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.
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.
