This paper examines the relationship between the degree of agricultural progress and institutional credit. More specifically it examines the relationship between the proportion of area covered under HYVs of foodgrains and (a) the density of Rural Financial Institutions (RFIs), (b) various types...

Seed is a unique agricultural input in the sense it has life, it imbibes productivity potential in it, and it can be multiplied by farmers themselves. In most crops it is the cheapest of all inputs required for increased production. This paper presents brief introduction to the nature of this...

The paper enlists important policy measures taken to develop seed industry in India since 1947, progress made, and prospects for its growth. It reveals that the protectionist policy on seeds was abandoned in late eighties when seed industry was placed in Appendix I of the licensing policy....

India is the third largest producer of tobacco in the world after China and USA. Though it occupies a mere 0.25 per cent of the cropped area in the country, it contributed Rs. 507 crores to the foreign exchange earnings and Rs. 3200 crores to the exchequer by way of central excise during...

Seed industry in India has been making great strides since independence. The government through policy initiatives helped the development and growth of the nascent industry. As a result quality seed production which was just 0.18 million quintals in 1953-54 has risen to 5.3 million quintals in...

The Indian Patents Act of 1970 excludes all living organisms from the scope of patentability. However, under the Trade Related Intellectual Properties (TRIPs) negotiated under GATT the government is bound to provide some form of protection to plant varieties. Accordingly, the government has...

This Working Paper is a part of the project on ‘Economic and Management Aspects of Sugar Production from Sugar beet’ sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. The scope of this paper is restricted to cultivation of sugar...

Ideally seed should be replaced every year for hybrids and every three to four years for non-hybrids. However, in practice seed is replaced less often especially in case of open pollinated crops. As a consequence, seed replacement rates are lower than recommended for different crop varieties. As...

With a view to understand the current status and working of Cooperative credit Structure and to formulate the strategy they need to follow in the coming decade, Kheda district in Gujarat selected for a case study. On the basis of insights developed, the strategy needed to strengthen the...

This paper attempts at examining the ways in which various factors affecting savings influence different aspects of a savings decision. The three aspects of a decision to save were identified as the ability to save, the willingness to save and the opportunity (availability of institutional...