Secondary Agriculture : Upgrading Agriculture for Jobs and Income

A first of its kind, this authored book marshals data and logic that necessitate the agriculture sector to transcend beyond its conventional role of securing food, fodder, and feed. It examines India's growing working population and juxtaposes it with the declining labour demand in the secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy, on account of the deployment of disruptive suite of labour-substituting technologies. Therefore, the conventional developmental models that hypothesize the shifting of surplus manpower from agriculture to non-agricultural sectors may not stand the test of scrutiny in the twenty-first century. Hence, the need for remandating the agricultural sector to generate gainful jobs and supplementary incomes in an ecologically synchronous manner for sustainability.

The book  draws the readers' attention to the importance of bioeconomy and circular economy. To enhance the biologically dependent cumulative agri-output, it recommends the adoption of supplementary and complementary activities. These interventions, along with processing (food and non-food), aid in minimizing food loss, enhancing value capture in favour of the farmers and other value chain stakeholders, and creating gainful jobs and linked incomes resulting in higher enterprise-profits. This progresses the agricultural sector into a bioeconomy anchored around secondary agriculture.  Agri-processing being integral to secondary agriculture can be practiced at various scales beginning from micro to small to medium to large. The book highlights both the scope for such enterprises in India and the challenges they are vulnerable to. In the context of sub-par levels of jobs and income in the farm sector, the book emphasizes on micro-enterprises, and suggests the clusterization of entrepreneurs and digitalization along the value chain to achieve competitiveness. The book also deliberates on market-led production matrix, and value chain-based extension services to meet the feedstock demands of secondary agriculture.

This book is of relevance to a range of individuals and organizations concerned with agriculture. They include academics, researchers, professionals, universities, domestic & international organizations,  bankers &  financial institutions, FPOs, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and students.

Ashok Dalwai, a former IAS officer, is an economist with a Master’s in Agricultural Economics and a Doctorate in Economics. Professionally, he has deployed his deep knowledge of agricultural sciences in his 40 years of service at both field and policy formulation stages. Rising to senior ranks and occupying important positions as Secretary at the state and central levels, he has to his credit several policies encompassing agriculture, sericulture, textiles, water resources, industry, steel, mines, technology, and urban governance. As Chairman of the Committee on Doubling Farmers' Income, he submitted the 14-volume Report to the Government of India. The report is globally recognized for its evidence-based strategy. Emphasizing job-led growth, one of the volumes was dedicated to secondary agriculture anchored around farm-linked micro-enterprises, with which Dr.Dalwai's name is nationally associated. Recognised for a plethora of progressive reforms and fundamental transformations, Dr. Dalwai has won several awards, including Honorary D.Sc., D. Litt, and Professorship from various universities. He is presently serving as Chairman, Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission, in the rank of a Minister, besides heading important committees.

Dr. Ritambhara Singh, an Associate Professor (Agribusiness Management) in Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, India. is a highly accomplished academic and researcher. She holds a Master’s and a Doctorate in Agricultural Economics from the renowned Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, besides earning Certificates from the Universities of Michigan, Cornell, and Illinois, USA, as also from the University of Adelaide, Australia.  Her 20 years of professional experience spanning across reputed organizations is dotted by national and international projects funded by UNCTAD, World Bank- ICAR, Government of Gujarat,  ICSSR, and many more.  Of her repertoire of academic interests across the canvas of economics, agri-business management and trade, bioeconomy & circular economy, secondary agriculture has been her passion, to which she has made outstanding contributions. She has several achievements to show, comprising several awards, including that of excellence in reporting by the US Department of Agriculture; membership of professional bodies, as also on the editorial boards of magazines and reputed journals; and more than 200 publications, variously formatted in reputed journals, magazines, and news dailies.