The mean age is 49.830 with S.D 13.954. The Coefficient of variance (CV) is 28.003 per cent which indicates that the distribution pattern of the variable is highly consistent.

The distribution pattern of variable, education, depicts that the minimum education of the respondents is 0(illiterate) and maximum is 12 (12th standard). The mean education is 7.650 with S.D 3.043. The Coefficient of variance (CV) is 39.778 per cent which indicates that the distribution pattern of the variable is fairly consistent.

The distribution pattern of variable, no. of enterprise, depicts that the minimum number of respondents is 2 and maximum is 9. The mean no. of enterprise is 3.820 with S.D 1.388. The Coefficient of variance (CV) is 36.338 per cent which indicates that the distribution pattern of the variable is fairly consistent.

Research methodology is a detailed plan of investigation and the blue print of procedure for carrying out the research. In this chapter, discussion on the methodology has been made to understand the concepts, methods and techniques, which are utilized to design the study, collect information, analyzing data and interpreting the findings for revelation of truth and formulation of theories. The entire chapter has been broken up under following sub-heads for easy understanding:

1. Locale of research
2. Sampling design
3. Pilot study
4. Variables and their measurements
5. Methods of data collection
6. Statistical tools used for analysis of data

4.1 Research Setting

In any social science research, it is hardly possible to conceptualize and perceive the data and interpret the data more accurately until and unless a clear understanding of the characteristics in the area and attitude or the behavior of people is at commend of the interpreter who intends to unveil an understanding of the implication and behavioral complexes of the individual who live in the area under reference and form a representative part of the larger community. The socio-demographic background of the local people in a rural setting has been critically administered in this section. A research setting is a surrounding in which input and elements of research are contextually imbibed, interactive and mutually contributive to the system performance. Research setting is immensely important in the sense because it is characterizing and influencing the interplays of different factors and components.

In any scientific investigation and research, a comprehensive review of literature is very essential. Its main function, apart from determining the work done before concerning the problem area i.e., area of investigation, to provide an insight into the methods and procedures and create a basis for interpretation of findings. As direct references of all the items are not in abundance, certain specific references along with some indirect references have been incorporated in this chapter for the purpose of meaningful use. In the present study, reviews of literature have been summarized in the following table

To tackle modern-day challenges and attain a sustainable growth while managing farm enterprises, the farmers have to undergo rigorous behavioral change to transform themselves as entrepreneur. Thus, the present chapter deals with incorporating an understanding about the idea of an entrepreneur and entrepreneurship and the organization level, present status and promotional opportunities of FPOs.

2.1 Who is an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is someone or a group of individuals who conceptualize, start, and sustain for a long enough period of time a social organization that provides financial rewards, or, to put it another way, who see a business opportunity and create a firm to pursue it. (Cole,1968)

Albeit a mammoth volume of food grain production in India, 320 million tons and close to 350 million tons of vegetables production in 2023 evinces the emergence of mighty Indian agriculture over the geo-political expanse at global level, yet the income from agriculture to her 140 millions of farmers is not secured, persistent and satisfying. This is due to a mal orchestration of weather-market-job-technolgy uncertainties. The farmers producer organization offers them a new hope and aspiration for small-marginal tiny agricultural producers of India.

18.1 Introduction

The farmers have limited resources and a number of enterprises/or enterprise combinations of crops and livestock to choose from. So, the question is how much of what to produce and with what technology. In other words, what combination of enterprises should be produced is expressed as.

26.1 Introduction

In a single equation model, the dependent variable Y is expressed as a linear function of one or more explanatory variables (say X1 , X2 , ... XK ). In such models, an implicate assumption is that the cause and effect relationship between (Y, Xs) is unidirectional. Here explanatory variables are the cause and the dependent variable Y is the effect.

However, there are some situations where two way flow of influence among economic variables exists. Thus one economic variable affects other economic variables and in turn is affected by them. Thus, in the regression of money M on the rate of interest r, the single-equation method assumes implicitly that the rate of interest r is fixed and it is tried to find out the response of money demanded when the level of interest rate is changed.

25.1 Introduction

Farmers must be able to take appropriate decisions at appropriate time. Incorrect judgement and decisions will return in failure of execution of farm plan and in turn economic loss. The farm management decisions can be broadly categorised into two ways.

24.1 Introduction

Linear programming is a budgeting technique which is more refined and systematic than conventional budgeting in determining the optimum combination of enterprises or inputs so as to maximise the income or combination of enterprises or the income or minimise costs within the limits of available resources. It may be defined as “The analysis of the problem in which a linear function of a number of variables is to be maximised or minimised when these variables are subject to a number of restraints in the form of linear inequalities”, In linear programming models, the objective of the typical farm i.e maximisation of net profit or cost minimisation is achieved through an optimal plan generated from its solution.

23.1 Introduction

The following Frank Kright, the knowledge situation can be classified into the following logical possibilities:

23.2 Perfect Knowledge

There would be no need for farm management experts if knowledge was perfect. If there were so technology, prices and institutional behaviour would be known with certainty for any period of time in the nature. But the concept of perfect knowledge is a fallacious one and does not represent the real world situation.

22.1 Farm Planning

It refers to setting the objectives and actions to be taken in directing or controlling the organisation of farm business and it precedes all other managerial functions on the farm to achive the desired results. It is deciding in advance to the production management problems viz. what to produce, how to produce, when to produce, financial management problems viz how to borrow, how much to borrow, when to borrow, from where to borrow and marketing management problems viz, where to buy, and sell, when to buy and sell, how to buy and sell ete. Farm planning governs the survival progress and prosperity of farm organisation in a competitive and dynamic environment. It is a continuous and unending process. Farm planning is as old as farming itself but mainly it uses the farmal planning.

21.1 Cost Principle

 We know that

 TC = VC + FC

 and Net Revenue = TR-TC.

In the short run, gross revenue (G.R.) must cover the V.C. The maximum net revenue is obtained when MC = M.R. If GRs VC, the guiding principle should be to keep increasing production as long as MR > M.C. In the short run, MC = MR point may be at a level of input use that may involve a loss instead of profit. Yet at this point, the loss will be minimised.This situation of operating the farm when MR > AVC but

20.1 Introduction

The farm management is the science which concerns with making decisions and choices about combining different enterprises and the optimal utilisation of resources available. It is necessary to understand the typical farming decisions. Decisions can be classified into agricultural management decisions, administrative management decisions and marketing management decisions which are discussed below:

20.2 Organisational Management Decisions

These are further sub-divided into operational management decisions and strategic management decisions.

19.1 Introduction

The farm management comprises of two words: ‘farm’ and ‘management’. Literally ‘farm’ means a piece of land where crops and livestock enterprises are taken up under a common management and has a specific boundaries. ‘Management’ means the act or art of managing, the agricultural production or enterprises etc.

17.1 Introduction

Factor-factor relationship is concerned with the possibility of substituting one input factor (X1 ) for another input/factor (X2 ) for producing a given level of output. It answers the crucial question of finding out the optimum or least cost combination of two or more resources in producing the given amount of output. The two fold objective of factor-factor relationship is:

In production one or a combination of the following relationship are commonly observed:

1. The law of constant marginal returns (productivity)

 2. The law of increasing marginal returns (productivity)

 3. The law of decreasing marginal returns (productivity)

14.1 Introduction

In this chapter, we have to present the review matters related to the theory of the “Classical Linear Regression Model (C.L.R.M.) and Testing of Significance of Statistical Hypothesis”. Here, I have to provide the references about the topics and the names of the books from where the readers can refer about the availability of the subject matters (preliminaries, procedures and interpretations) of numerical results obtained through the statistical analysis carried out for the empirical studies considered there in.