India agriculture, changes in India's agriculture?

Why can't agriculture in India be made a tech based or branded industry like any other industry?

  • There are many easy and technologically advanced instruments/ machines/pesticides etc, and seed qualities that enhance agriculture yield and productivity. India nominally being a Agro based country why is it unsuccessful in adopting such means. I have tried and many times discouraged for a Agro based start up. Like many brands do exist for other industries like automotive ( Volkswagen, Mercedes,Lamborghini BMW Tata Honda etc) , information and communication technology ( innumerable IT companies and telephone network operators) , textile industry (branded clothing ). Similarly why not a company could initiate with a land of given number of acres and start it's competitive production and marketing skills to enhance and initiate new production and better organic products. This imbibes a competitive cooperation between two companies and as always seen in history such a competition has been successful. Now you may say it makes everything capitalistic but capitalism is the trend today if we don't implement it even in agriculture it just looses the race. Moreover a farmer as an employee can get a fixed amount of salary and a happy living. Every agriculture based graduate, research scholar, management guys can together be a part of such an industry. So why people don't think of it and don't even encourage people to think about them?

  • Answer:

    That certainly is a very nice thought. However people are already doing that. However in India a company can't alone be involved in farming. 1) Farming alone needs expert knowledge in agriculture. Knowing which crop you should grow based on your soil, how you should rotate your crops, ideal conditions to grow the crop need a lot of infrastructure investment, so for guaranteed water, sunlight investments will be needed. Some of it is seasonal. However it is science and can be mastered or expertise is available and can be sought. 2) Investment and innovation will be needed to do it efficiently so for example, seeds, pesticides, tractors etc. 3) Labor is not educated and you will have to train them and concept of motivation has to be driven. 4) This so far may capture 10% of the problems in this trade, now the entry barrier in this business. There is cartel who buys from farmers at their own rates and sells in mandis again at their own rate, which is why you will see vegetable prices inflating at someone's whim and going down at someone's fancy. In order to not depend on them, you may have to cut deals with store owners, malls or package as your own brand. That would required investment of money and time. 5) Scaling this business will be tough as you would need to build "leadership" to manage multiple plots of land. You would be competing against cartels who can complete against you with their volume and lot of political patronage. 6) How you can beat them: I think you are already thinking about it. Yes, technology is the only solution. Be it low scale to preserve crops using cow dung to employing threshers to rain water harvesting for conserving water and high volume storage and good supply chain. This is what I can think of from my limited association with farming. I won't say this sector is ripe for disruption but I am hopeful with your technology you can create a niche which can set up differentiation for you. In all India is still agriculture based economy and can be tapped in a very big way.

Kamal Tripathi at Quora Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

I can't speak of India, but i can give you my opinion on agriculture in Mexico. May be some applies to India. Many farmers come from long time farmer families. The problem is that they keep working the land, the same way their ancestors did 200 years ago. Many don't like change or aren't interested in learning new ways. I think large industries are making its way into agriculture in Mexico, But it faces opposition from many people. Also old laws protect the "ejidos". An "ejido" is a state owned land that is granted to farmersĀ  as long as they keep cultivating it. It can't be sold but the rights can be inherited to the sons.

Ernesto Valderrama

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.