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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 × End date: 2017 × Start date: 2015 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Impact of Crop Insurance Scheme in selected districts of Bihar: A micro level study.
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2016) Kumari, Mrinali; Singh, K. M.
    At micro-level investigations have been made to estimate the adopters and non- adopters of crop insurance scheme in East Champaran and Sheohar districts of Bihar. The study was based on primary data obtained from adopter and non-adopter of crop insurance. These districts were selected as the highest number of adopter of crop insurance were found in East Champarn district and lowest number of adopter of crop insurance in Sheohar district of Bihar. Further, twenty five adopters and twenty five non-adopter of crop insurance were selected randomly from each of the two selected district. In this way, altogether 100 respondents (50 adopter and 50 non-adopter of crop insurance) were selected for the investigation in the present study. The study revealed that the large proportion of both adopter and non-adopter farmers belonged to the age group 45 years and above 40.00 per cent in case of adopter and 44.00 per cent in case of non-adopter. Majority of respondents were secondary education in both adopter and non-adopter categories i.e. 32.00 and 28.00 per cent respectively in both the districts as a whole. Income level, in both the districts, the adopter of crop insurance constituted more than the non-adopter of crop insurance irrespective of the annual income except for the highest income group (more than 150000), were found to be 14.00 percent in case of adopter and 32.00 per cent in case of non-adopter in both the districts as a whole. It was also tried to know the willingness to pay insurance premium by adopters of crop insurance. It was found that only 8.00 per cent of the respondents were willing to pay crop insurance premium in East Champaran. Similar trend was observed in Sheohar district. It was also found that most of the respondents got credit from non-institutional source i.e. private money lenders who charged high interest. They did not go to the governmental institutions due to lengthy process and were time consuming. Satisfaction level of the respondent was also worked out and it was found that most of the marginal farmers of both the districts were un-satisfied (44.00 per cent) and among small this percentage was as high as (52.00 per cent). Overall satisfaction level of both the districts under study was equal (16.00 per cent). It was also attempted to know which socio-economic variable play an important role in adoption and non-adoption of crop insurance. For this purpose discriminant analysis was carried out. The criteria for evaluation the relative contribution of each variable as discriminator between two groups are the values of standardized canonical co-efficient, structure co-efficient. It was found that among eight factors, five made positive impact and three negative to discriminate between adopter and non-adopter. The standardized co-efficient for awareness (b=0.847), satisfaction level (b=0.583) and income level (b= -0.329) are the highest contributors. To find out the constraints to adoption of crop insurance, Garrett ranking technique was used and it was found that lack of capacity to pay premium was common in both districts at second most important. However, shorter period of time allowed by the banker for applying for crop insurance was rank first in East Champaran and in case of Sheohar district the rank first given to tedious and time consuming procedures for crop insurance.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Value Chain Study of Rice: A Comparative Study of Bihar and Karnataka States, (India)
    (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Samastipur), 2016) Pavithra, A. S.; Singh, K. M.
    The present investigation was aimed for analyzing comparative value chain addition of rice production and marketing in Bihar and Karnataka States,(India). The study was based on primary data collected from 300 stakeholders selected using simple random sampling method from two purposively selected districts East Champaran and Davangere of Bihar and Karnataka, respectively, duly categorized into paddy growers, paddy wholesalers, millers, rice wholesalers, rice retailers and consumers. In the study, farmers were the first value adding actors, farmers could earn on an average of the gross return per hectare was Rs 44,641.8 (East Champaran) and Rs 1,32,117.26 (Davangere) by cultivating paddy. The farmers sell produce after meeting their family consumption and a little quantity was left with them as marketable surplus. They added value of Rs 115.71 per quintal by drying, Rs 86.77 per quintal by selling in markets and Rs 127.27 per quintal by storing (speculation) of produce to sell in future in case of East Champaran district and in case of Davangere district, the value addition was comparatively larger then East Champaran, indicating thoroughly Rs 132.85 per quintal, Rs 123.9 per quintal and Rs 165.9 per quintal of paddy, respectively. Farmers were not aware of value chain system theoretically, but practically some of them were following these methods. Paddy wholesalers were the second important key players in rice value chain. Paddy wholesalers used to collect paddy from local farmers in both districts under investigation and supplied to the rice millers in the same areas. The wholesaler added value of average Rs 65.8 per quintal and Rs 75.67 per quintal in case of both districts under study, respectively. Rice millers were the highest and important value adder in rice value chain, rice millers were added value in three stages purchasing of paddy, milling of paddy and selling of rice. Total selling cost was found Rs 36.39 per quintal and Rs 43.58 per quintal in East Champaran (Bihar) and Davangere (Karnataka) districts, respectively. The value addition by rice millers in East Champaran district was estimated about 81.21 per cent and 26.55 per cent, shared by marketing and milling, while it was 60.63 per cent and 32.95 per cent in Davangere district, respectively. Rice wholesalers were observed as the fourth actor in value chain, they gained less value addition, showing about 10.69 per cent (323.92 Rs/ quintal) and 11.05 per cent (412.79 Rs / quintal) with respect to rice purchase price, in both of East Champaran and Davangere districts, respectively. The profit earned from rice was Rs 2.38 per kg (East Champaran) and Rs 3.11 per kg (Davangere). Rice retailers were found to be final value chain actor in the rice value chain and they received less value addition among all actors. The profit earned by marketing of rice was estimated to be Rs 2.57 per kg and Rs 3.62 per kg of rice in both the districts under study. Consumers were the ultimate person who had designated position in value chain, even though they were not main actor in value chain. It was observed that the trend for last three years of area, production and productivity of paddy produce were positive and constant growth, the productivity was found to be 42.91 quintal/ha in East Champaran, whereas in Davangere district, it was observed slightly decreasing trend, it might be due to diversification from paddy crop to other cash crops/plantation crops. Lack of remunerative price, natural calamities and release of canal water and labour shortage etc. were identified as major constraints in production of paddy. Major marketing problems faced by farmers in the study area were unstable price, financial problem, transportation facility, middlemen etc. In case of paddy wholesalers, procurement and other expenses, financial problem, market instability and price fluctuation etc. were accounted for major constraints in the study area. Market fluctuation, financial problem, irregular supplies of produce, government policy were located as major constraints which were faced by rice millers in both the selected study area. The wholesalers revealed financial problem, procurement and other expenses, price fluctuation, market instability in both the district as meet from above. In case of rice retailers it was noticed that price fluctuation, financial problem, distant market, market instability, and competition were the main problems mainly faced by rice retailers, in both the study area. Some constraints were also reported by the consumers which were artificial scarcity, variation in price, and low quality of produce, adulteration, in both the districts of both the states under study. The problems/constraints as stated above might be addressed and decision steps must be taken by the concerned authorities/ officials to raise the income level of the farming community.