Search
The available data of Marketable Surplus based on the surveys conducted by the DMI during earlier decades had become obsolete. Therefore, in the year 1972, the Directorate initiated nation wide survey under the Scheme of ‘Estimation of Marketable Surplus & Post Harvest Losses’ of some of the important cereals, namely, Paddy, Wheat, Jowar, Bajra and Maize. With the passage of time, the Marketable Surplus ratios of this survey also became obsolete. There was persistent demand from the user organisations for revision and up-dating of the data to make it more realistic, as the survey throws up information not only on Marketable Surplus ratios but also on variety of other crucial items like farm retention for family consumption, seed, feed and wastages etc.
In view of this, the Directorate initiated a nation wide survey for Estimation of Marketable Surplus & Post Harvest Losses of selected foodgrains (Paddy, Wheat, Jowar, Bajra, Maize, Ragi, and Barley – amongst cereals and Arhar, Green Gram, Black Gram, Bengal Gram and Lentil – amongst pulses), stretching over a period of three years, i.e., 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99. The survey covered 25 States, 100 districts from these states and 15,000 cultivator households from these districts selected as per multistage stratified random sampling design.
The field surveys were conducted through the Designated State Agencies (DSAs). The survey data provided valuable information on various aspects of Village Profiles and Cultivator Households Profiles like crops grown, farm retention for different purposes, losses at producer’s level and sales, etc.
An effort has been made to present the data in respect of the selected villages, covering vital information on village population, geographical area, area under cultivation, sources of irrigation, ratio of area under each crop, distribution of cultivators in different categories, accessibility of the market, condition of the feeder roads and availability of storage capacity etc.
I place on record my sincere thanks to the members of the Technical Committee, especially Dr. A.K. Srivatastva, Jt. Director and Dr. H.V.L. Bathla, Head, Sample Survey Division, IASRI, New Delhi who rendered guidance from time to time in the statistical methodology for Estimation of Marketable Surplus & Post Harvest Losses. I also thank the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Western Region (Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India), and the Regional Computer Centre, Calcutta, who provided software support for data analysis and data entry respectively.
The systematic presentation of the findings of such a voluminous survey required sincere and devoted efforts by the officers and staff of the DMI and the DSAs. I place on record deep appreciation of the collaborative efforts made by them.
Dr. P.K. Biswas, Shri R.L. Dandwate and Dr. G. Gopala Rao, then Jt. Agricultural Marketing Advisers initiated this survey. Dr G.R.Bhatia, Additional Agricultural Marketing Adviser has edited this volume for publication.
I also take this opportunity to place on record my sincere thanks to all the selected cultivators without whose enthusiastic support and response during the course of survey, the project would have not been possible.
The Government of India should not be regarded as assuming responsibility for any of the statements, contained in the report
(P.K.Agarwal)
Agricultural Marketing Adviser
to the Government of India.
Nagpur:
Dated: December, 2002
Click here for complete document