Anjani Kumar - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Anjani Kumar

The institutional credit has been conceived to play a pivotal role in the agricultural developmen... more The institutional credit has been conceived to play a pivotal role in the agricultural development of India. A large number of institutional agencies are involved in the disbursement of credit to agriculture. However, the persistence of money lenders in the rural credit market is still a major concern. In this backdrop, the present study has examined the performance of agricultural credit flow and has identified the determinants of increased use of institutional credit at the farm household level in India. The study based on the secondary data compiled from several sources, has revealed that the institutional credit to agriculture in real terms has increased tremendously during the past four decades. The structure of credit outlets has witnessed a significant change and commercial banks have emerged as the major source of institutional credit in recent years. But, the declining share of investment credit in the total credit may constrain the sustainable agricultural growth. The quan...

Agricultural Transformation in Nepal, 2019

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), established in 1975, provides evidenceb... more The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), established in 1975, provides evidencebased policy solutions to sustainably end hunger and malnutrition, and reduce poverty. The institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is considered in all of the institute's work. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world, including development implementers, public institutions, the private sector, and farmers' organizations, to ensure that local, national, regional, and global food policies are based on evidence.

Agricultural Economics Research Review, 2013

The paper has looked into the process of structural transformation of India’s dairy sector. Durin... more The paper has looked into the process of structural transformation of India’s dairy sector. During the past two decades, the sector grew at the rate of 4 per cent per year, making milk as the single largest agricultural commodity in the country. The growth in dairying has primarily been driven by yield improvement. A conspicuous shift has been observed in the composition of dairy herd from traditional to crossbred cows and buffaloes, and this led to improvements in milk-yield. Genetic enhancement, better management of stock and farmers’ improved access to milk markets have driven the process of transformation. Nevertheless, the status of dairy infrastructure and the delivery of veterinary services in the country are still poor and concerted efforts are required to bring about further transformation.

This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in ... more This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in a case where new market opportunities are emerging for smallholder farmers in Nepal. CF is emerging as an important form of vertical coordination in the agrifood supply chain. The prospect for CF in a country like Nepal with accessibility issues, underdeveloped markets, and lack of amenities remains ambiguous. On the one hand, contractors find it difficult to build links in these cases, particularly when final consumers have quality and safety requirements. On the other hand, lack of other market opportunities makes the contracts more sustainable. The latter happens if there are product-specific quality advantages because of agroecology and, more important, lack of side-selling opportunities. At the same time concerns remain about monoposonistic powers of the buyers when small farmers do not have outside options. Results of this study show that CF is significantly more profitable (81 per...

Political Economy - Development: Domestic Development Strategies eJournal, 2016

This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in ... more This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in a case where new market opportunities are emerging for smallholder farmers in Nepal. CF is emerging as an important form of vertical coordination in the agrifood supply chain. The prospect for CF in a country like Nepal with accessibility issues, underdeveloped markets, and a lack of amenities remains ambiguous. Contractors find it difficult to build links in these cases, particularly when final consumers have quality and safety requirements. However, a lack of other market opportunities makes the contracts more sustainable. The latter happens if there are product-specific quality advantages because of agroecology and, more important, lack of side-selling opportunities. Concerns remain about monoposonistic powers of the buyers when small farmers do not have outside options. Results of this study show that CF is significantly more profitable (81 percent greater net income) than independen...

Current Science, 2020

Eastern India is among the most backward regions of the country with underutilized agricultural p... more Eastern India is among the most backward regions of the country with underutilized agricultural potential. Diversification towards high-value crops can be a promising strategy to enhance farmers' economic welfare in the region. The present study analyses the major determinants and impact of crop diversification towards high-value crops on farmers' economic welfare in the region using large farm household-level data and advanced matching estimation methods. The findings reveal that cultivation of high-value crops plays a significant role in enhancing farm income, consumption expenditure and reducing poverty. Growers need to allocate at least 40% area for highvalue crops to have significant income enhancement and poverty reduction.

Agricultural Economics Research Review, 2019

The paper identifies determinants of farmers' participation in contract farming of paddy seed and... more The paper identifies determinants of farmers' participation in contract farming of paddy seed and its impact on farm income using survey data from 502 farmers engaged in paddy seed production in Nepal. The results show that contract farming enhances profits for paddy seed cultivators and participation in it is influenced by farm size and main occupation of the cultivators. The empirical evidence on benefits from contract farming suggest the need for conducive policies for promotion and upscaling of contract farming for augmenting seed production.

Economic Systems, 2017

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), established in 1975, provides evidence-... more The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), established in 1975, provides evidence-based policy solutions to sustainably end hunger and malnutrition and reduce poverty. The Institute conducts research, communicates results, optimizes partnerships, and builds capacity to ensure sustainable food production, promote healthy food systems, improve markets and trade, transform agriculture, build resilience, and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is considered in all of the Institute's work. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world, including development implementers, public institutions, the private sector, and farmers' organizations, to ensure that local, national, regional, and global food policies are based on evidence.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

Section I Background The present rapid appraisal is a part of the OPEC funded project entitled, "... more Section I Background The present rapid appraisal is a part of the OPEC funded project entitled, "Mitigating feed scarcity for resource poor livestock keepers through improvement of fodder markets and identification of fodder markets and identification of crop varieties with improved fodder characteristics in selected disadvantaged areas of India". At the first stage, an Inception Workshop in collaboration with Bihar Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute (BAMETI), Patna and State Farmers' Commission, Bihar, was hosted by International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Patna and detailed outline for the project was prepared on the basis of outcomes of workshop. It was agreed that two complementary methods would be applied to implement the rapid appraisal: review of secondary data and information and the collection of primary data collected through semi-structured interviews of the actors of fodder marketing chain, who were identified through Rapid Appraisal by visits of different sites.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

Immediately after the green revolution period, there was an intense debate on the observed invers... more Immediately after the green revolution period, there was an intense debate on the observed inverse relationship between farm size and per hectare agricultural productivity in India. It was subsequently argued that the higher productivity of small holdings would disappear with the adoption of superior technology, modernisation and growth in general. Recently, National Sample Survey data show that small holdings in Indian agriculture still exhibit a higher productivity than large holdings. This article contributes to the limited literature on farm size and productivity in small land holder's agriculture in Bihar, India. Plot wise panel data of VDSA project are used to reach at precise conclusion. The results provide evidence for a positive relationship between farm size and productivity in case of small land holders' agriculture and hence, an inverse relationship does not seem to apply within small landholders' agriculture. A strong positive relationship between farm size and output per hectare is a result of higher use of fertilizer, modern seeds and irrigation sources on comparatively larger land holders than small land holders in Bihar, India. It is mainly due to more uneconomic land holdings of sub-marginal and marginal farmers to have limited access to water resources, quality input and credit. Access to resources and technology must be considered together for any agricultural development programmes for small land holder's

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

Migration has been a recurrent phenomenon since the dawn of human history. Though its form has ch... more Migration has been a recurrent phenomenon since the dawn of human history. Though its form has changed but it remains a dominant event in the global social system. In modern days also people migrate from underdeveloped areas to the developed ones in search of better opportunities. A number of social, cultural, economic, spatial, climatic, demographic factors induce migration, however, the economic factors are considered as the primary reasons for inducing migration. Migration of male labour force from Bihar has increased during last two decades. It was observed that the youngsters are more prone to migration and most of them are migrating to urban centers for non-farm work. Migration helped more rational use of two critical inputs, labour and irrigation in rice production on migrant households. The migration seems to have helped in judicious use of human labour at native place due to migration of surplus labour force for gainful employment to destination of migration. Remittances have been utilized for meeting consumption needs, improved livelihood, better education to children and better health care facilities. Migrant households also preferred to save

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Bihar is the second largest state in India with respect of population and eleventh largest in are... more Bihar is the second largest state in India with respect of population and eleventh largest in area. It supports 8.8 per cent of country's population with only 2.8 per cent of land mass. The state experienced unprecedented socioeconomic changes during last decade. Among major states of the country, Bihar recorded the highest growth in population (25%) and population density (1102 /sq.km.) during the last decade. It is the least literate state (64%) in the country but girl's enrolment in school increased by more than two fold during last four years. Bihar received deficient rainfall in recent last three years (2009, 2010 and 2012) but there has not been much decline in agricultural production, indicating resilience in farming sector. Agriculture is an important sector since it generates about 19 per cent of State GDP but provides employment to 70 per cent of rural working force. About 69 per cent of geographical area is under cultivation but one-third area is problematic with respect to various agro-ecological reasons which includes Water logged area (0.40 million ha.), Diara area (0.93 million ha.), Alkaline soil (0.32 million ha), and Tal area (0.10 million ha.). Agricultural production showed increasing trend during last five years but agricultural productivity is still lower than corresponding national average. During 1983-94, there was almost stagnation in agriculture sector in Bihar.Net State Agriculture Domestic Product stagnated at Rs 32.5 billion during 1983-94(at 1980-81 prices) but it increased from Rs 199 billion in2000-01 to Rs 213 billion in2006-07 (at 11999-00 prices) and per capita income increased by only Rs 236; from Rs. 6535 to Rs. 6771during the period 2000-01-2004-05 however per capita income increased by more than two fold from 7914 in 2004-05 t0 632 in 2009-10 but poverty declined by 7.0 per cent during last two decades. Performance of agriculture was also much poor in ninth five year plan (-1.4%) and tenth five year plan (0.96%) but improved in the Eleventh Five year Plan by recording annual growth of 2.6 per cent (Table 1)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

Agricultural Transformation in Nepal, 2019

Agricultural Economics Research Review, 2013

Political Economy - Development: Domestic Development Strategies eJournal, 2016

This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in ... more This study is undertaken to quantify the benefits of contract farming (CF) on farmers’ income in a case where new market opportunities are emerging for smallholder farmers in Nepal. CF is emerging as an important form of vertical coordination in the agrifood supply chain. The prospect for CF in a country like Nepal with accessibility issues, underdeveloped markets, and a lack of amenities remains ambiguous. Contractors find it difficult to build links in these cases, particularly when final consumers have quality and safety requirements. However, a lack of other market opportunities makes the contracts more sustainable. The latter happens if there are product-specific quality advantages because of agroecology and, more important, lack of side-selling opportunities. Concerns remain about monoposonistic powers of the buyers when small farmers do not have outside options. Results of this study show that CF is significantly more profitable (81 percent greater net income) than independen...

Current Science, 2020

Agricultural Economics Research Review, 2019

Economic Systems, 2017

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2014

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013