S.M. Feroze

Effects of Drought on Livelihoods and Gender Roles: A Case Study of Meghalaya

Climate change has serious repercussions on food security, availability, accessibility and utilisation and food system stability. Women farmers currently account for 45–80 per cent of all food production in developing countries depending on the region. When climate change-related disasters strike, women are more vulnerable than men, and the workload of women and girls increases. In India, women are actively engaged in agricultural activities, including paddy cultivation and fishing, which are both affected by changing weather patterns. Loss of livelihood increases women’s vulnerability and marginalisation. The current study was conducted in 10 villages of Meghalaya, a north-eastern state in India. It concluded that extreme climate variability affects both the sexes but with different consequences as they are subjected to different roles and responsibilities. We suggest empowering women with requisite knowledge of their rights, relevant information and skills, and also by being helped with adequate resources to enable them to act and make their own decisions.

Zero Tillage of Rapeseed and Mustard Cultivation in Thoubal District of Manipur: An Economic Analysis

With the ever changing climatic scenario and its impact on farming community, need is being felt to explore and develop alternative Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs) which will have positive impact on the environment as well as at the same time will save the critical inputs. Zero tillage is one such important RCT commonly practiced in the study area. Several research works have been reported for impact of zero tillage in wheat, rice but so far no systematic study on economics of rapeseed and mustard cultivation under zero tillage was available in the literature especially in Manipur of North Eastern Hill (NEH) Region. Keeping this in view, the study was undertaken to work out the cost and returns of the rapeseed and mustard growers under zero tillage. Economic analysis of the data presented in the paper showed that zero tillage method for rapeseed and mustard cultivation is the most economical and attractive option for the farming community in the area during rabi season.

An economic appraisal of strawberry orchard in Meghalaya

The present study was undertaken with a view to study the costs and returns of strawberry orchard in Meghalaya state. Three categories of strawberry orchard was selected for the investigation. The costs of cultivation of strawberry revealed to be higher with the size of the orchard, i.e., the total cost of cultivation in large category was found to be higher as compared to both of the small and medium category of strawberry cultivation. Similarly, the returns from the strawberry orchard was also revealed to be higher with higher of the strawberry orchard. Further, the benefit cost ratio of the categories proven that large categories are more beneficial irrespective to its investment. The pay-back period of strawberry cultivation indicate that large category takes minimum time to meet their expenditure as compared to the other categories of strawberry orchard. However, the constraints regarding the adaptation of strawberry cultivation shows that the unavailability of runners was the major problem for the farmers to adopt the crop. Whereas, the economics study of the crop indicated that strawberry fruit is very much profitable for the farmers and it is suggested that initiative through various channels from the line of government or organisation to encourage the farmers for strawberry cultivation which ultimate help to improve the economic condition of the state as a whole.

Gender Differences in the Level of Economic Empowerment of Farm-Households of Manipur

The present study attempts to capture differences in the level of economic empowerment between male and female members of the same household. The study was conducted in Imphal West district of Manipur taking a random sample of 69 farm-households. The primary male and female members of each household were personally interviewed. A gender neutral economic empowerment index comprising of six indicators was developed for the study. It was found that male respondents had significantly higher empowerment level in four indicators of empowerment viz.; access and control over productive assets; access and control over economic resources; autonomy & mobility and time. If the overall empowerment level was considered, the index for male respondents (0.71) was found to be significantly higher than that of female respondents (0.57). It was also revealed that land holding had a significant association with the empowerment of the female respondents whereas cosmopoliteness had significant association with the empowerment level of the male respondents.

Resource productivity of rice cultivation in Tripura: A spatial analysis§

The paper has reported the resource productivity of rice cultivation in Tripura. The study was conducted in both hill and valley regions of the state by selecting a sample of 120 rice growers. The productivity of resources of rice of individual farms has been estimated through Cobb-Douglas production function. The major resources for productivity of rice were human labour, fertilizer and manures in hill region and agrochemicals human labour, fertilizer and manures in the valley region. The use of small farm machinery like power-operated tiller and cono-weeder has been suggested as an intervention in the form of technology introduced for enhancement of labour efficiency. Further, the state government should provide necessary region-specific trainings and education to the farmers for judicious use of resources like fertilizers and agro-chemicals in rice cultivation in Tripura.

Economic evaluation of pineapple cultivation in Manipur

The present study was conducted in Thoubal, Bishnupur, Senapati and Churchandpur districts of Manipur. Pineapple cultivation was found to be economically feasible in the state. In these districts area under pineapple happened to be the major fruit crop having more than 70 per cent of the total pineapple area of the state during 2013–14 (GoM, 2014). The investment in pineapple orchard has been found a profitable business. In overall category, the internal rate of return (IRR) has been found 32.53 and 67.33 per cent during summer and winter season. The net present value, Internal rate of return and Benefit-cost ratio at 8 per cent discount rate have been reported as 24857.80, 32.53 and 1.23, respectively for overall category of orchard during summer season and 10454.44, 67.33 and 1.24, respectively for overall category of orchard during winter season. The economic productive life of pineapple orchard in Manipur has been calculated upto 3 years.

How profitable is rice cultivation in hills of North Eastern region of India? A case study of Manipur

The present study was conducted in Senapati Hill district of Manipur to work out the costs and returns in paddy cultivation and to determine the factors affecting the adoption of HYVs of rice. A sample of 60 farmers was randomly drawn from three villages of Kangpokpi block of the selected district. The costs and returns per hectare were calculated based on variable costs and fixed costs, and probit model was applied to determine the factors affecting adoption of HYVs. The state has registered negative annual growth (−0.48%) in the case of the area under rice during 2000–01 to 2011–12. Per hectare cost of cultivation for HYVs ( 51260.92/ha) was calculated to be higher as compared to local paddy ( 47093.22/ha) as the cultivation of HYVs of paddy involved higher amount of fertilizer and labours in weeding, harvesting and threshing activities than local paddy. Farmers who have mass media exposure, who are young and who get desired fertilizer in time have a higher probability of adoption of HYVs of rice. The net returns were negative for both, HYVs of paddy (− 629.09/ha) or local paddy (− 9393.00/ha) which may be the reason for declined in rice area. Cultivation of HYVs of rice is more beneficial compared to local rice. So, the government should take proper initiative for adoption of HYVs of rice to make the state self-sufficient in rice production.

Climate change and investment in agricultural research: Policy challenges in India

Agriculture will continue to be the major sector supporting the Indian economy. On the other hand, the reported and projected impact of climate change raises question against its sustainability and stability. The present paper through reviewing of the relevant literature therefore aims to address three interrelated issues. The first issue on climate change reflected that the annual temperature increase by 0.5°C during the period 1901–2003 and to counteract the negative impact of climate change, the farming community resorted to adaptation strategies, mainly adoption of resistant cultivars. Concerning this need, the Central Government initiated the mega project National Initiatives on Climate Research Agriculture (NICRA) with a budget of 200 crores during the year 2010–11 and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) scheme with a budget support of 1, 08, 000 crores in order to provide resilient to agriculture with one of the main components on the development of crop cultivars. Emphasizing the need for research in agriculture particularly under the climate change scenario the third issue on the status of Agricultural R&D investment in India was discussed and revealed that the level of Agricultural Research Indicator (ARI) is below the recommended level of 2% being only 0.43% during the year 2012–13. Meeting the need of the farming community coupled with the objectives of the mentioned Government initiatives and the target set to attain 2% of ARI during the twelve plan the study recommended that Agricultural R&D investment needs to be strengthened to maintain the viability of Indian agriculture.

Two-tier Co-operative Credit Structure in Manipur: An Overview

Serving the Indian society since 1904; the cooperative credit structure has proved itself to be the life blood of the Indian economy and the mechanism as well as the booster for many a developmental programs especially in agriculture dominated rural sector by playing a pivotal role in triggering the welfare of common individual, financing his business and other personal needs. The paper is an effort to provide an overview of the two tier co-operative credit structure, of Manipur of NEHR in order to reveal its performance with special reference to operation, recovery performance, financial performance and loan delinquency rate for last 12 years (2000–01 to 2011–12). The co-operative structure in the state shown satisfactory its growth but at the same time the loan delinquency of MSCB was observed to be in higher side which shows poor recovery of the loan from the farmers. Further, to strengthen the co-operative system study suggests opening more branches of co-operative for more outreach of loan to the remotely located villages in the state. Campaign of awareness programmes should be initiated to reduce the delinquency of loans in the state.

Study on Growth and Instability of Sesame in North-Eastern Hill Region of India

Alongside making considerable progress in the production of food grains and oilseeds especially during the last three decades, the Indian agriculture has simultaneously been indicative of growing instability in the production front for several reasons. It was in this backdrop, an attempt was made through the present study to examine the growth and instability of sesame over five of the six sesame growing states of North-Eastern Hill Region of the country by way of analyzing the time series data of 20 years. The growth rate of area and production found to be highest in Nagaland state but in terms of productivity it was highest in Manipur state. The instability which was highest observed in case of area and productivity for Manipur was observed lowest in Nagaland state. Hence, the study highly recommends the use and adoption of site specific scientific package of practices of the crop to avoid the prevailed instability.