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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa

In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa. Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex. Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.

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Subject: Agricultural Economics × Author: Kumari, Renu × End date: 2018 × Start date: 2016 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Production and marketing of Cauliflower in Samastipur district: an economic analysis
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur (Bihar), 2018) Kumari, Renu; Mishra, R.R.
    The present study aims at analyzing economic aspects with respect to Production and marketing of cauliflower in Samastipur district of Bihar, both primary data and secondary data from the base of the study. Primary data were collected from 100 cauliflower growers, located in five randomly selected villages of purposively selected Pusa block and Kalyanpur block of Samastipur district. The respondents were grouped into four farm size categories viz. marginal, small, medium and large farmers based on their size of holding. The results of the investigation indicated that average age of sample cauliflower growers was around 48 years. The number of family members in two-thirds of the sample households, varied between 5 and 7. About one-half of the respondents were secondary educated and one-third of them were educated up to primary level, while 8 per cent of them were illiterate. Majority of respondents were from OBC caste group. Average size of land holding was estimated at 1.56 hectares. It was found that proportion of cows and she-buffaloes increased with increasing size of farm. In contrast proportion of bullocks declined with increase in farm size. Indicating higher dependence of larger farm size households on machinery for agricultural operations. A positive correlation was noticed between the size of farms, value of implements and machinery. The gross- cropped area per sample households increased with increasing size of farm. Vegetables were grown in around one-fourth of the gross-cropped area. Out of the total area under vegetable major chunk was under cauliflowers. Agriculture, dairying, business and service were identified as important source of income to the sample households. Crop production emerged as the most important source of income, while contribution from total vegetables was 46.99 per cent of the total income. Cauliflower alone contributed 87.66 per cent of the total income from vegetables. Significant positive growth in area, production and productivity of cauliflower in Bihar was observed during the period 2001-02 to 2015-16, the area under cauliflower increased at the rate of 0.47 per cent per annum and 0.36 per cent per annum in period II and III, but in period I, it decreased at the rate of 0.04 per cent during period I. Growth in productivity of cauliflower registered an increasing trend during period I and II but it decreased at the rate of 2.14 per cent during period III. Production of cauliflower witnessed all most similar trend, during all the periods under consideration. The growth in area, production and productivity of cauliflower exhibited almost similar trend in case of Samastipur district. The cost of cultivation of cauliflower was estimated at Rs. 46257.71 per hectare, out of which variable cost accounted for 67.73 per cent and fixed cost made up remaining 32.27 per cent. In terms of cost concepts cost C3 was estimated at Rs.50883.49. About 99.00 per cent of the produced was found to be marketed surplus in cauliflower. Three marketing channels were identified for marketing of cauliflower in the study area. The channels were, channel-I (Producer-consumer), channel-II (Producer-wholesaler-retailer-consumer), and channel-III (Producer-commission agent (bazaar samiti)-wholesaler-retailer (distant market)-consumer). Out of the three channels channel-III was observed to be the most important channel as more than 50.00 per cent of produce was marketed through this channel alone. Producer‟s share in consumer‟s rupees was noticed to be higher (95.82 per cent) in channel-I, than that in channel-II (73.82 per cent) and channel-III (56.67 per cent). The marketing efficiency of channel-I, channel-II and channel-III was observed to be 22.91, 2.82 and 1.31, respectively. It indicated that marketing channel-I operated more efficiently in comparison with channel-II and channel-III. The mean level of TE, AE and CE suggested that there is considerable for decreasing inputs and thereby reducing the cost of cauliflower cultivation. Provision of liberal credit to the cauliflower growers installation of market information system. Development of infrastructural facilities (cold storage, pool-chain, refrigerated van) etc. Re-enactment of APMC act etcetera will go a long way in improving the marketing of cauliflower in the study area.