Volatile Price and Declining Profitability of Black Pepper in India: Disquieting Future

Historically, black pepper has been a highly tradable commodity; its domestic price, production as well as profitability are highly influenced by its international prices. In 2003-04, the domestic prices of black pepper plunged down to Rs 74/kg from a peak of Rs 215/kg in 1999-2000. The study has therefore been undertaken to identify the drivers for its production, examine the profitability of the farmers and analyse the price behaviour and mechanism of price transmission in black pepper. Like other major spices, the production of black pepper in India has increased substantially over the years. Area under the crop and lagged export quantity have been the main drivers influencing pepper production in the country. From the field survey in two major black pepper growing districts, viz. Idukki and Wayanad, it has been revealed that the production of pepper has become unremunerative due to depressed prices in the domestic and/or global markets coupled with increasing input costs. Further, from the projections for production and demand for black pepper during the period 2005-2015, it is learnt that its production is going to outpace the domestic demand in a big way. This requires a serious attention because until new and diversified export markets are not exploited, the farmers would face further crash in farm gate price due to huge surplus stock. From the co-integration analysis, it has emerged that the three series of prices — farm harvest, domestic, and export, have been moving together over the years and the prices have tended to find equilibrium faster in the long-run than during the preliberalization period. The availability of disease-free planting material and financial assistance on easy terms would help the farmers to replace the senile plantation for realizing increased crop yield and profitability. The specific policies for integrating farm harvest price with retail price will not only help the producers but also make these spices somewhat more affordable to the domestic consumers.Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,

Reflection Characteristics of Inhomogeneous Plasma backed by Radar Absorbing Material

The radar cross section reduction can be achieved by controlling the reflections from the surface of the structure. Plasma envelope is one of the ways to control the reflections and scattering from the surface. The problem of EM propagation within bounded plasma can be approximated as multi-layered dielectric problem. The overall reflection from an inhomogeneous plasma on a RAM covered conducting surface is discussed in this paper. The assumed structure is multi-layered, consisting of plastic, plasma, radar absorbing material and conductor. The propagation characteristic of the electromagnetic wave is analyzed using impedance transformation method. The dependence of reflection behavior of the multilayered structure on the plasma parameters is studied. It is shown that the absorption and its bandwidth are improved due to plasma inhomogeneity

Influence of clipping and water stress on growth performance and nutrient value of four range grasses

The paper examines the effect of water stress and clipping treatments on growth behaviour and nutrient value of 4 grasses, viz.,Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis (both C3 plants), Chloris gayana and Panicum coloratum (both C4 plants). Biomass, net production, relative growth rates were affected more markedly and adversely in the two C4 species due to water stress. The effect of clipping varied with species and was generally more marked and adverse in two C4 species. The C3 plants developed higher R:S ratio under water stress. Water stress resulted in a greater decline of total non-structural carbohydrate and protein content in the two Q species. Clipping affected adversely the non-structural carbohydrate content and again the effect was more marked in the two C4species. On the other hand, protein content in shoots of all plants increased due to clipping

Contribution of Kodavas to the Indian Armed Forces

Identity is a dynamic phenomenon constructed as a collective product of the actions, interactions, cognition and self-cognizance of human beings. In exploring identity as a product of individual factors and contextual - historical factors embedded in a socio-political context, this paper focuses on the contribution of the Kodavas, a community who form a substantial minority in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka to the Indian Armed Forces. Speaking a separate language, adhering to a clan-based social structure, following a belief system that is at substantial variance to other parts of the state, and at times even asserting a historical origin exterior to India, the group carries a larger number of markers that has led them to be regarded and portrayed as one of India’s groups of ‘internal exotics’. Based on literature, this paper aims to bring to light the historical relationship of this community with the Armed Forces. Further, the paper also initiates a discussion on the current status of military fervor among the Kodava youth and the necessary measures to be taken to uphold the warrior spirit of the Kodavas

Algorithm for Suppression of Wideband Probing in Adaptive Array with Multiple Desired Signals

The integrity of signal environment for a navigation system among other factors depends critically on the capability of the adaptive antenna array in controlling (reconfiguring) its radiation pattern for various signal scenarios. For a signal environment consisting of simultaneous multiple desired signals and probing sources, the output signal-to-noise ratio of the adaptive antenna array depends on the efficiency of the adaptive algorithm employed for weight estimation. Sufficient antenna gain is required to be maintained towards each of the desired signals, while simultaneously suppressing returns towards the sources probing from distinctly different directions. The weight estimation for the multiple desired signal environments is carried out using a novel modified version of the improved least mean square (LMS) algorithm. This modified scheme effectively suppresses the narrowband/wideband probing towards the antenna array (linear/planar). The weight estimation and the steering vector are adapted according to the multiple desired signal environments. Each spectral line of the wideband source is considered as an independent narrowband source. This is incorporated in the correlation matrix of the received signal. The simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of this novel algorithm in active cancellation of narrowband/wideband probing sources, even while the simultaneous multiple signals in desired directions are maintained. The performance of the proposed algorithm is reported to be better than that of standard LMS and recursive LMS algorithm.Defence Science Journal, 2011, 61(4), pp.325-330, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.61.109

Low sidelobe level microstrip patch array: Em design and performance analysis

A high performance low-profile antenna array with low sidelobe level (SLL) and optimum beamwidth is in general preferred in several communication related applications. In this paper a planar microstrip array antenna with low SLL up to -20 dB and high gain performance is designed for 10 GHz. The dimensions of patch antenna is tapered to achieve low SLL. The results for patch array with individual feed and a common feed are presented

Enhancement of Microwave Absorption Properties of Hexaferrite/Epoxy Composites on the Addition of Non-magnetic Oxides

The effect of non-magnetic oxides such as Al2O3, TiO2 and ZnO on the microwave absorption properties of magnetoplumbite barium hexaferrite (BaFe11.8Co0.2O19) is analyzed. Barium hexaferrite nanoparticles are synthesized through the sol-gel auto-combustion method. BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3, BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-TiO2 and BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-ZnO composites are synthesized in a 1:1 ratio through mechanical mixing and heat treatment. The epoxy composites are fabricated with 50% loading of BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3, BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-TiO2 and BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-ZnO in epoxy matrix followed by room temperature curing. The powder XRD analyses showed homogeneous distribution of BaFe11.8Co0.2O19 and Al2O3 in BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3 composite while TiO2 and ZnO phases dominate in BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-TiO2 and BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-ZnO composites, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy shows the evenly distributed BaFe11.8Co0.2O19 and Al2O3 in BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3 composites. The electromagnetic characterization calculated from experimental permittivity and permeability shows reflection loss RL ≤ -10 dB (≥ 90% absorption) for a very small thickness of 0.5 mm over the entire X-band (8-12 GHz) for BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3 composites. BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-TiO2 and BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-ZnO show RL < - 8 dB with a thickness of 2.5 mm over the frequency range 8–9.7 GHz and RL < - 8 dB with a thickness of 3.6 mm over 8.7-11.1 GHz, respectively. Further, when compared with BaFe11.8Co0.2O19 alone (RL < -7 dB at 3.2 mm in 8-11 GHz), the BaFe11.8Co0.2O19-Al2O3 composite is superior both in terms of the thickness of the coating as well as the percentage absorption in the X-band

Choice Models and Permutation Invariance

Choice Modeling is at the core of many economics, operations, and marketing problems. In this paper, we propose a fundamental characterization of choice functions that encompasses a wide variety of extant choice models. We demonstrate how nonparametric estimators like neural nets can easily approximate such functionals and overcome the curse of dimensionality that is inherent in the non-parametric estimation of choice functions. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that our proposed functionals can flexibly capture underlying consumer behavior in a completely data-driven fashion and outperform traditional parametric models. As demand settings often exhibit endogenous features, we extend our framework to incorporate estimation under endogenous features. Further, we also describe a formal inference procedure to construct valid confidence intervals on objects of interest like price elasticity. Finally, to assess the practical applicability of our estimator, we utilize a real-world dataset from S. Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995). Our empirical analysis confirms that the estimator generates realistic and comparable own- and cross-price elasticities that are consistent with the observations reported in the existing literature

A comparative study of benzalkonium chloride-free latanoprost versus benzalkonium chloride-preserved latanoprost on ocular surface health in patients of primary open angle glaucoma

Background: Prolonged use of anti-glaucoma therapy leads to development of ocular surface disease (OSD). The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of Benzalkonium chloride (BKC)-free latanoprost and Benzalkonium chloride (BKC)-preserved latanoprost on ocular surface health in patients of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, randomized, interventional, switch trial. 30 established cases of POAG who were already on BKC-preserved latanoprost for atleast more than three months were enrolled. Their Schirmer test and Tear film break-up time (TBUT) were recorded at the baseline. They were required to answer an ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire from which an OSDI score was calculated. They were switched to BKC-free latanoprost for another three months. On their follow-up visit at 6 weeks and 12 weeks, Schirmer test and Tear film break up time were performed again and OSDI score was calculated.Results: Schirmer test increased from 6.73±3.77 mm at baseline to 9.53±3.67 mm at 6 weeks and 11.97±3.53 mm at 12 weeks (p=0.001). Mean TBUT improved significantly from 6.77±3.82 seconds at baseline to 8.63±3.91 seconds at 6 weeks to 10.47±3.76 seconds at 12 weeks (p=0.001). OSDI score decreased from 31.55±23.32 at baseline to 23.42±21.93 at 6 weeks to 15.82±20.10 at 12 weeks (p=0.001).Conclusions: BKC-free latanoprost led to improvement in tear film status or ocular surface health of glaucoma patients as compared to BKC-preserved latanoprost