eChapters

7.1. Marketing institutions

Business organizations which have come up to operate the marketing machinery.

Individuals, corporate, co-operative and government institutions are operating in agricultural marketing.

4.1. Definition

Kohls and Uhl refer to expansion of firms by consolidating additional marketing functions and activities under a single management.

Establishment of wholesaling facilities by food retailers and setting up of another plant by a milk processor.

Abstract

Entrepreneurs take responsibility of their ‘business’ tad differently than their counterpart, the traditional businessman. A businessman walks on the pre-defined route whereas the entrepreneur creates his own alley-way, which if successful, becomes the rulebook for that trade. Lately, ecological issues have taken centre-stage as climatic changes have endangered the sustainable growth of the business. A new breed of entrepreneurs, alias ecopreneurs, functions in this ‘new’ space and endeavour to frame an innovative business landscape. Ecopreneurs possess singular focus on the safe-keep of the ecology. But in order to sustain the efforts of businesses in ecology, it is imperative that they remain economically viable too. Thus, ecopreneurial process is not only about fulfilling the business’ responsibility towards ecology, but also about the marketability of the product or service. In order to evaluate the ecopreneurial process, organic farming is considered as a case. In this paper, selected organic farms are analysed in an environment - market continuum, developed particularly for this study which is in tandem with the works of Schaltegger (2002) and Blake and Mouton (1964).The study reveals inadequacy of market performance of the individual and farm level ecopreneurs in the state of West Bengal, in spite of their strong inclination towards care for the environment.

2.1. Market structure

Refers to those organizational characteristics of a market which influence nature of competition and pricing, and affect the conduct of business firms.

Those characteristics of market which affect the traders behavior and their performances.

Formal organization of functional activity of a marketing institution.

A knowledge of structure is essential to identify imperfections in performance of a market.

1.1. Concept and definition

1.1.1. Marketing

Process of getting right goods or services or ideas to right people at right place, time, and price using right promotion techniques and utilizing appropriate people to provide customer service associated with those goods, services, or ideas.

Indian dairy sector has made significant progress over the last few decades. Despite three decades of cooperative movement in India, however, a large proportion of milk and milk products in India continues to be marketed through the ‘informal or unorganized sector’. Although the share of organized market has steadily increased over the last few decades, the informal sector comprising middlemen, private milk traders and direct sale from producer to consumer, still accounts for nearly 80 percent of existing milk marketing pattern in the country. Milk contributes more to the national economy than any other farm commodity more than 10.5 billion dollars in 1994-95 (Dairy India 1997). In the context of poverty and malnutrition, milk has a special role to play for its many nutritional advantages as well as providing supplementary income to some 70 million farmers in over 500,000 remote villages (Dairy India 1997).  In their study, Datta and Ganguly (2002) reported that if the current growth continues for the next twenty years (the nation has been growing at a rate between 5 and 7 percent over past five years), milk consumption is likely to more than double by 2020. So above the discussion drives us to analyse the marketing behaviour of dairy farmers.

The study area, Tamilnadu, was selected purposively and out of seven agro-ecological zones in Tamil Nadu, western region has been selected purposively as it highest share in both the bovine population and milk production in the state. And both organized and unorganized milk marketing system working in this zone with largest number of milk plants.

3.1. Marketing efficiency

Degree of market performance.

Whether it fulfills objectives assigned or maximizes fulfillment of objectives with given level of resources (or costs)

Whether it is responsive to impulses generated through environmental changes and whether impulses are transmitted at all levels in the system.

For example

Farmers expect quick market clearance and higher prices for their produce

Consumers expect ready availability of products in form and quality desired at lower prices

Traders and other functionaries expect steady and increasing incomes

Government expects system to safeguard interest of all three sections to maximize welfare of society.

3.1. Marketing efficiency

Degree of market performance.

Whether it fulfills objectives assigned or maximizes fulfillment of objectives with given level of resources (or costs)

Whether it is responsive to impulses generated through environmental changes and whether impulses are transmitted at all levels in the system.

For example

Farmers expect quick market clearance and higher prices for their produce

Consumers expect ready availability of products in form and quality desired at lower prices

Traders and other functionaries expect steady and increasing incomes

Government expects system to safeguard interest of all three sections to maximize welfare of society.

Introduction

Livestock sector has been an integral component of Indian agriculture since time immemorial due to its multifarious contributions to the society in the form of nutrient-rich food products, clothing, drought power, income and employment. India has huge population of livestock. Of the total livestock population of the world, India alone has about one-fifth cattle population. As per the 20th livestock census estimate, total livestock population in the year 2019 was over 535 million. Among the livestock products, milk is the most important. India has a glorious history of outstanding achievement in transforming itself from milk deficit country to world’s biggest milk producer over the span of three decades. With over 300 million bovines and producing over 198 million tonnes of milk in 2019-20, the Indian dairy sector exhibits strong growth potential. Despite COVID-19 induced restrictions, which has thrown the smallholder milk producers from the frying pan to fire, the organized dairy sector showed positive growth rate of around 1% in the last f iscal– the lowest in a decade. Despite these proud boasts, poor productivity potential of Indian milch herd is a major cause of concern that may threat its numero one position in future.

The major causes of low milk productivity in India are both intrinsic (low genetic potential) and extrinsic (poor nutrition/feed management). Empirical studies in India have shown that enhancing quality and quantity of feed and fodder has greater impact than breed improvement on increasing milk productivity (Lalwani, 1989; Gaddi and Kunal, 1996; IAEA, 2006; Roy et al., 2020). The timely unavailability of nutritionally rich feed and fodder is a major hitch that impinges on the productivity growth of farm animals in the country. Nonetheless, with increase in agricultural production over the time, the animal feed availability has also improved, but its supply always falls short of the aggregate demand. At national level, the recent reported shortage in green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates is 11.24%, 23.4% and 28.9%, respectively (Roy et al. 2019), and the scenario is more unnerving in few Indian states where the fodder deficit is above 25% (Fig 1).

5.1. Meaning and importance of risk

Hardy defined as uncertainty about cost, loss or damage.

Inherent in all marketing transactions.

Destruction of produce by fire, rodents or other elements, quality deterioration, price fall, change in tastes, habits or fashion, and risk of placing commodity in wrong hands or area.

Longer the time lag, greater will be the risk.

Cannot be dispensed with and be ar the risk in marketing process.

One who holds commodity in process is risk bearer, because of which he may be better off or worse off

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Mass flow and diffusion are processes which cause the redistribution of many components within the soil profile. They are usually investigated because they cause a redistribution of materials such as fertilizers and pesticides which are added to the soil, or because of the need to reduce salt concentrations to levels safe for crop growth. This has given an economic incentive to the investigations, but the processes are also basic to our understanding of the development of soil properties. For example, diffusion is the main process for the movement of gases into and out of the soil, which in turn affects many soil properties (Chapter 7), and mass flow of water is an important cause of the formation of horizons in soil profiles (Chapter 8). Hence there are both academic and economic reasons for attempting to understand the way the processes operate in soils.

Over the last few years our understanding has increased considerably. It is the purpose here to give the principles which have been evolved in this recent work, and to discuss their application. It will also be shown that many problems remain to be solved.

Diffusion means a spreading out, and is caused by random thermal motion, as is the Brownian movement of colloidal particles observable under the microscope. In unstirred liquids, which are our main concern in this chapter, all the molecules and ions of the solvent and solute have this random movement (molecules and ions in gases and some solids behave similarly). As a result of this motion, which occurs randomly in all directions, any irregularities in the concentration of a solution or mixture of gases eventually disappear.

Introduction

India being a developing nation is trying to reach a balance in ever increasing population with marginal increase in crop production. There occurred a bigbang in crop production during the green revolution era however this also resulted in creation of infertile, barren lands with low chemical nutrient input responsive soils. Soil fertility is the major constraint among resource poor Indian farmers as lesser benefits are harnessed by use of newer agricultural protocols/tools/products viz improved varieties, productive technology from less fertile soils. There is dire need for looking for the alternative technologies of food or crop production to satiate the hunger of burgeoning Indian population. Today there is enormous emphasis on the conservation facets of soil fertility and crop productivity which are the instrumental philosophies in sustainable agriculture. Biofertilizers are the cost effective, ecofriendly and renewable resource of plant nutrients that could well supplement the use of already functional and popular chemical fertilizers for obtaining increase in crop yield without over hazardous impacts on various facets of soil chemistry, fertility and microbial diversity to attain sustainable agricultural system.

Microbial inoculants in agriculture, horticulture and forestry can be defined as preparations containing strains of microorganisms which can augment the microbiological process such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate mobilization, excretion of growth promoting substances, decomposition of organic wastes, biocontrol of insect pests and diseases etc. Thus they become an important component of sustainable agriculture. Microbial inoculants are based on renewable sources available in soil and nature and are low cost input and eco-friendly. These inoculants carrying the microorganisms when applied to soil/plant promote plant growth and productivity.

Mass Production of Bacterial Inoculants

Strain Selection and Improvement

In biofertilizer technology, strain selection occupies the foremost criteria, so as to explore its biological potentialities for the beneficiary crop. The selected strain used in biofertilizer production must be efficient to grow fast besides retain desirable potentialities of biological activities, which should be present in desired high numbers and must be stable. The strain must be improved periodically so as to sustain the productivity.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful and versatile analytical technique through which mass of an atom, or a molecule is assessed. It helps for identification and structure elucidation of various complex compounds. The instrument used is known as Mass Spectrometer. It serves the purpose of qualitative identification, confirmation as well as the quantification of an atom or a molecule. MS identification is conclusive because the mass spectrum of each substance is unique. In general, MS instruments are composed of a sample inlet, an ionization source, a molecule accelerator, a detector, an amplifier, and a recorder (Figure 7.1)

The concept of leadership revolves around the figure of a person who wields influence over a group of individuals. Such an individual often emerges through their ability to initiate and guide social behavior, directing the efforts of others, organizing tasks, or exerting control, often leveraging their prestige, power, or positional authority. In various social contexts, a leader is recognized as someone whose ideas and actions significantly impact the thoughts and behaviors of those around them. This recognition can occur spontaneously or through deliberate selection, where certain individuals within a society operate within groups to guide and influence members towards specific actions.

Leadership, therefore, is construed as a dynamic process wherein individuals endeavor to shape the behavior of others within a tangible scenario. One commonly accepted definition, posited by Rogers and Olmsted, characterizes leadership as the endeavor to persuade individuals to collaborate towards a goal perceived as beneficial by the collective. Another perspective, articulated by Hepple, frames leadership as the role and status held by one or more individuals within the organizational structure of a group. This status enables these individuals to facilitate the functioning of the group and fulfill its objectives, which often necessitate the cooperative efforts of its members. Thus, leadership emerges as a multifaceted phenomenon, encompassing both the actions of influential individuals and the structural dynamics within group organizations.

The research methodology constitutes a comprehensive and well-structured plan of action for conducting the investigation and serves as a blueprint for the research process. Its purpose is to gain an understanding of the underlying concepts, methods, and techniques employed to define the study, gather relevant information, analyse data, and interpret the findings, thereby revealing concrete evidence and formulating theories.

In this chapter, an in-depth exploration of the research methodology is undertaken to comprehend the concepts, methods, and techniques employed for designing the study, gathering data, conducting data analysis, and interpreting the results. To facilitate clarity and ease of comprehension, the chapter has been divided into the following sub-headings:

1. Research Design

2. Locale of research

3. Pilot study

4. Sampling Design

5. Variables and their Empirical measurement 6. Methods of Data collection

7. Preparation of Interview Schedule

8. Item analysis and Expert’s rating for devising scoring technique for variables

9. Pre-testing of Interview Schedule

10. Data Processing and Analysis for FCM

11. Statistical Tools used for Data Analysis

12. Software used for Data Analysis

7.1 The Formula Palette

By clicking on the equals sign in the formula bar a drop – down panel called the formula palette appeared.

Consider an example, type number 25 in cell A1 and move the cell pointer to cell B2. type or click the equal sign in the formulabar. Adrop – down panel will display formula result = and wait for further inputs. Enter sqrt result to 5 at B2.

The dialog box divides into parts as

(a) Name of the function at the top left of the argument entry box.

(b) Below of this there is the definition or description of the function.

(c) Next, there is an entry explanation.

(d) Formula result.

Things to remember: Any statistical or mathematical function can be activated with = (equal to) sign.

Introduction

Flat plate collector is the heart of a solar heat collection system designed for delivery of heated fluid in the low to medium temperature range (5o70oC above ambient temperature) for applications, such as water heating, space heating, drying and similar industrial applications. The flat plate collectors absorb both beam and diffuse radiation. The absorbed radiation is converted into heat which is transferred to water or air flowing through the collector tubes or duct, respectively. Such collectors do not require tracking of the sun and little maintenance is required.

The conventional flat plate solar air heater, shown in Fig. 7.1, consists of a flat blackened absorber plate, a transparent cover (such as a glass cover) at the top and insulation at the bottom and on the sides. The air to be heated flows through the rectangular duct below the absorber plate. The glass cover transmits a major part of solar radiation incident upon it to the absorber plate where it is converted into heat. The glass is, however, opaque to longwavelength radiation and thus it does not allow the infrared radiation from the heated absorber plate to escape.

Karwa et al. (2002) have presented the following deductions of heat collection rate and pumping power equations for the flat plate solar air heater.

7.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the development of data logger of agricultural field parameter monitoring system with MATLAB. The system comprises of Arduino, water level sensor, humidity sensor, light sensor, soil moisture sensor, temperature sensor, smoke detector, power supply, PC with MATLAB. The system is designed to monitor the environment and agriculture field parameters. The field device is designed to collect all physical parameters and same is communicated serially to MATLAB with I/O package. Fig.7.1 shows block diagram of the system. Table.7.1 shows the component list required to develop the system.