Socio-economic impact of bt cotton — a case study of Karnataka

The performance Bt technology and its impact on farming community have been assessed in northern Karnataka based mainly on primary data processed using production functions, decomposition analysis and logit model. On an average, per farm area under Bt cotton was 2.21 ha, accounting for 66 per cent of the total landholding. With a yield of 24 q/ha, Bt cotton has registered 31 per cent higher yield and 151 per cent higher net return over non-Bt, the net additional benefit being 18429/ha. The non-Bt cotton farmers use chemical fertilizers, organic manures and bullock labour excessively which result in a lower net returns. Technology has been found the major contributor to the total productivity difference between Bt and non-Bt cottons. Seed cost, yield of Bt cotton and cost of plant protection have been found to greatly influence the probability of adoption of Bt cotton. Non-availability of quality seeds and in required quantity have been identified as the most important factors constraining Bt technology adoption. The impact of Bt cotton, as perceived by the farmers, has been in terms of enhanced yield; reduced pest and disease incidence; increased income, employment, education and standard of living; and reduced health risk. To foster adoption, availability of quality and quantity of Bt cotton seed to farmers needs greater attention of development agencies, while researchers’ attention is called for incorporating resistance/tolerance to Spodoptera and pink bollworm

Value Chain Management in Production and Marketing of Groundnut in Raichur District of Karnataka

The study has investigated the value chain management in production and marketing of groundnut in the Raichur district of Karnataka during kharif 2008. In groundnut, TMV-2 is the ruling variety occupying 85 per cent of the area in the district, but it is prone to pests and cut worm leaf minor; disease such as groundnut bud necrosis and leaf spot cause damage to the extent of 25 per cent of the yield. This has led to a decline in area under groundnut in the district, especially during kharif in comparison with rabi/summer season. Therefore, it is necessary to replace TMV-2 with high-yielding varieties incorporating the traits preferred along the value chain, i.e., production, consumption and marketing of groundnut. The existing seed supply system is meeting the seed requirement only to the extent of 7 per cent. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the existing seed supply system for speedy seed multiplication and distribution of seeds to the farming communit

Agricultural Productivity, Rural Poverty and Nutritional Security: A Micro Evidence of Inter-Linkages from Karnataka State

The inter-linkages amongst agricultural productivity, rural poverty and nutritional security have been analysed based on a study of Bagalkot district of Karnataka state using primary data for the agricultural year 2005-06 obtained from 120 farm households. The data have been processed using ratios, frequencies, percentages, regression analysis and probit model. Agricultural productivity has negatively and significantly influenced rural poverty at the farm level. Low agricultural productivity is the root cause of rural poverty. Household size and number of dependents therein have positively influenced rural poverty. Optimization of household size or increase in the number of earning members of the household would reduce poverty. Nutritional security is greatly influenced by the level of rural poverty. To upgrade the nutritional status of households, the study has suggested that effective poverty alleviation programmes aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity through transfer of productive assets instead of consumer goods to the poor, should be launched and effectively monitored. Agricultural credit being an important aspect of productivity, appropriate steps should be taken to increase the access of rural households to financial institutions

Adoption of chickpea cultivars in Andhra Pradesh: Pattern, trends and constraints

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the largest produced food legume in South Asia and the third largest produced food legume globally. Chickpea is grown in more than 50 countries. Asia accounts 89.7% of the area in chickpea production, followed by 4.3% in Africa, 2.6% in Oceania, 2.9% in Americas and 0.4% in Europe (Gaur, MP. 2010). India ranked first in terms of chickpea production and consumption in the world. About 65% of global area with 68 % of global production of chickpea is contributed by India (Amarenderreddy and Devrajmishra, 2010). Chickpea production has grown from 3.65 to 5.63 million tonnes between 1950-51 and 2004-05, registering a growth of 0.58% annually. During the period, area has marginally declined from 7.57 to 6.67 million hectare and the productivity has steadily increased to 844 kg/ha from 482 kg/ha (IIPR, 20009). Six states viz., Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh together contribute 91% of the production and 90% of the area under chickpea

Labor-Market Participation in Semi-Arid Tropical Villages of India with Specific Reference to Gender. Working Paper Series No. 55

The issue of gender differentials in relation to farm productivity in subsistence farming has been of special interest from the standpoint of public policy in developing countries, as the difference is often viewed from the angle of human capital theory and measurement of discrimination. The role of rural women in agricultural development draws not only the attention of the academicians but also of the politicians, assuming that gender equality does matter for overall economic development and welfare measurement..

Kapanimbargi Village at a Glance

Forty-two villages were selected (18 in semi-arid tropics (SAT) of peninsular India, 12 in humid tropics of East India and 12 in Bangladesh) based on certain relevant characteristics, as part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)-supported Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The aim of the project was to track rural poverty in household and village economies in the region, to provide the most efficient way to understand the farming systems in rural areas, and to identify the socioeconomic constraints faced by the farming community. In the SAT region, 18 villages spread across 9 districts in 5 states were identified for the study, of which 6 were chosen in 1975 under the erstwhile Village Level Studies (VLS) project of the then Economics Program of ICRISAT, and the other 12 were included in the expanded VDSA project during 2009. Kapanimbargi is one of these 12 new villages

Markabbinahalli Village at a Glance

In the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)- supported Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 42 villages (18 in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of peninsular India, 12 in Humid Tropics of East India, and 12 in Bangladesh) were selected, based on certain relevant characteristics, to track rural poverty in household and village economies in the region, to provide the most efficient way to understand the farming systems in rural areas, and to identify the socioeconomic constraints faced by the farming community. In the SAT region, 18 villages spread across 9 districts in 5 states were identified for the study, of which 6 were chosen way back in 1975 under the erstwhile Village Level Studies (VLS) project of the Economics Program of ICRISAT, while 12 new villages were included in the expanded VDSA project during 2009. Markabbinahalli is one of these 12 new village

Tharati Village at a Glance

In the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)- supported Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), 42 villages (18 in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of peninsular India, 12 in humid tropics of East India, and 12 in Bangladesh) were selected, based on certain relevant characteristics, to track rural poverty in household and village economies in the region, to provide the most efficient way to understand the farming systems in rural areas, and to identify the socioeconomic constraints faced by the farming community. In the SAT region, 18 villages spread across 9 districts in 5 states were identified for the study, of which 6 were chosen way back in 1975 under the erstwhile Village Level Studies (VLS) project of the Economics Program of ICRISAT, while 12 new villages were included in the expanded VDSA project during 2009. Tharati (including the nearby hamlet Ajjihalli) is one of these 12 new villages

Belladamadugu Village at a Glance

The Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has chosen 42 villages as part of the project. These villages – 18 in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) of peninsular India, 12 in the Humid Tropics of East India and 12 in Bangladesh – were selected based on certain relevant characteristics to track rural poverty in household and village economies in the region, to provide the most efficient way to understand the farming systems in rural areas, and to identify the socioeconomic constraints faced by the farming community. In the SAT region, 18 villages spread across 9 districts in 5 states were identified for the study. Of these, 6 were chosen way back in 1975 under the erstwhile Village Level Studies (VLS) project of the Economics Program of ICRISAT, while 12 new villages were included in the expanded VDSA project during 2009. Belladamadugu is one of these 12 new villages

Dokur Village at a Glance

Dokur village, located in Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh was chosen for Village-Level Studies (VLS) initiated in 1975 by the Economics Program of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad. The present Mahbubnagar district is also known as Palamooru, located in the Telangana Region of Andhra Pradesh. Dokur village (16° 36’ N and 78° 50’ E) is situated in Devarkadra mandal in Mahbubnagar District (16° 73’ N and 77° 98’ E). Dokur’s original name was “Dakur” derived from the Indo-Persian Urdu word “daku,” meaning “gang of armed dacoits”. It is believed that dacoits used to take shelter in Dakur due to its thick vegetation. Eventually, the name Dakur became corrupted to Dokur. Dokur is about 130 km from Hyderabad. To reach Dokur from Hyderabad, one needs to travel to Mahbubnagar district headquarters and then to Deverkadra mandal on the surfaced Hyderabad- Raichur road, and then travel a further distance of seven kilometers south on a metal road. Autorickshaws and Road Transport Corporation buses are the main means of transportation from Devarkadra to Dokur