eChapters

Abstract

Most farmers in India lack capital. They need credit at the right time, from the right agency, and in adequate amounts to be productive. From the farmer’s perspective. When a farmer applies for a loan from an Institutional Financial Agency (IFA), the lender must be convinced of the 3 R’s, 5 C’s, and 7 P’s, which indicate the economic viability of the proposed investments.

Abstract

Financial analysis evaluates the performance and suitability of enterprises, projects, budgets, and other financial-related institutions. It determines if a business is secure, financially sound, liquid, or profitable enough to warrant a financial commitment. Accurate records and financial statements provide the essential information for analyzing the financial situation and trends of a farm operation. A financial analyst examines the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Introduction

Everyone is familiar with the term start-up or entrepreneurship which refers to a process by which individuals start and manage their businesses and industrial enterprises. Entrepreneurs are people who take risks and invest their capital in businesses and industrial enterprises. Entrepreneurial in terms of personal development in terms of self-determination create take risks Therefore, anyone who exhibits the characteristics of self-development, creativity, personal decision-making, and risk-taking can be called a person with entrepreneurial characteristics. When these characteristics are exhibited by someone who is running a business, they can be called an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the ability and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business enterprise, with all its uncertainties, in order to make a profit. The most prominent example of entrepreneurship is starting a new business. In economics, business activities involving land, labor, natural resources, and capital can generate profits.

Government Schemes and Incentives

Learning Objectives

1. Overview of Government schemes and incentives for promotion of entrepreneurship.
2. Overview of Schemes Applicable for Agriculture Startups
3. Focus on Agriculture in G20 countries under India’s Presidency in 2023
4. Role of Venture Capital Investments

Introduction

It comes to the market early in the season, particularly the low chilling peaches and growers get remunerative prices due to the non-availability of other fresh fruits in the market. It has high nutritive value, being rich in protein, essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Peaches originated in China, where its culture dates back to 3000 years. Although it is not exactly known how and when the peach reached India, it is opined that some traders might have carried over the stones of peach from China to Kashmir. Peaches were introduced by Mr. Alexander Coutts in Himachal Pradesh in 1870. Later on, its cultivation was initiated in the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh on the advice of an American horticulturist, Prof. R. W. Hodgson. Some low-chilling varieties of peach were also introduced at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana in 1968 from California. peach with a strong flavour and aroma.

Introduction

Pears are next only to apples in importance, acreage, production and varietal diversity amongst the temperate fruits. The genus Pyrus probably originated in the mountainous regions of Western China. It is a rich source of carbohydrate as sugars, starch and cellulose and minerals like calcium (8 mg/100 g) phosphorous (15 mg/100 g) and sulphur (14 mg/100 g).

Introduction

Plum is an important temperate fruit, which is used as a fresh fruit as well as in preserved form. It is next to the peaches in economic importance amongst the stone fruits. It requires a certain period of chilling during winters to break dormancy, so it is cultivated in areas where winters are cool. Fruits are a rich source of minerals, vitamins, sugars and organic acids, in addition to protein, fat and carbohydrates. The types of plums with high sugar content above 18% are known as prunes which can be dried with pit. In India, plum was introduced by Alexander Coutts in 1870 in Himachal Pradesh. After evaluation, only Japanese plum has been recommended for commercial cultivation in the mid hills of the temperate region of the north-western Himalayas. Some low-chilling varieties of plum were also introduced at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

Pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service, namely pollination, and it is an intricate relationship between plants and animals where reduction or loss of either will affect the survival of both. It has been established that pollinating agents are essential for survival and reproduction of several wild plant species (Kearns et al., 1998). About 80% of the world’s flowering plant species are dedicated to animal pollination, mostly by insects (FA0, 2007). Although more than 750,000 insect pollinators have been described (Grimaldi and Engel, 2005), possibly as many as 30 million more await discovery and formal description (Erwin, 2004). In 2005, globally, pollinators’ pollination services economic value was estimated to be about €153 billion (Gallai et al., 2009). The United Nations also reported that the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity by insect pollination was valued at £134 billion. The depletion of insect pollinators is due to pollinators’ habitat destruction, heavy tillage, monoculture, injudicious use of pesticides and climate change and therefore, there is the need to create awareness on conservation and pollination management. Climate change is highly affected to species interaction as well as ecosystem ecology (van-der-Putten et al., 2004; Sutherst et al., 2007). Plant-pollinator interaction in both wild and cultivated plant species is under threat (Biesmeijer et al., 2006).

Introduction

Endocrinology is the study of the endocrine system, which includes the glands and their secretions known as hormones. Hormones are essential for animal behaviour, growth and development, metabolism, lactation, reproduction, excretion, and reabsorption of inorganic ions. Therefore, if a certain hormone concentration in blood or another body fluid is detected, it provides the pathophysiology of the representative endocrine gland.

Endocrine glands, the cells or tissues they govern, and the secretory substances (hormones) they produce are investigated using a number of methodologies. They are as follows:

1. Surgical methods (e.g., hypophysectomy, gonadectomy, etc).
2. Chemical ablation or impairment (e.g., alloxan or streptozotocin agents that selectively destroy the insulin-secreting beta-cell, etc).
3. Hormone replacement therapy (e.g., estrogen during menopause to reduce the risk of bone fracture related to osteoporosis, etc).
4. Immunological neutralization of hormone activity (e.g., contraception both male and female, injection of antibodies against NGF resulting in failure of sympathetic nervous system development, etc).
5. Tissue extraction and purification (e.g., progestin is a synthetic hormone that mimics progesterone, etc.).
6. Histological-cytological studies (e.g., employment of a battery of histological stains to characterize each pituitary cell, etc).
7. Bioassays (e.g., oxytocin-induced contraction of rat uterine myometrial tissue strips, etc).

Introduction

Growth is the irreversible gain in body weight, size, length, and circumference. It is accomplished by two fundamental processes: hypertrophy (increase in tissue, cell volume and progressive accumulation of intercellular substances) and hyperplasia (growth as a result of cellular multiplication by mitotic division). Animal growth is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

Animal body growth and weight gain play a critical role in reproductive performance. It also acts as one of the traits to evaluate the breeding value, optimize management & feeding practices, and prepare the correct dose of therapeutic pharmaceuticals to treat animal diseases. As a result, measurement of body growth is essential for the selection of superior germplasm, feeding & housing management, health care management, and optimizing other environmental conditions that have an impact on animal growth for an economically viable animal industry.

Energy in Agricultural Context (FAO)

Agriculture’s fundamental and foremost function is to produce food and other primary products, so contributing to food and nutritional security. Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) attempts to promote ecologically non-degrading, technically suitable, commercially successful, and socially acceptable development in the agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors. Achieving food security necessitates policies that promote social, cultural, political, and economic stability. Integrating agriculture’s economic, social, and environmental roles can help to attain these objectives.

Agriculture may provide a variety of non-food commodities and services. This can include its application as a viable, long-term source of energy. According to the FAO, agricultural activities and related land use directly contribute to non-agricultural functions such as social, environmental, economic and cultural products and services. They can have major advantages or disadvantages. Research reveals that, in addition to food security, agriculture contributes significantly to attaining sustainability at the local, national and global levels in rural development, energy and the environment. The efficient operation of the market encourages the identification and strengthening of these many functions, as well as the development of new techniques and technologies. Plant and crop-based resources are utilised as raw materials in a wide range of industrial goods, including wood for paper and board production, starches for adhesives, and vegetable oils for paints and resins.

10.1. Acts, Policies and Schemes that Benefit Farmers
10.1.1. PM-KUSUM

As part of its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), India agreed to increase the installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil fuel sources to 40% by 2030. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Scheme aims to ensure energy security for Indian farmers while also upholding this commitment. The PM-KUSUM Scheme was launched in 2019 with 3 components:

The word “Credit” is derived from a Latin word “Credo”, meaning “I Believe”. The Latin verb “credere” means “to repose confidence in”. Note that borrowing is a function of ability to command capital or services currently with a promise to repay it in future i.e. obtaining certain amounts of money as loan to be rapid as specified in the Agreement between the concerned parties. Credit means the ability to command other peoples’ capital in return for a promise to repay at some specified time in future. It is therefore the combination of the “ability to borrow” and “willingness to borrow”.

Agriculture depends mainly on natural resources like land situation, soil, water and a favourable climate. Continuous agricultural practices adopted without conservation of such precious resources may lead to unsustainability of growth in agriculture. Conservation of these resources and their sustainable use with appropriate measures would be required for a sustainable agriculture.

Appliances which help or assist in doing household work as cooking, cleaning and food preservation are known as equipments. A equipment also referred to as a domestic appliance or an electric appliance or a household appliance.

Washing dishes is not the most rewarding task. Cooking can be creative, but cleaning up afterward seems like a waste of time and leaves the person washing complaining about “dishpan hands.” The development of the dishwasher has helped relieve some of the monotony, as well as the grease and grime.

To learn the design and arrangement of space in the kitchen which is the key in the pattern of living, the number of people to be served in the area, the size of the house and the equipment and furnishing in the kitchen. To know the most important aspect to consider in planning a kitchen i.e., the nature of the primary and secondary activities to be performed in the kitchen.

With some important exceptions, applied plant pathology was for many years rather single minded. It aimed at eradication or total exclusion of a plant disease , and it relied largely on a single control method, application of chemical poisons.

The eventual objective of promoting IDM is to empower its users to engage sustainable agricultural production with long term positive impacts on human being, poverty and environmental health.The impact of successful implementation of IDM approaches cannot be achieved if IDM is not strategically placed within national policies for agricultural production and protection. There are number of the national policies and related regulations that have direct impact on IDM adoption and scaling up in India.

Taxonomy is the science of identifying (discovering), describing, naming and classifying organisms. It is a complex summing up of knowledge starting with thorough analysis to base the synthesis that will end up in the name of a taxon. Correct identification of biological taxa is a necessary pre-requisite to all other enquiries about the biological world.

The stiffness of starch gels from different starches at 5% concentration was shown in decreasing order of stiffness in the following table. Of the cereal starches corn starch gel was firmest followed by wheat and rice starch gels. Among the roots and tubers starches, potato yielded a ropy paste, arrowroot a soft paste while cassava starch gave viscous fluid.

In order to assess the quality characteristics of eggs the book reference values were taken for comparison

Pure sugar when heated melts at about 160-1800c. at about 2100c sucrose loses water and becomes caramel.

Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food’s texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a pickle, or, to prevent ambiguity, prefaced with pickled. Foods that are pickled include vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, dairy and eggs.

Yogurt is a fermented milk product that contains the characteristic bacterial cultures such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. All yogurts must contain at least 8.25% solids not fat.

A tremendous change in the Indian biopesticide industry and market has reflected on increased global trade in agricultural commodities, a healthy revolution in the consumers and stack-holders with adequate understanding on negative effective of chemical pesticides in plant protection. Currently biopesticides comprise approximately 3-5% of the Indian pesticide market, with at least 15 microbial species and 970 microbial formulations registered through the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC).

Regulations should make it easier to utilise creative, long-lasting solutions, allowing for the selection of the most environmentally friendly pest management method. This can be accomplished by using expedited registration, priority registration, and a combination of comparative evaluation of pest control techniques and the substitution principle, which allows a natural pest control technique to take the place of a synthetic pesticide.

Canonical analysis: The canonical analysis can be used in the case when both measurable and non-measurable variables for the purpose of simultaneously predicting a set of dependent variables from their joint covariance with a set of independent variables.

Sample: A sample is a subgroup of the population, which is the focus of research inquiry and is selected in such a way that it represents the study population. A sample is composed of a few individuals from whom the required information is collected. It is done to save time, money and other resources.

Supply Chain is defined as the movement of materials as they flow from their source to the end customer. SCM is a continuously evolving management philosophy that seeks to unify the collective productive competencies and resources of the business functions found both within the enterprise and outside in the firm’s allied business partners located along intersecting supply channels into a highly competitive, customer-enriching supply system focused on developing innovative solutions and synchronizing the flow of marketplace products, services, and information to create unique, individualized sources of customer value.

The full form of ‘ISO’ is the International Organization for Standardization. ISO -QMS was founded in the year 1987. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, operating in 162 plus countries.

• The ISO is an international standard-setting body that consists of the representatives from various national standards organizations.
• The ISO works on formulating the standards and guidelines for a variety of businesses and other purposes and publishes technical reports.
• The word ‘ISO’ is derived from the Latin term ‘isos’ which means ‘Equal for everyone’. It simply means that all the elements of the international std are equally applicable to all types of business.

1. _____ is the study of all the activities, agencies and policies involved in the procurement of farm inputs by the farmers and the movement of agricultural products from the farms to the consumers.

a) Agricultural marketing

b) Supply chain

c) Agricultural production

d) Value chain

2. The subject of agricultural marketing comprises of _____

a) Product marketing

b) Input marketing

c) Both a & b c) None of the above

3. Changing the raw material into a finished good creates ____

a) Form utility

b) Time utility

c) Place utility

1. Price spread will be the minimum in

a) Coconut

b) Rice

c) Milk

d) Green leaves

2. Farmers share in consumer rupee will be the minimum in

a) Gram

b) Milk

c) Cotton

d) Rice

3. Marketable surplus is equal to

1. International trade contributes and increases the world _________

a) Population

b) Inflation

c) Economy

d) Trade Barriers

2. Free international trade maximizes world output through________.

a) Countries reducing various taxes imposed.

b) Countries specializing in production of goods they are best suited for.

c) Perfect competition between countries and other special regions

d) The diluting the international business laws & conditions between countries.

3. Domestic company limits it’s operations to ___________ political boundaries.

a) International

b) National

c) Transnational

d) Global

Occasionally some diseases can be noticed in male animals, which are responsible for the reduced reproductive performance of the bucks. Sometimes these diseases can damage or obstruct the male reproductive passage and responsible for the infertility and sterility in the bucks. This type of infertility may be associated with pathology of testes, epididymis, vas deferens, accessory sex glands, and urethra or may be associated with abnormal semen production due to congenital or hereditary causes or due to acquired causes.

Learning Objectives

1. To raise awareness of a community problem and support its solution.
2. Induce the emotional participation of the community at the local level and establish a positive psychological climate for new activities.

The various methods of data gathering involve the use of appropriate recording forms. These are called tools or instruments of data collection; they consist of an observation schedule or interview guide, an interview schedule, a questionnaire, etc.

This chapter is an extensive survey of all past studies relevant to the field of investigation which gives knowledge of what others have found out in the related field of study. In any scientific investigation or research, a comprehensive presentation of the review of literature is a statutory requirement. Its main functions are to develop a better understanding of the problem to be investigated, delineate a new area of study and avoid unnecessary duplication, decide on the tools and techniques to be adopted including developing some new ones, also to relate the present study with the previous ones by finding out the areas of agreement and disagreement.

The review of literature of the present study is based on the major concepts related to the field of investigation. As direct references on the entire item are not in abundance, certain specific references along with some indirect references have been incorporated in this chapter for the purpose of meaningful use.

Extension organizations are highly sociable organizations with a definite purpose of using the grass root principle and democratic leadership in bringing transience in the organization and society. In this direction the communication styles most suited for these extension functionaries in bringing these transitions need to be studied and understood and developed for effective functioning of these organizations as nucleus of change in transforming societies for development

Learning to identify the different communication styles - and recognizing which one we use most often in our daily interactions with friends, family and colleagues - is essential if we want to develop effective, assertive communication skills. But how can we tell the difference between the styles, and is there a time and place for each one in certain situations?

Being assertive means respecting yourself and other people. It is the ability to clearly express your thoughts and feelings through open, honest and direct communication.

Becoming more assertive does not mean that you will always get what you want - but, it can help you achieve a compromise. And even if you don’t get the outcome you want, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you handled the situation well, and that there are no ill feelings between you and the other person or people involved in the discussion.

Abstract

Extension and Advisory Services (EAS) are delivered by millions of extension professionals representing the public, private and civil society located across the globe and have been helping in addressing farmers’ needs over the years. However, public sector has been a major agency dealing with EAS in India and is facing several challenges and constraints to fulfill the demands of farmers on timely basis. The challenge today is to change the organizational culture to incorporate innovation as a core value and to institutionalize the emerging paradigms. Further, different strategies and measures need to be taken to ensure timely and quality EAS by reorienting extension priorities. This paper has highlighted on strengthening extension and feedback mechanism, improving research- extension linkages, capacity building, public-private partnership (PPP), developing infrastructure, mass media support and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) etc. to improve the efficiency as the time demands. The paper concludes that reorienting extension priorities is very essential with a vast network of various stakeholders by adapting effective approaches like utilization of social media, human resource development, PPP, farmer groups etc. during and post pandemic scenario. Further, empirical efforts are also needed to develop reliable, location-specific, participatory, gender-sensitive and inexpensive extension methodologies and materials to meet the emerging demands. Further, developing countries like India have to invest in terms of various resources like financial, human resource etc. for promoting higher productivity and sustainability through EAS.

Being a Health Extension Practitioner, one should have a clear idea regarding some fundamental aspects like the nature of health, health education, health promotion and some related concepts. This will help them to understand the social, psychological and physical components of health and enable them to be a better health educator by considering these basic ideas while planning and carrying out a health education session.

Definition & concepts of health

As a Health Extension Practitioner, one’s main target will be to prevent health problems in a community rather than to treat them. Malaria, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and many harmful traditional practices are among the different health problems we generally see within our community setting.

Introduction

Agricultural and Animal husbandry extension continues to be in transition worldwide. Governments and international agencies are advancing structural, financial and managerial reforms to improve extension. Decentralization, pluralism, cost sharing, cost recovery, participation of stakeholders in development initiatives and the decisions and resources that affect them - these are some of the elements in extension’s current transition.

Public sector extension was severely attacked in the 1980s for not being relevant, for insufficient impact, for not being adequately effective, for not being efficient and, sometimes, for not pursuing programmes that foster equity. In the context of meeting the holistic needs of increasing agricultural production in a sustainable manner in India, agricultural extension has a crucial role to play. Reforms in the system envisaged an extension service which is more broad-based and holistic in content and scope and beyond agricultural technology transfer.

Pure-breeding

Mating purebred individuals of the same breed. The progeny share the same genetic make-up. The primary goal of pure-breeding is to identify and propagate superior genes for use in commercial production, primarily through crossbreeding programmes, as well as to identify and propagate better females for the preservation of precious genetic material. Therefore, crossbreeding will be futile unless superior purebred individuals are used.

Pig Nutrition

Proper feed is necessary for development, body maintenance, and the production of meat and milk. When correctly prepared, one can use less expensive locally available feeds that are nutritionally sufficient. Pigs can be fed effectively with leftovers from a family’s kitchen. Pig nutritional needs can be divided into six sections. Examples include water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Pigs are omnivorous, which means they can consume both meat and plants. Pigs’ digestive systems can also manage roughage-rich diets. Pig must drink plenty of clean, fresh water every day. Pigs will consume practically anything. They will consume grass and other plants. They can be kept in a safe field where they will consume all vegetation and grass. The pig will burrow into the ground and consume both the roots and the green parts of plants. A pig with a nose ring cannot root plants. Pigs will develop and fatten more quickly if fed concentrate feed. Grain meal that has been thoroughly pulverised is a good feed for pig.

Pigs can also be fed leftover veggies and scraps from the kitchen. Before feeding scraps to the pig, household scraps, especially those containing meat, must be well prepared. The pig requires constant access to fresh, clean water. Each day, a sow with young requires 20 to 30 litres of water.

Gametogenesis

Male Gametogenesis: Male gametogenesis is the formation of male gametes and it occurs in the anthers. The end products of meiosis in higher plants are four microspores. Two mitotic divisions occur in microspores. The first division produces a tube nucleus and a generative nucleus. The second mitotic division occurs only in the generative nucleus resulting into production of two sperm cells (Fig. 3.1). The microspore is haploid (n) and develops into pollen grain in the anther, and the pollen grain further develops into a pollen tube on the stigma and in the style. The pollen tube, when it reaches the embryo sac is the fully developed male gametophyte and is trinucleate, two sperm cells and one tube nucleus.

Reproduction by asexual means is common among higher plants. The best known means of asexual reproduction are by corms, bulbs, rhizomes, stolons, or other vegetative organs. Plants normally propagated in agricultural practice by these means or by budding or grafting include nearly all fruit and nut trees, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, grapes, pineapples, almost all ornamental shrubs and trees and a few field crops such as sugar cane, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Asexually or clonally propagated plants produce genetically identical progeny. Clones are identical copies of a genotype. Together, they are phenotypically homogeneous. However, individually, they are highly heterozygous and segregate widely upon sexual reproduction. This is not unexpected, because the types selected as commercial cultivars are likely to be vigorous ones, and a positive correlation exists between vigour and heterozygosity in most species.

6.1 Introduction

It is an important vegetable in European countries. It got its name from the capital city of Belgium since it has been grown around Brussels for hundreds of years. From Belgium it has been introduced to England (1810). Some parts of Long Island in New York are also well known for Brussels Sprout production. In India, it is widely grown in Kodai kanal and Nilgiris hills of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Exact statistics regarding area, production and productivity are not available. It is a cool, moisture loving and frost resistant biennial, with axillary buds produced in the leaf axils during the first year of growth and a seed head is produced in the second year of growth. Edible part is swollen axillary bud (sprouts or buttons or mini cabbage).