Research Paper of Itc E-Choupal
e-choupal
Introduction
India is the second most populous country in the world. Majority of its population live in villages & earn their livelihood through farming. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. The agriculture sector in India contributed 14.6% to the GDP in 2011-12 and is the third largest contributor after service (57.2%) and industrial (28.6%) sector. Though the contribution of the agriculture sector has decreasing by 32% since 1990, the importance of the sector has not declined. As per census 2012, it accounted for 58.4% of employment in India. After USA, India has maximum area capable of being farmed productively, but productivity per hectare is nowhere near the world best. Despite green revolution Indian agriculture sector has not been able to achieve the world level productivity. Cardinal reasons behind this are highly fragmented nature of Indian farming with close to 33% of capable land being farmed productively held in units of less than 2 hectares per owner.
The agriculture sector has received corporate focus for its importance and attempts have been made to develop sustainable solutions for raising the education level and economic status of the agro cultural community. One such initiative was by ITC Ltd named as the E-Choupal which helped the farmers in developing local leadership, attaining sustained increase in income levels, accessing knowledge and improving productivity.
Traditional Indian Agriculture
Traditionally Indian farmers are poor. Maximum of them are illiterate (rural high school literacy was 53% for males and 35% for females). They don’t have proper/scientific knowledge of modern agricultural. They believe Department of Agriculture for its various inputs such as weather, modern and scientific farming practices, seeds and fertilizers etc. They are using the method of farming which their forefather used. But even if they use modern techniques then also they don’t know proper use of the equipment’s. So they
Introduction
India is the second most populous country in the world. Majority of its population live in villages & earn their livelihood through farming. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. The agriculture sector in India contributed 14.6% to the GDP in 2011-12 and is the third largest contributor after service (57.2%) and industrial (28.6%) sector. Though the contribution of the agriculture sector has decreasing by 32% since 1990, the importance of the sector has not declined. As per census 2012, it accounted for 58.4% of employment in India. After USA, India has maximum area capable of being farmed productively, but productivity per hectare is nowhere near the world best. Despite green revolution Indian agriculture sector has not been able to achieve the world level productivity. Cardinal reasons behind this are highly fragmented nature of Indian farming with close to 33% of capable land being farmed productively held in units of less than 2 hectares per owner.
The agriculture sector has received corporate focus for its importance and attempts have been made to develop sustainable solutions for raising the education level and economic status of the agro cultural community. One such initiative was by ITC Ltd named as the E-Choupal which helped the farmers in developing local leadership, attaining sustained increase in income levels, accessing knowledge and improving productivity.
Traditional Indian Agriculture
Traditionally Indian farmers are poor. Maximum of them are illiterate (rural high school literacy was 53% for males and 35% for females). They don’t have proper/scientific knowledge of modern agricultural. They believe Department of Agriculture for its various inputs such as weather, modern and scientific farming practices, seeds and fertilizers etc. They are using the method of farming which their forefather used. But even if they use modern techniques then also they don’t know proper use of the equipment’s. So they