uttam deb | UAPB - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by uttam deb

Abstract The fifth chapter examines Bangladesh's achievement in production and availability ... more Abstract The fifth chapter examines Bangladesh's achievement in production and availability of food grains to provide the background behind the surge in rice prices. Then it compares rice prices to that of the world market and the immediate policy reponse to contain the ...

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics eBooks, 2004

Rice is the dominant staple food and the major source of rural livelihood in South India. Along w... more Rice is the dominant staple food and the major source of rural livelihood in South India. Along with crop sub-sector as a whole, however, the rice production too is experiencing profit squeeze from rising input cost and declining farm size due to growing rural population. The production and productivity growth in rice is lagging behind with the changes in agriculture production portfolio in the region during1990's. This study examines supply response of rice to various price and non-price factors using district level panel data from 1970-71 to 2007-08 for the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The two states together account for about 20 % of rice production in India and thus have an important bearing on the food security of the country. The district level panel data are analyzed using simultaneous equation model. Empirical results indicate that public investments in rural infrastructure, rural literacy, and technology have strong effects on long run rice supply response in South India. The long run output supply elasticity with respect to its own price is strong but has a lower elasticity compared to non-prices factors including climatic variables. Thus, long run productivity and production growth in rice is possible through investments in rural infrastructure and technology along with provisions for input supply and market development. Improvements in investment priority will strengthen mitigation to climate factors and provide long run incentive to farmers to invest their labor and capital in rice production in the region.

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics eBooks, 2004

Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident ... more Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2009-2014). ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the VLS in two villages of Gujarat. The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. This dataset contains details on General Endowment Schedule (GES) in these villages during the study period. GES for information on resource endowments (family composition, land, livestock, farm implements, residential building, consumer durables, stock inventory, debt and credit) of the household; role of gender in ownership and decision making; coping mechanisms adopted by the household during drought years. VDSA Database

Village Level Studies (VLS) dataset has been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators ... more Village Level Studies (VLS) dataset has been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2001-2014). In May 1975, ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the VLS in two villages of Telangana (Aurepalle and Dokur). The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. Datasets contain the cultivation details of these two villages. Cultivation Schedule has records, operations and their costs in input-output form for each plot held by the household. It also includes the important characteristics of each plot and subplot such as soil type, ownership, irrigation status, land value, and revenue. VDSA Database

Aquaculture Economics & Management, Apr 22, 2022

Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident ... more Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2009-2014). ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the Village Level Studies(VLS) in two villages of Gujarat. The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. Datasets contain the cultivation details of these two villages. Cultivation Schedule has records, operations and their costs in input-output form for each plot held by the household. It also includes the important characteristics of each plot and subplot such as soil type, ownership, irrigation status, land value, and revenue. VDSA Database

Bangladesh: Evidences from VDSA Panel Household Surveys" was conducted for the LANSA in 2016. Aut... more Bangladesh: Evidences from VDSA Panel Household Surveys" was conducted for the LANSA in 2016. Authors acknowledge the suggestions and feedback received from the LANSA secretariat, anonymous referees and participants of the LANSA Knowledge Sharing Workshops entitled "Nexus between Agriculture and Nutrition: Bangladesh Case" held at the BRAC INN Auditorium. The research team also thanks Ms Barnali Chakraborty, Ms. Zeenat Ahmed of BRAC, Ms. Sangeetha Rajeesh, Research Uptake Manager, LANSA and Dr. RV Bhavani, Project Manager, LANSA at MSSRF, for their critical support and feedback. Authors are grateful to Ms. Gita Gopalakrishnan for excellent copyediting. About LANSA Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) is an international research partnership. LANSA is finding out how agriculture and agri-food systems can be better designed to advance nutrition. LANSA is focused on policies, interventions and strategies that can improve the nutritional status of women and children in South Asia. LANSA is funded by UKaid from the UK government. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. For more information see www.lansasouthasia.org

This chapter provides a comparative meta-analysis of several global studies on long-term climatic... more This chapter provides a comparative meta-analysis of several global studies on long-term climatic trends, extreme events and their consequences on the important countries in Asia and Africa. Here we argue that climate-related losses are of greater magnitude than, and inventoried less than, the losses due to climatic extremes and natural disasters. It tries to answer questions such as what do the data indicate for the regions? Comparative assessment and regional trends are reported for: (i) the semi-arid tropics of India; (ii) the Mekong river region and north-east region of Vietnam; (iii) the semi-arid north-east region of Thailand; (iv) the drought and flood plains of Bangladesh; and (v) the dry regions of Sri Lanka.

Routledge eBooks, Jan 29, 2016

Chickpea, Pigeonpea and Groundnut are the most important food legumes in South Asia. They are int... more Chickpea, Pigeonpea and Groundnut are the most important food legumes in South Asia. They are integral part of cropping systems and farmers' livelihoods. Besides enriching soil fertility, food legumes also provide substantial income to the farm households and also contribute towards household nutritional security. Since 2007, ICRISAT along with partners from National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in India and Bangladesh has been implementing a joint project namely 'Tropical Legumes-II' for increasing the production and availability of legumes particularly for small holder farmers and poor consumers in South Asia. Specifically, this initiative has been focusing on proper targeting for development of improved cultivars of food legumes, promotion of their adoption, proactive public sector policies and finally linking these small holders to markets and value chains. A number of studies have been completed in five states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu) in India and Barind region of Bangladesh during last eight years (2007-2014) of project implementation. These studies have examined and documented the existing situation in legumes cultivation, constraints faced by the farmers, market linkages, potential opportunities for their expansion etc. In close association with the legume breeders, agricultural economists have also assessed the farmers preferred traits for chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties expressed during the 'Farmer Preferred Varietal Selection (FPVS)' demonstrations. These farmers preferred varieties were identified, released formally, multiplied and supplied as seed samples to legume growers in intervention sites. Later, studies were also conducted for monitoring early adoption of newly introduced improved cultivars and their performance in the targeted locations. Based on those research findings, these studies have put forward some suggestions to accelerate the food legumes productivity and profitabilityin India and Bangladesh

Sorghum is the third cereal crop after rice and wheat in India mostly grown under marginal and st... more Sorghum is the third cereal crop after rice and wheat in India mostly grown under marginal and stress-prone areas of Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT). NARS, ICRISAT and private seed companies are the major stakeholders working for sorghum crop improvement in the last fifty years. Altogether more than 293 improved cultivars have been notified and made available to farmers during the same time. The current knowledge about spread and impact of sorghum improved crop varieties in the country is incomplete. Very little statistically valid information is available on the extent of adoption at national and sub-national levels. The present study made a humble attempt to address these issues with help of primary as well as secondary sources of data. The analysis has concluded that nearly 80 per cent of total sorghum areas are under improved cultivars which helped to increase the mean country productivity levels to the tune of 71 per cent between 1960 and 2010. The results also proved that adoption of improved cultivars increased the yields substantially and also reduced its variability in the country.

Bangladesh agriculture has made remarkable progress in terms of production and diversification to... more Bangladesh agriculture has made remarkable progress in terms of production and diversification towards high value crops and non-crop agriculture over time. All sub-sectors (crop, forestry, animal farming and fisheries) of agriculture have registered substantial growth. Agricultural GDP has increased by 5.6 times since independence. On the other hand, Total GDP has increased by 20.8 times. Per capita income (GNI) has increased by 6.2 times, from 211 dollars to 1,314 dollars. Bangladesh has achieved lower middle income country status in 2015 by the World Bank. Average growth in agricultural GDP reached 3.5% during the Sixth Five Year Plan (FY2010/11 to FY2014/15), along with exceptional performance during FY2010 and FY2011 (GoB, 2015; p. 289). The achievement of food self-sufficiency is a major milestone for the country. Steady progress with diversification in favour of fish, meat and vegetable production has also contributed to the nutritional improvement. Despite remarkable increase in value of agriculture over the last four decades and particularly during the Sixth FYP, its share has been declining with the expansion of non-agriculture sectors (manufacturing and services) in both urban and rural areas. Share of agriculture to the GDP has declined to 15.6 percent in 2014/15 from 58.4 percent in 1973/74. This transformation is in line with the national economic goal. Agriculture sector continues to be the largest employing sector in the economy. Number of persons engaged in agriculture, forestry and fisheries has increased from 16.4 million in 1983/84 to 25.7 million in 2010. However, the share of employment in agriculture to the total employment in the country declined to 47.3 percent in 2010 from 51.7 percent in 2002-03. Agriculture sector will play an important role in achieving overall goal of "accelerating growth, empowering citizens" during the Seventh Five Year Plan (FY2015/16 to FY2020/21). Agriculture will be the mainstay for ensuring food and nutrition security, and poverty reduction in the country.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 15, 2020

Acceptance of Open Data by the governments, foundations, science councils and other sponsors of r... more Acceptance of Open Data by the governments, foundations, science councils and other sponsors of research across the world have prompted the trend towards Open Data. Many researchers and organizations have embraced the Open Data policy. Most often the datasets are released through Dataverse. However, just making datasets available is not enough. We need inbuilt user-friendly data extraction and transformation techniques, and analytical features that can facilitate analyses of research data and generate new knowledge and insights from such data. The Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Knowledge Bank, (http://vdsakb.icrisat.ac.in/), is a unique data warehouse with user-friendly data retrieval and online analytical processing features for household level panel data on India and Bangladesh. It is the first of its kind in the world for managing household survey data. It exemplifies how digital innovation tools (Microsoft SQL and Business Intelligence tools) can be used in processing diverse, complex longterm databases and promoting the cause of Open Data and facilitates decision support needs. This paper has documented the development process, technical features and impacts of the VDSA Knowledge Bank. It provides an indepth understanding about how to plan, partner with information technology firms, design and implement a data warehouse project. Thus, the main contribution of this paper is featuring how developments in information technology can be innovatively used to promote Open Data and enhance impacts. Hopefully, this study will stimulate interests among researchers and donors in building data warehouse for management and dissemination of Open Data.

Studies in Trade and Investment, 2010

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promo... more The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promote an ongoing dialogue between the principal partners in the decision making and implementing process. The dialogues are designed to address important policy issues and to seek constructive solutions to these problems. The Centre has already organised a series of such dialogues at local, regional and national levels. The CPD has also organised a number of South Asian bilateral and regional dialogues as well as some international dialogues. These dialogues have brought together ministers, opposition frontbenchers, MPs, business leaders, NGOs, donors, professionals and other functional group in civil society within a non-confrontational environment to promote focused discussions. The CPD seeks to create a national policy consciousness where members of civil society will be made aware of critical policy issues affecting their lives and will come together in support of particular policy agendas which they feel are conducive to the well-being of the country. In support of the dialogue process the Centre is engaged in research programmes which are both serviced by and are intended to serve as inputs for particular dialogues organised by the Centre throughout the year. Some of the major research programmes of the CPD include

Abstract The fifth chapter examines Bangladesh's achievement in production and availability ... more Abstract The fifth chapter examines Bangladesh's achievement in production and availability of food grains to provide the background behind the surge in rice prices. Then it compares rice prices to that of the world market and the immediate policy reponse to contain the ...

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics eBooks, 2004

Rice is the dominant staple food and the major source of rural livelihood in South India. Along w... more Rice is the dominant staple food and the major source of rural livelihood in South India. Along with crop sub-sector as a whole, however, the rice production too is experiencing profit squeeze from rising input cost and declining farm size due to growing rural population. The production and productivity growth in rice is lagging behind with the changes in agriculture production portfolio in the region during1990's. This study examines supply response of rice to various price and non-price factors using district level panel data from 1970-71 to 2007-08 for the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in India. The two states together account for about 20 % of rice production in India and thus have an important bearing on the food security of the country. The district level panel data are analyzed using simultaneous equation model. Empirical results indicate that public investments in rural infrastructure, rural literacy, and technology have strong effects on long run rice supply response in South India. The long run output supply elasticity with respect to its own price is strong but has a lower elasticity compared to non-prices factors including climatic variables. Thus, long run productivity and production growth in rice is possible through investments in rural infrastructure and technology along with provisions for input supply and market development. Improvements in investment priority will strengthen mitigation to climate factors and provide long run incentive to farmers to invest their labor and capital in rice production in the region.

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics eBooks, 2004

Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident ... more Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2009-2014). ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the VLS in two villages of Gujarat. The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. This dataset contains details on General Endowment Schedule (GES) in these villages during the study period. GES for information on resource endowments (family composition, land, livestock, farm implements, residential building, consumer durables, stock inventory, debt and credit) of the household; role of gender in ownership and decision making; coping mechanisms adopted by the household during drought years. VDSA Database

Village Level Studies (VLS) dataset has been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators ... more Village Level Studies (VLS) dataset has been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2001-2014). In May 1975, ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the VLS in two villages of Telangana (Aurepalle and Dokur). The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. Datasets contain the cultivation details of these two villages. Cultivation Schedule has records, operations and their costs in input-output form for each plot held by the household. It also includes the important characteristics of each plot and subplot such as soil type, ownership, irrigation status, land value, and revenue. VDSA Database

Aquaculture Economics & Management, Apr 22, 2022

Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident ... more Village Dynamics Studies in South Asia (VDSA) datasets have been generated by ICRISAT’s resident field investigators who lived in the villages to periodically revisit the same households over the years (2009-2014). ICRISAT Economics Program initiated the Village Level Studies(VLS) in two villages of Gujarat. The aim was to understand the traditional methods of farming in the SAT region. Datasets contain the cultivation details of these two villages. Cultivation Schedule has records, operations and their costs in input-output form for each plot held by the household. It also includes the important characteristics of each plot and subplot such as soil type, ownership, irrigation status, land value, and revenue. VDSA Database

Bangladesh: Evidences from VDSA Panel Household Surveys" was conducted for the LANSA in 2016. Aut... more Bangladesh: Evidences from VDSA Panel Household Surveys" was conducted for the LANSA in 2016. Authors acknowledge the suggestions and feedback received from the LANSA secretariat, anonymous referees and participants of the LANSA Knowledge Sharing Workshops entitled "Nexus between Agriculture and Nutrition: Bangladesh Case" held at the BRAC INN Auditorium. The research team also thanks Ms Barnali Chakraborty, Ms. Zeenat Ahmed of BRAC, Ms. Sangeetha Rajeesh, Research Uptake Manager, LANSA and Dr. RV Bhavani, Project Manager, LANSA at MSSRF, for their critical support and feedback. Authors are grateful to Ms. Gita Gopalakrishnan for excellent copyediting. About LANSA Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) is an international research partnership. LANSA is finding out how agriculture and agri-food systems can be better designed to advance nutrition. LANSA is focused on policies, interventions and strategies that can improve the nutritional status of women and children in South Asia. LANSA is funded by UKaid from the UK government. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government's official policies. For more information see www.lansasouthasia.org

This chapter provides a comparative meta-analysis of several global studies on long-term climatic... more This chapter provides a comparative meta-analysis of several global studies on long-term climatic trends, extreme events and their consequences on the important countries in Asia and Africa. Here we argue that climate-related losses are of greater magnitude than, and inventoried less than, the losses due to climatic extremes and natural disasters. It tries to answer questions such as what do the data indicate for the regions? Comparative assessment and regional trends are reported for: (i) the semi-arid tropics of India; (ii) the Mekong river region and north-east region of Vietnam; (iii) the semi-arid north-east region of Thailand; (iv) the drought and flood plains of Bangladesh; and (v) the dry regions of Sri Lanka.

Routledge eBooks, Jan 29, 2016

Chickpea, Pigeonpea and Groundnut are the most important food legumes in South Asia. They are int... more Chickpea, Pigeonpea and Groundnut are the most important food legumes in South Asia. They are integral part of cropping systems and farmers' livelihoods. Besides enriching soil fertility, food legumes also provide substantial income to the farm households and also contribute towards household nutritional security. Since 2007, ICRISAT along with partners from National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in India and Bangladesh has been implementing a joint project namely 'Tropical Legumes-II' for increasing the production and availability of legumes particularly for small holder farmers and poor consumers in South Asia. Specifically, this initiative has been focusing on proper targeting for development of improved cultivars of food legumes, promotion of their adoption, proactive public sector policies and finally linking these small holders to markets and value chains. A number of studies have been completed in five states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu) in India and Barind region of Bangladesh during last eight years (2007-2014) of project implementation. These studies have examined and documented the existing situation in legumes cultivation, constraints faced by the farmers, market linkages, potential opportunities for their expansion etc. In close association with the legume breeders, agricultural economists have also assessed the farmers preferred traits for chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties expressed during the 'Farmer Preferred Varietal Selection (FPVS)' demonstrations. These farmers preferred varieties were identified, released formally, multiplied and supplied as seed samples to legume growers in intervention sites. Later, studies were also conducted for monitoring early adoption of newly introduced improved cultivars and their performance in the targeted locations. Based on those research findings, these studies have put forward some suggestions to accelerate the food legumes productivity and profitabilityin India and Bangladesh

Sorghum is the third cereal crop after rice and wheat in India mostly grown under marginal and st... more Sorghum is the third cereal crop after rice and wheat in India mostly grown under marginal and stress-prone areas of Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT). NARS, ICRISAT and private seed companies are the major stakeholders working for sorghum crop improvement in the last fifty years. Altogether more than 293 improved cultivars have been notified and made available to farmers during the same time. The current knowledge about spread and impact of sorghum improved crop varieties in the country is incomplete. Very little statistically valid information is available on the extent of adoption at national and sub-national levels. The present study made a humble attempt to address these issues with help of primary as well as secondary sources of data. The analysis has concluded that nearly 80 per cent of total sorghum areas are under improved cultivars which helped to increase the mean country productivity levels to the tune of 71 per cent between 1960 and 2010. The results also proved that adoption of improved cultivars increased the yields substantially and also reduced its variability in the country.

Bangladesh agriculture has made remarkable progress in terms of production and diversification to... more Bangladesh agriculture has made remarkable progress in terms of production and diversification towards high value crops and non-crop agriculture over time. All sub-sectors (crop, forestry, animal farming and fisheries) of agriculture have registered substantial growth. Agricultural GDP has increased by 5.6 times since independence. On the other hand, Total GDP has increased by 20.8 times. Per capita income (GNI) has increased by 6.2 times, from 211 dollars to 1,314 dollars. Bangladesh has achieved lower middle income country status in 2015 by the World Bank. Average growth in agricultural GDP reached 3.5% during the Sixth Five Year Plan (FY2010/11 to FY2014/15), along with exceptional performance during FY2010 and FY2011 (GoB, 2015; p. 289). The achievement of food self-sufficiency is a major milestone for the country. Steady progress with diversification in favour of fish, meat and vegetable production has also contributed to the nutritional improvement. Despite remarkable increase in value of agriculture over the last four decades and particularly during the Sixth FYP, its share has been declining with the expansion of non-agriculture sectors (manufacturing and services) in both urban and rural areas. Share of agriculture to the GDP has declined to 15.6 percent in 2014/15 from 58.4 percent in 1973/74. This transformation is in line with the national economic goal. Agriculture sector continues to be the largest employing sector in the economy. Number of persons engaged in agriculture, forestry and fisheries has increased from 16.4 million in 1983/84 to 25.7 million in 2010. However, the share of employment in agriculture to the total employment in the country declined to 47.3 percent in 2010 from 51.7 percent in 2002-03. Agriculture sector will play an important role in achieving overall goal of "accelerating growth, empowering citizens" during the Seventh Five Year Plan (FY2015/16 to FY2020/21). Agriculture will be the mainstay for ensuring food and nutrition security, and poverty reduction in the country.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jun 15, 2020

Acceptance of Open Data by the governments, foundations, science councils and other sponsors of r... more Acceptance of Open Data by the governments, foundations, science councils and other sponsors of research across the world have prompted the trend towards Open Data. Many researchers and organizations have embraced the Open Data policy. Most often the datasets are released through Dataverse. However, just making datasets available is not enough. We need inbuilt user-friendly data extraction and transformation techniques, and analytical features that can facilitate analyses of research data and generate new knowledge and insights from such data. The Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Knowledge Bank, (http://vdsakb.icrisat.ac.in/), is a unique data warehouse with user-friendly data retrieval and online analytical processing features for household level panel data on India and Bangladesh. It is the first of its kind in the world for managing household survey data. It exemplifies how digital innovation tools (Microsoft SQL and Business Intelligence tools) can be used in processing diverse, complex longterm databases and promoting the cause of Open Data and facilitates decision support needs. This paper has documented the development process, technical features and impacts of the VDSA Knowledge Bank. It provides an indepth understanding about how to plan, partner with information technology firms, design and implement a data warehouse project. Thus, the main contribution of this paper is featuring how developments in information technology can be innovatively used to promote Open Data and enhance impacts. Hopefully, this study will stimulate interests among researchers and donors in building data warehouse for management and dissemination of Open Data.

Studies in Trade and Investment, 2010

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promo... more The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), established in 1993, is a civil society initiative to promote an ongoing dialogue between the principal partners in the decision making and implementing process. The dialogues are designed to address important policy issues and to seek constructive solutions to these problems. The Centre has already organised a series of such dialogues at local, regional and national levels. The CPD has also organised a number of South Asian bilateral and regional dialogues as well as some international dialogues. These dialogues have brought together ministers, opposition frontbenchers, MPs, business leaders, NGOs, donors, professionals and other functional group in civil society within a non-confrontational environment to promote focused discussions. The CPD seeks to create a national policy consciousness where members of civil society will be made aware of critical policy issues affecting their lives and will come together in support of particular policy agendas which they feel are conducive to the well-being of the country. In support of the dialogue process the Centre is engaged in research programmes which are both serviced by and are intended to serve as inputs for particular dialogues organised by the Centre throughout the year. Some of the major research programmes of the CPD include