This paper analyses the dynamics of the per capita expenditure on various food groups (including cereals) across income groups, as well as the consumption of cereals, and calorie intake in India.
Coconut farming plays a vital role in the agrarian economy of Kerala besides its unique place in the sociocultural fabric of the region. It has an imperative role in terms of cropping area as well as in generating significant share in the... more
Coconut farming plays a vital role in the agrarian economy of Kerala besides its unique place in the sociocultural fabric of the region. It has an imperative role in terms of cropping area as well as in generating significant share in the agricultural income of the state. In this context this article tries to understand the importance of coconut in the plantation economy of Kerala by looking into the relative importance of coconut in terms of area, production and productivity trends at national and state level from 1980 to 2015. In India, area, production and productivity of coconut showed an increasing trend. As compared to Indian scenario, there was no continuous increasing trend observed in the case of area and production of coconut in Kerala. However, the productivity showed an increasing trend during the same period. The compound growth rate in area, production and productivity of coconut in India as well as in Kerala during the above period was also estimated.
Food being the foremost basic need gets the priority in the pattern of expenditure of people, especially the poor class. Access to food demands affordability, which depends upon the twin factors, namely, income of the people and prices... more
Food being the foremost basic need gets the priority in the pattern of expenditure of people, especially the poor class. Access to food demands affordability, which depends upon the twin factors, namely, income of the people and prices prevailing in the country. Slower growth in income than prices would undermine the purchasing power, resulting in inadequate access to food and calorie consumption. Foodgrains account for about four-fifth of the calorie intake of the poor and an increase in cereal prices could significantly reduce the calorie intake of the poor, as it is sensitive to cereal prices. The dietary changes that characterise the “nutrition transition” include both quantitative and qualitative changes in the diet. Income, prices, individual preferences and beliefs, cultural traditions as well as geographical, environmental, social and economic factors all interact in a complex manner to shape the dietary consumption pattern (WHO, 2003). India has achieved self-sufficiency in...
Small cardamom, the queen of spices, plays an important role in India’s economy due to robust domestic demand and increasing price. However, the export of the spice witnessed huge decline and it became more of domestic market oriented. In... more
Small cardamom, the queen of spices, plays an important role in India’s economy due to robust domestic demand and increasing price. However, the export of the spice witnessed huge decline and it became more of domestic market oriented. In recent years, the export of small cardamom from India was found to be increasing steadily. The present study was conducted to analyse the export performance of small cardamom from India in terms of export growth rate and instability, sources of growth and variability in export value and the geographic concentration of export. During the pre-WTO period, the growth rates in terms of export value, quantity and unit value were found to be negative, while the instability in export was high. Post-WTO period recorded positive and higher growth rate and comparatively lower instability in export. Among the different periods under study, lower growth rate and higher instability were observed during Period II which could be the result of increased domestic de...
Black pepper as an internationally traded commodity has always been associated with price fluctuations which are influenced by numerous factors including production and consumption in India and the world, international prices,... more
Black pepper as an internationally traded commodity has always been associated with price fluctuations which are influenced by numerous factors including production and consumption in India and the world, international prices, export-import policies, exchange rates and trade agreements. The present study is focused on price instability of black pepper in Indian and international markets in the pre-liberalisation and postliberalisation periods. Annual instability indices of nominal and real prices of black pepper in the domestic and international markets were computed and used to compare price instability before and after agricultural trade liberalisation in India. The study revealed that the magnitude of price instability of black pepper hasincreased significantly in Indian markets during the post-liberalisation period, whereas it has declined in the international markets. The destabilising effect of trade liberalisation on prices of black pepper was comparatively more in Indian mar...
The study analyses the export performance of vegetables from India in terms of instability and concentration and also the major Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) that limit India’s export prospects. The export of vegetables has grown... more
The study analyses the export performance of vegetables from India in terms of instability and concentration and also the major Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) that limit India’s export prospects. The export of vegetables has grown significantly during the period from 1988 to 2016, both in quantity and value terms. Onion ranked top among all the major vegetables exported from India both in terms of quantity and value and the country accounted for 9.4 per cent share in the world export of onions. The export of the major vegetables from India also showed declining instability and increasing commodity as well as geographic diversification. The most stable markets for major vegetables exported from India were Nepal, Belgium, Pakistan, Mauritius, Oman, UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Major NTMs include differential Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides, equivalence agreement on organic products, protocol on phyto-sanitary measures and organic certification mostly required by the develop...
Black pepper, the oldest and best known spice in the world, is a highly traded commodity and prone to price fluctuations. The present paper focuses on the extent of volatility in prices of black pepper at the macro-level and explores at... more
Black pepper, the oldest and best known spice in the world, is a highly traded commodity and prone to price fluctuations. The present paper focuses on the extent of volatility in prices of black pepper at the macro-level and explores at micro level whether an institutional support such as a contract agreement could be a solution to the problem of price volatility. The study shows that the intra-annual volatility indices for black pepper prices decreased marginally after trade liberalisation in India, whereas the inter-annual volatility has increased in the post-liberalisation era. These fluctuating prices increases the uncertainty faced by the farmers in their planting decisions and in earning reasonable as well as stable returns. The study also identified disease and pest incidence as the major constraint in black pepper production, whereas price volatility ranked to be the fourth constraint. The study also analysed the effect of an institutional contract agreement by comparing the...
Volatility in agricultural commodity prices is a priority policy agenda in the ongoing debate on commodity markets vis-a-vis food inflation. The extent of volatility in food commodities has been examined by comparing different indicators.... more
Volatility in agricultural commodity prices is a priority policy agenda in the ongoing debate on commodity markets vis-a-vis food inflation. The extent of volatility in food commodities has been examined by comparing different indicators. In comparison to previous two decades, food prices are volatile globally and more in rice and wheat particularly during the decade since 2000. In contrast, the extent of price volatility in absolute and relative terms for India elucidated that rice and wheat are less volatile. Plausible drivers of price volatility have been empirically verified based on the arguments in economic forums besides elaborating its impact on economy. The study also highlights the various existing price stabilisation measures and concludes with a pragmatic approach of policy interventions to encounter the rising food prices.
The liberalization of agricultural trade brought about by the economic reforms of 1991, the subsequent WTO agreement and the proliferating Regional Trading Agreements have opened opportunities as well as challenges for India’s... more
The liberalization of agricultural trade brought about by the economic reforms of 1991, the subsequent WTO agreement and the proliferating Regional Trading Agreements have opened opportunities as well as challenges for India’s horticultural trade. This paper analyses the performance of horticultural exports from the country in terms of growth, instability, dynamics, diversification and stability with respect to commodities and markets and the constraints in terms of the Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) faced and delineates the opportunities and strategies required to be followed by the sector for a sustainable growth. The horticultural exports from the country have grown significantly in both quantity and value terms during the period from 1991 to 2016. The highest share in the exports of horticultural products from India was accounted by grapes for which the major markets were Netherlands, Russia, United Kingdom, UAE, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Among the vegetables, India accounted for ab...
Trade liberalisation by reduction of tariffs or the removal of non-tariff barriers including Quantitative Restrictions will have impact on the economy mainly through the influence on commodity prices. Imposition or reduction of tariffs... more
Trade liberalisation by reduction of tariffs or the removal of non-tariff barriers including Quantitative Restrictions will have impact on the economy mainly through the influence on commodity prices. Imposition or reduction of tariffs will affect the relative commodity prices ie, price of each of the commodity in terms of other commodities. This relative change in prices can be for commodities belonging to the same sector like industry or agriculture or fisheries or between categories of commodities, for e.g., agricultural in terms of non-agricultural. The changes in relative prices will in turn have its influence on the relative profitability of taking up different enterprises, which will result in changes in enterprise combinations. Different enterprises will have different input use intensities or factor combinations and at times, the increased profitability of taking up some of these enterprises would make the entrepreneurs to overuse inputs like pesticides and fertilizers, or ...
This paper analyses the dynamics of the per capita expenditure on various food groups (including cereals) across income groups, as well as the consumption of cereals, and calorie intake in India.
Volatility in agricultural commodity prices is a priority policy agenda in the ongoing debate on commodity markets vis-à-vis food inflation. The extent of volatility in food commodities has been examined by comparing different indicators.... more
Volatility in agricultural commodity prices is a priority policy agenda in the ongoing debate on commodity markets vis-à-vis food inflation. The extent of volatility in food commodities has been examined by comparing different indicators. In comparison to previous two decades, food prices are volatile globally and more in rice and wheat particularly during the decade since 2000. In contrast, the extent of price volatility in absolute and relative terms for India elucidated that rice and wheat are less volatile. Plausible drivers of price volatility have been empirically verified based on the arguments in economic forums besides elaborating its impact on economy. The study also highlights the various existing price stabilisation measures and concludes with a pragmatic approach of policy interventions to encounter the rising food prices.
