Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diversification In Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Diversification In Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay Agriculture is the pre-dominant economic line of work of the rural communities in India, and plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of these communities. India acquires its major share of production revenues from the rural / agricultural sector of the economy. The agriculture sector in India is enormously significant in spite of its declining share in GDP. Sectoral shifts occurred as a result of the industrialization which had raised the Services sector shares in GDP during the 1990s, where as Agriculture, which had a major share in GDP in the 1950s, contributed only 22.5 % by the end of March 2004 (Economic Survey, GOl, 2003-04). Thus came up a pressing need for a paradigm shift in the governments agricultural policy to address the problems faced in the agricultural sector in the new domestic and global economic environment and avenues to enhance the income of the farmers. The possible solution for meliorating the agro sector is Diversification. This study traces the d efinition of diversification, area expansion problems, immediate needs, and its future prospects. Diversification can also involve a shift of resources from one crop (or livestock) to a larger mix of crops and livestock, keeping in view the varying nature of risks and expected returns from each crop/livestock activity, and adjusting in such a way that it leads to optimum portfolio of income (Joshi, et al, 2003). It is a way of a gradual movement from subsistence staple food crops towards diversified market-oriented crops which have a larger potential for land returns. DOA being a strategy would open up opportunities, to a large extent, for value addition in agriculture and will also lead to better crop planning and improve the earning opportunities in the farm community. In India, Andhra Pradesh has been proactive in taking up agricultural diversification as a strategy to accelerate the growth of agriculture. Crop Diversification Crop diversification takes into account the economic returns from different value-added crops. It also implies the effective use of environmental as well as human resources to grow a mix of crops with complementary marketing opportunities, and it entails shifting of resources from low value crops to high value crops. Due to globalization, crop diversification in agriculture is also a means to increase the total crop productivity in terms of quality, monetary and quantity value under specific, diverse agro-climatic situations all over the world. There are two approaches to crop diversification in agriculture. Horizontal diversification the primary approach to crop diversification used in production agriculture. In this approach, diversification normally takes place through crop intensification which means adding new high-value crops to existing cropping systems as a way of improving the overall productivity of a particular farm or a regions farming economy as a whole. Vertical diversification approach in which value is added to the products by farmers through various methods such as processing, regional branding, packaging, merchandising, or other efforts to enhance the product. Opportunities for crop diversification normally vary depending upon the risk, opportunity and the feasibility of proposed changes within a socio-economic and agro-economic context. Crop diversification may occur as a result of government policies. The Technology Mission on Oilseeds, Spices Development Board, and Coconut Development Board etc is some examples where the Indian government created policies to thrust changes upon farmers and the food supply chain at large as a way of promoting crop diversity. Crop diversification is the outcome of several interactive effects of many factors: Environmental factors which includes irrigation, rainfall, and temperature and soil fertility. Price-related factors which includes output and input prices with respect to national and international trade policies and other economic policies that affect the prices either directly or indirectly. Technology-related factors which includes seeds, fertilizers and water technologies, but also those related to marketing, harvest, storage, agro-processing, distribution, logistics, etc. Household-related factors which includes regional food traditions, fodder and fuel as well as the labor and investment capacity of farm people and their communities. Institutional and Infrastructure-related factors which includes farm size, location and tenancy arrangements, research, in-field technical support, marketing systems and government regulating policies, etc. All these five factors are interrelated. Area expansion problems under rice and wheat crops Scaling up production area poses several new problems of significance such as: 1. Excessive use of groundwater leading to poor water use efficiency and depletion of groundwater. 2. Deterioration of soil health or soil fertility. 3. Multiple infestations of weed flora, insect pests and diseases. 4. Indiscriminate use of energy such as chemical, electricity or disease, etc. 5. Reduction in the availability of other protective food and high value crops. 6. Pollution of agro-ecosystems. Despite the expansion problems, crop diversification has the potential to be an economic driver in agricultural regions. It may prove to become the paramount importance in meeting challenges that arise from a post-green revolution scenario. In view of shrinkage of agricultural land and operational holdings due to expansion of urban centers, changes in consumer food habits, exponential population growth rate, farmers are pressured to include or substitute additional crops in to the cropping system. Key Drivers Of Diversification The key drivers of diversification that are identified are : (1) Food Security; (2) Employment generation through creation of off-farm and non-farm investment opportunities within the capabilities of the resource-poor farmers; (3) Changes in crop patterns and farming systems; (4) More effective use of land and water resources; (5) Market access initiatives replacing risk aversion with risk acceptance; (6) Changing consumer demands irrespective of the nature of habitation and standards of living due to spread-effect of health consciousness caused by the visual media and non-discriminatory demand for quality goods, and (7) The role of urbanization in fast developing countries like India. Crop diversification can better tolerate the ups and downs in the market value of farm products and may ensure economic stability for farming families of the country. The adverse effects of aberrant weather, such as erratic and scanty rainfall and drought are very common in a vast area in agricultural production of the country. Incidence of flood in one part of the country and drought in the other part is a very frequent phenomenon in India. Under these aberrant weather situations, dependence on one or two major cereals (rice, wheat, etc.) is always risky. Hence, crop diversification through substitution of one crop or mixed cropping/inter-cropping may be a useful tool to mitigate problems associated with aberrant weather to some extent, especially in the arid and semi-arid drought-prone/dry land areas. Immediate Need In India, crop diversification in agriculture takes place vertically or horizontally, depending upon the market forces and also occasionally due to the domestic needs. With regards to use of land and water use and quality, there is an immediate need to consider the following factors (Aradhana , 2009): Farm produce processing into value added products will offer employment scope in non-farm works as in distillation of active ingredients from medicinal and aromatic plants (herbal products), scope of industrialization in agriculture for sugar, paper board manufacturing, etc. There is a need to find place-based approaches for diversifying the farming situations under various socio-economic conditions, infrastructure of market, domestic needs, supply of inputs, etc. The research and development on crop diversification is best done in a farmer-participatory mode where a multi-disciplinary team consisting of scientists will involve farmers from the project planning phase till arriving at conclusions and solutions. The concept of sustainable productivity for each land and water units through crop diversification needs to be fostered. There is critical need for promoting co-operatives in rural areas to solve micro-level and demographic problems. Strengthening food processing and other value-added industries in rural areas is a means to provide employment to rural youth. Alternate cropping systems and farm enterprise diversification are most important for environment protection. There are abundant opportunities in adopting the subsidiary occupations to the rice-wheat cropping systems present in India. They are vegetable farming, fruit cultivation, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation, mushroom farming, dairying, piggery, goatery, poultry and duckery, fishery or aquaculture, bee-keeping, to provide ample scope for diversification of rice-wheat cropping system in north-western and south India and north-eastern states. Farm enterprise diversification will generate more income opportunities and rural employment round the year. Conclusion Diversification in agriculture will have a tremendous impact on the agro-socio-economic areas and also in the uplifting of resource-inadequate farming communities. It will be able to generate income and employment opportunities for rural youth around the year for the utmost benefits of the Indian farmers. It shows the use of local resources in a bigger mix of diversified cropping systems and livestock, aquaculture and other non-farm sectors in the rural areas. As in the WTO era along with the globalization of markets, diversification in agriculture is an ace means to step up the total production and productivity with respect to quality, quantity and monetary benefits under diverse agro-climatic state of affairs in the country. There are still numerous opportunities for crop diversification present in both- irrigated and non-irrigated vast areas in the rural India.

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"The Old Man and The Sea" is an unbelievable story of a man with struggles within nature. The simplicity of the story’s structure engages readers of all ages. How the main character overcomes his struggles and tribulation is wild, inspiring, and humanistic. The tale can easily be taken into every aspect in life situations. It is truly a classic with an unforgettable plot that leaves the reader wanting more. The fiction novel, "The Old Man and the Sea" became one of the most enduring works of Ernest Hemingway. The novel was written in 1952 and published by Simon & Schuster Inc. Hemingway, is known for writing main characters of courage and conviction. Therefore, creating roles that draw a reader in. The main character is an old Cuban fisherman, named Santiago. â€Å"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.† Santiago has had bad luck in catching anything in the last few months. One day Santiago sets out into the Gulf Stream, when he hooks a giant marlin. â€Å"Fish, I love you and respect you very much; but I will ki...

Importance of Selection of Sales People Essay

Sales people are the front line of many businesses in the sales division. If a business has a shop front where customers come and have to inquire about potential purchases, current purchases or prior purchases then more often than not a salesperson is their first port of call. While it may appear that technology and self service are up and coming replacements for salespeople there is still definitely reason to employ qualified staff. It is for this reason that the recruitment and selection process is an important part of any business when hiring sales people. Selecting the wrong people for the job can result in problems such as staff turnover issues, customer complaints, costs associated with rehiring and even longer term issues such as a company suffering from disrepute. Recruitment can be defined as the process of finding potential job applicants, telling them about the company and getting them to apply (Hair et al. 2009). Essentially this process should not just narrow applicants down to potential employees, but be narrowing the applicants down to potentially good employees. Hair et al. 2009) also notes that the entire sales division ultimately depends on a successful recruiting approach. In essence there are five steps in the recruitment process: 1. Conduct a job analysis * A process identifying the duties, requirements, responsibilities, and conditions a job. 2. Prepare a job description * Explains to job applicants and current sales personnel what the duties and responsibilities of the sales position are. 3. Identify sales job qualifications * Characteristics recruits should have to perform a sales job satisfactorily. . Attract a pool of sales recruits 5. (Hair et al. 2009) (Hair et al. 2009) Select the best recruits A particular field where recruitment and selection of salespeople is of exacting importance is that of minority consumers. The article Advertising and recruiting: Marketing to minorities (Perkins, Thomas, and Taylor 2000) did research in America with specific reference to college males of mixed race and their perceptions of specific recruitment techniques when entering into a sales role. The article makes particular reference to the fact that as a response to growing diversity, increasing multiculturalism, and a need to understand minority consumers means that minority professionals in the recruitment sections of workplace is of exceeding importance (Perkins, Thomas, and Taylor 2000). By the introduction of minority professionals, it means that there can be a focus particularly on directing sales at minority consumers as the professionals are specifically selected for their experience. As a result this mitigates further problems for a business as they have gone through particular selection criteria ensuring that they aren’t the wrong person for the job. In particular for marketing to minorities by making the mistake of picking the wrong sales person could mean that a business potentially loses a whole minority market segment. With the rise in companies turning to the internet to make sales and it means that the customers they do have in store they want to also have an easy and worthwhile experience. In this regard it makes sense that recruiting more experienced or â€Å"the right† people for the job is of great concern to a business. Burke (2002) talks about how there has come to be certain expectations from consumers as to what they want to experience in store as well as online when shopping. The article goes on to say while consumers have become quite content to use online services, it is quite often the quality of service in store and lack of information that drives them towards other technology based alternatives, most often the internet (Burke 2002). Therefore it makes sense that during the recruitment process that employers seek to employ the best sales people they can. If a business wishes to retain in-store customers they would want to have employees that they are confident that customers can turn to and seek advice without having the employee themselves having to go and ask someone else. Another major reason for having recruitment processes based on employing the best sales people is in regard to the older generations. As much as companies are insistent on ensuring consumers that their technological advancements are making it easier, it is often the older generations which are less willing to adapt these innovations (Berry 2011). This means that these generations are more reliant on in store sales methods and dealing with sales people face to face. In an article by Peter Schulman also talks about how employing the â€Å"best† people is not always the result of how talented an individual may be, but often a result of how optimistic an employee chooses to be (Schulman 1999). The article goes on to specify how when recruiters go through the selection process the applicants being chosen for a sales position are applicants that have the desire to succeed. The reason being that while 20 percent of the sales force were garnering 80 percent of sales in 1999 (Schulman 1999) is because a sales persons belief that being persistent is the best way to overcome obstacles and setbacks. The side of this that can be more detrimental to a company is by selecting the wrong person in regard to their own personal morale and self motivation. A sales person who, for example, is unsuccessful in making a sale and instead of taking it in their stride and moving forward can almost result in a snowball type effect. Schulman’s (1999) explanation of this is that as a sales person becomes ever so slightly self-depreciating it can adversely affect their subsequent sales as they start to lose motivation almost in an exponential fashion. In the recruitment process then it is imperative that recruiters are able to distinguish between optimistic and pessimistic applicants. It is vital that a company has solid selection criteria. While it has been established that the best employees can often be selected based on how talented they are, the recruitment process is ultimately designed to establish what constitutes an employee as being a desirable candidate. By managing to select the sales people that recruiters feel are most suited for a job can result in a more productive sales division. As mentioned minority groups being marketed to require very specific selection to be successful as this is a field where incorrect recruitment can mean the loss of an entire segment. The elderly generation again is a segment that can require a specific skill set of the sales person. By making sure employees are actively engaging with customers and willing to help it can be a much more effective sales technique which can result in increased sales and recurring customers. Finally these two factors held in conjunction with selecting applicants that can be regarded to be optimistic rather than pessimistic can effectively result in a powerful work force in the regard to sales people. Going against such factors and resultantly hiring an applicant that can be considered the wrong person for the job would undoubtedly result in not only short term effects for the sales of a business but also has the potential to have long term effects further down the line which may be harder to resolve.

Should Military Service Be Mandatory - 1426 Words

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