Introduction Bamboo, often referred to as the “green gold” of India, is a versatile and fast-growing plant that offers economic, ecological, and social benefits. Its applications range from construction, furniture, handicrafts, and paper production to environmental restoration and carbon sequestration. Recognizing its potential, the Government of India launched the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) to promote…
Introduction Horticulture plays a pivotal role in India’s agricultural landscape, contributing significantly to nutrition, employment, and rural income. India is blessed with diverse agro-climatic zones suitable for a wide range of fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, and plantation crops. Despite this potential, the horticulture sector faced challenges such as fragmented farms, post-harvest losses, inadequate irrigation, and…
Introduction Food security is a fundamental aspect of sustainable development and economic stability. In India, with a growing population exceeding 1.4 billion, ensuring availability, access, and affordability of food is a key national priority. To meet this challenge, the Government of India launched the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to increase production of rice, wheat,…
Introduction Food processing plays a pivotal role in India’s agricultural and economic development. India, being an agrarian economy with a large population, produces a diverse range of agricultural commodities, including cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and spices. However, a significant portion of produce is lost post-harvest due to poor storage, inadequate processing infrastructure, and lack…
Introduction A commodity futures market is a financial marketplace where participants trade standardized contracts for the future delivery of commodities such as agricultural products, metals, and energy resources. Unlike spot markets, where commodities are traded for immediate delivery, futures markets allow producers, consumers, and investors to lock in prices for delivery at a later date….
Introduction Agriculture in India is highly dependent on weather conditions. Variability in rainfall, temperature extremes, droughts, floods, and unseasonal events can significantly affect crop yields. Traditional crop insurance schemes often struggled to provide timely relief to farmers due to delayed loss assessments and area-based compensation models. To address these challenges, the Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme…
Introduction Agriculture in India remains highly vulnerable to natural calamities such as droughts, floods, cyclones, pests, and diseases. Small and marginal farmers, who form the majority of India’s agricultural sector, often bear the brunt of these risks. Crop failure not only reduces farmers’ income but also leads to indebtedness and poverty. To address these challenges,…
Introduction Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, employing more than half of the country’s workforce and contributing significantly to GDP. Despite its importance, the agricultural sector has historically faced challenges such as fragmented markets, lack of transparency in pricing, dominance of middlemen, and limited access to fair markets for farmers. To address these concerns,…
Introduction Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) form an integral part of India’s financial architecture aimed at promoting rural development. Established in 1975 under the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976, RRBs were designed to combine the local feel and accessibility of cooperatives with the professionalism and financial strength of commercial banks. Over the years, however, RRBs faced…
Introduction In India, agriculture and allied activities employ nearly half of the population, yet farmers and rural households often face a shortage of institutional credit. Before the 1970s, rural credit was dominated by moneylenders and informal sources, which imposed high interest rates and exploited farmers. While commercial banks and cooperatives existed, they were unable to…