Times Agricultural Journal

Indian agriculture is characterised by weather dependence, seasonality of crop growth, low level of mechanisation and increased dependence on labour, non-standardised region-wise production methods, poor quality of inputs, and “mixed” nature of farming (crop and animal husbandry being handled simultaneously by a managing unit as opposed to “specialised” farming of the West). Post-1991, “Corporatisation of Indian Agriculture”, “Corporate Farming”, “Contract Farming” have remained phrases that have not exactly translated into reality due to many constraints one of which is faulty farm management systems. The main reason for the faults in the system is the absence of organised information and a knowledge base drawn from experiences of people.

Shared experiences

In India, farm management experiences are hardly shared. Second, Indian farming has largely been a family-run, subsistence-type occupation and not a professionally run business. Inter alia, this has contributed to the present state of affairs and has been an impediment to corporatisation of agriculture.

Corporate attitudes, project planning and implementation

The objectives and the operations of a new commercial venture are seldom thoroughly defined, discussed and understood by the top management, nor by anyone along the line down to the farm manager; as a result, the kind of commitment that is needed to be successful in the business, is absent. This is a sure shot to doom. We tried to sell this idea to many of our potential clients very, very hard for several years now, but with limited success.

Sowing seeds of knowledge Moreover, business groups entering a new venture are apprehensive of consultants, especially the foreign ones, whereas the home-grown ones are perceived as inexperienced. Most often they have the notion that consultants are a bane to the industry. Besides, most often they want information, data and/or knowledge relevant for project planning and implementation but are reluctant to pay for this valuable input.

In the absence of necessary information, knowledge and/or service from the state agricultural universities (SAUs), consultants have become an indispensable component of any agro-venture today. But, in the absence of a good rapport, trust and understanding between the client and the consultant, the projects can’t take off well. This is what happened with many agro-ventures, especially those in floriculture.