Production and Marketing of Rice and Millets in Tamilnadu

Abstract

v newlineABSTRACT newlineIndia accounts for 1/5th of the global population and it is growing so fast that it will overtake newlineChina and will become the most populous nation in the world. The pressure on land, water newlineand agricultural labour are increasing day by day, the agricultural productivity is not keeping newlinegrowth on par with human population growth. Besides human population growth the animals newlinelike milch animals, poultry and pet animals should also be taken into account for which the newlinestomach filler is from agriculture only. The agricultural productivity and profitability is newlinedirectly related to rural growth in India and in poverty in turn as a bearing on food and newlinenutritional security of the people. Presently 72% of India s population and 75% of the newlinecountry s poor living in rural areas. The poor in the country remain disproportionately rural, newlinewith most employed are self employed in agriculture. 2/3rd of the Indian population depends newlineon agriculture for its livelihood. newlineThough the agricultural productivity increases by means of utilizing high yielding newlinetechnologies, varieties, fertilizers and other farm innovative inputs, the profitability level of newlinethe farmer is not commensurate with productivity. If we look at the farm income level, it has newlinenot been substantially grown on par with the production of agricultural commodities. In all newlineproduction and manufacturing of commodities other than agriculture the producer will fix the newlinesale price whereas, it is not in the case pertaining to agriculture. newlineThough government provides supports to farm through fixing up of Minimum Support Price, newlinesubsidies and other supporting mechanisms like technological extension activities and credit newlinefacilities no one prefers to come forward to take up agriculture as a measure newlineentrepreneurship. So, it is the right time for us to intervene to get better farm profitability newlinethrough various innovations of marketing of the agricultural inputs. Then only, in future our newlinecountry may not face food scarcity which ultimately leads to famine. newlineStatistical tools viz., spearman correlation analysis, regression analysis, function analysis, newlineyield gap analysis, price spread analysis and supply response analysis were utilised in this newlinestudy. The conclusions for the commensurate of farmers profit with farm productivity newlinethrough production technologies and marketing strategies were suggested. newline newline