In countries like India, strengthening of agriculture is critical for facing the challenges of rural poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and sustainability of natural resources. But, there is a need to redefine agriculture as the science and practice of activities relating to production, processing, marketing, distribution, utilization and trade of food, feed and fibre, which implies that agricultural development strategy must address not only farmers but also those in marketing, trade, processing and agribusiness. In this context, efficient marketing and rural credit systems assume added importance. Agricultural marketing system is the critical link between farm production sector on the one hand and non-farm sector, industry and urban economy on the other. Apart from performing physical and facilitating functions of transferring the goods from producers to consumers, the marketing system also performs the function of discovering the prices at different stages of marketing and transmitting the price signals in the marketing chain.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ramesh Chand
Dr. Ramesh Chand (b. 1956) obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, in 1984. He has been presented with Jawaharlal Nehru award for outstanding research contribution of his doctoral thesis. At present he is Principal Economist at National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. His current research interest includes agricultural policy, demand, supply and trade. He was earlier Professor of Marketing at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; Reader at Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi; Associate Professor at Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan; and Agriculture Economist at National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mumbai. He has been consultant to World Bank and FAO, ESCAP, ICRISAT; Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and G
overnment of Punjab. Dr. Ramesh Chand has served as member of high power committees, expert groups, working groups constituted by various government organizations. He has published articles in many national and international journals like American Jn. Of Agril. Economics, Economic and Political Weekly, Indian Jn. Of Ag. Economics, Experimental Agriculture. He is the author of several monographs and following books: (i) Agricultural Development, Price Policy and Marketed Surplus in India (ii) Agricultural Diversification and Development of Mountain Regions. (iii) Agricultural Diversification in India. He was the Chief Editor of the journal Agricultural Economics Research Review (1998-2000) and Visiting Professor to University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia (2000).
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