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Frequently Asked Questions
     
Q: 1.
What is Osamb?  
Q: 2.
Why it is?  
Q: 3.
How is OSAMB beneficial to a Trader?
 
Q: 4.
Being a Rice & Paddy trader where I need to go?
 
Q: 5.
As a farmer what I will get from a Marketing Board?  
Q: 6
Being a construction company whom I need to contact?
 
Q: 7.
What are services/benefits that you can make available to me (Trader) apart from the raw materials(Commodity and Livestock)?  
Q: 8.
What is the importance weather forecasting?  
Q: 9.
What is a GM crop?  
Q: 10.
How are these crops made?  
Q: 11.
What are the potential benefits of GM plants?  
Q: 12.
Is there any potential risk of GM crops?  
Q: 13.
Are GM plants appropriate for developing country like ours?  
Q: 14.
What is Organic Farming?  
Q: 15.
What are the public benefits of organic product?  
Q: 16.
Can you tell us regarding the different procedures of Organic Farming?  
Q: 17.
Can we use fertilizers for organic farming?  
Q: 18.
What Is Biological Pest Control?  
Q: 19.
Can you enumerate the advantages of Biological Pest Control?  
Q: 20.
Are there any disadvantages by adopting Biological Pest Control?  
Q: 21.
What is an Agri Export Zone?  
Q: 22.
What is the importance of AEZ?  
Q: 23.
On What basis an AEZ setting up takes place?  
Q: 24.
What are the major benefits by setting up an Agricultural export zones?  
Q: 25.
What is Contract Farming? Can it be made successful?  
Q: 26.
Why contract farming?  
Q: 27.
How does Contract Farming benefit farmers?  
Q: 28.
Hoe does Contract Farming benefit the company?  
Q: 29.
What is micro finance (mF)?  
Q: 30.
What is the WTO?  
Q: 31.
What is the Agreement on Agriculture(AoA)?  
Q: 32.
How are Indian farmers going to be affected after AoA?  
Q: 33.
What is the major problem of Indian agriculture after liberalization?  

Q: 1. What is Osamb?

A: Simply saying Orissa State Agricultural Marketing Board (Osamb) is a market facilitator for state agricultural produce. Our outlets (RMCs) are located in more than 60 different places of Orissa. We have a highly professional management committee and an experienced and well-equipped work force. Main income source is as 5% contribution margin from our RMCs. And RMCs charge a nominal market fee from the purchasers (not from the seller) by providing different facilities.

Q: 2. Why it is?

A: Having a clear mission and vision we came into existence. In Short run: Facilitate market integration and establish a supply chain And in long run: Make Agricultural Produce of Orissa globally competitive.

Q: 3. How OSAMB is beneficial to a Trader?

A: From your question it is not clear that what sorts of facilities, you are looking for. For more information click on the “for Traders” in our home page.

Q: 4. Being a Rice & Paddy trader where I need to go?

A: In most of the RMC you will able to get your commodity. But to answer “Where”, it depends according to your requirement & constraints. And prepare your business plan to explore the availability. For detail information regarding the RMC please click on “RMCs” button in Home page.

Q: 5. As a farmer what I will get from a Marketing Board?

A: Marketing cannot be done without a Supplier and in agricultural marketing Farmers are our great suppliers. OSAMB can’t dare to ignore this vital community. We can able to provide you infrastructure for your perishable and non-perishable produce at a nominal charges, Free Market yard and a group of traders/purchasers/consumers who are ready to pay a fair price for your quality produce.

Apart from that Osamb able to develop a highly resourceful website which help you in many ways. If you are an Oriya farmer, please wait for some days, the Oriya version is in the pipe line.

Q: 6. Being a construction company whom I need to contact?

A: You need to contact our head of our engineering cell . The contact person along with the address is given in our contact page. Do visit this page.

Q: 7. What are services/benefits that you can make available to me (Trader) apart from the raw materials (Commodity and Livestock)?

A: According to the requirement for a transaction process, OSAMB is able to provide the basic infrastructure along with some services/benefits at the market yards. In order to know the availability of infrastructure and services/benefits in detail, please browse the “RMCs” Window.

Q: 8. What is the importance weather forecasting?

A: OSAMB is a facilitator for marketing of Agricultural produce of Orissa. In order to establish a continuous supply chain of these produce it is necessary that farmer should have proper farming plan which will enable us an assured supply.

Again the needs for such weather forecasting are many in the field of Agricultural Planning. That’s why producers and traders should have sound knowledge of the three dimensional atmosphere, because, even one night of killing frost, if not predicted in advance, may prove fatal to some of the frost sensitive crops. Similarly, the menace of floods, droughts and supper cyclone is evident to all of us. But, if there is a timely prediction about their occurrence, much can be done to minimize the damage and destruction caused by such natural calamities.

Looking at this felt need of our farming brethren, it is tried to up-date them day-to-day weather condition in reference to certain major towns of our state, which will enable them to undertake a proactive action plan for better farm management

Q: 9. What is a GM crop?

A: A GM crop contains a gene(s) that has been artificially inserted instead of the plant acquiring it through pollination. The inserted gene (called as the transgene) may come from another unrelated plant, or from a completely different species.
The resulting plant is said to be "Genetically Modified" although in reality all crops have been "Genetically Modified" from their original wild state by domestication, selection, and controlled breeding over long periods of time.

GM crops are also called as transgenic crops.

Q: 10. How are these crops made?

A: The process of Genetic Engineering makes these crops. Genes of commercial importance are transferred from one organism to another. Two methods currently exist for introducing transgenes into plant genomes. The first involves a device called a 'gene gun'. The DNA to be introduced into the plant cells is coated onto tiny particles. These particles are then physically shot onto plant cells. Some of the DNA comes off and is incorporated into the DNA of the recipient plant. The second method is by using a bacterium to introduce the gene(s) of interest into the plant DNA.

Q: 11.What are the potential benefits of GM plants?

A: At present, the potential benefits of GM plants are significant in the developed world.

Benefits are:
- Higher crop yields
- Reduced farm costs
- Increased farm profit
- Improvement in the environment

These "first generation" crops have proven their ability to lower farm level production costs. Now, some biotech companies focus research on “second generation” transgenic crops that will feature increased nutritional and/or industrial traits. These varieties should prove valuable in countries where millions of people suffer from dietary deficiencies. Examples of these crops include:
- Rice enriched with iron and vitamin A,
- Potatoes with higher starch content,
- Edible vaccines in maize and potatoes,
- Maize varieties able to grow in poor conditions,
- Healthier oils from soybean and canola.

Q: 12. Is there any potential risk of GM crops?

A: Of course with every new emerging technology, there are potential risks. These include

1. the likelihood of transgenes escaping from cultivated crops into wild relatives;
2. the possibility that transgenic crops carrying antibiotic genes may generate antibiotic resistance in livestock or humans;
3. the danger of unintentionally introducing allergens and other anti-nutrition factors in foods;
4. the potential for pests to evolve resistance to the toxins produced by GM crops; and
5. the risk of these toxins affecting non target pests.


Q: 13. Are GM plants appropriate for developing country like ours?

A: In country like ours where there is often not enough food to go around and where food prices directly affect the incomes of majority of the population, the potential benefits of GM crops cannot be ignored. It is true that nutritionally enhanced foods may not be a necessity but they could play a key role in helping to alleviate malnutrition in developing countries.

Although the potential benefits of GM crops are large in developing countries, they come at an expensive price. Most developing countries lack the scientific capacity to assess the bio-safety of transgenic crops, the economic expertise to evaluate their worth, the regulatory capacity to implement guidelines for safe deployment, and the legal systems to enforce and punish transgressions in law. Fortunately, several organizations are working to build local capacity to manage the acquisition, deployment, and monitoring of GM crops.


Q: 14. What is Organic Farming?

A: Organic farming is production of crops, which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compound fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely upon animal manures, crop rotation, leguminous crop residues, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests.

Q: 15. What are the public benefits of organic product?

A: Organic production has a number of public benefits:
Food safety
- Reduction in environmental pollution
- Soil erosion, structure and fertility
- Animal Welfare
- Maintenance of rural communities and employment
- Biodiversity

Q: 16. Can you tell us regarding the different procedures of Organic Farming?

A: Yes, These are:

Pure organic farming: It includes use of organic manures, and bio-pesticides with complete avoidance of inorganic chemicals and pesticides.
Integrated Farming: It involves integrated nutrient management and Integrated Pest Management.
Integrated Farming Systems: In this type, local resources are effectively recycled by involving other components such as poultry, fishpond, mushroom, goat rearing etc. apart from crop components. It is a low input organic farming.

Q: 17. Can we use fertilizers for organic farming?

A: If you mean inorganic fertilizer, strictly not. But, we can consider some bio-fertilizers such as blue green algae (BGA) and azolla, which are used extensively to meet the nitrogen demand of the crop. Small quantities of powdered neem cake are also used. These organic nitrogen supplements unlike the fertilizer nitrogen do not suffer any loss in the fields.

Phosphorous-solubilising and mobilising organisms such as phosphobacterium and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) are quite helpful in meeting the phosphorus demand of the crop. Potassium for the crops can be supplied by using potassium rich organic amendments such as burnt rice,, rice straw composted using tricoderna harzianum and composted coconut coir pith.

The major sources of organic plant nutrients in India are farm yard manure, rural and urban compost, sewage sludge, press mud, green manures, crop residues, forest litter, industrial waste and by-products.

Q: 18. What is Biological Pest Control?

A: Biological pest control is control of a particular pest by a specially chosen living organism. This chosen organism might be a predator, parasite, or disease, which will attack the harmful insect. It is a form of manipulating nature to increase a desired effect. A complete Biological Control program may range from choosing a pesticide, which will be least harmful to beneficial insects, to raising and releasing one insect to have it attack another, almost like a "living insecticide".

Q: 19. Can you enumerate the advantages of Biological Pest Control?

A: This, method of pest control, can be used as a part of an overall integrated pest management (IPM) program to reduce the environmental, legal, and public safety hazards of chemicals. In addition, it may be a more economical alternative to some insecticides. Some biological control measures can actually prevent economic damage to agricultural crops. As biological controls are often very specific for a particular pest, other helpful insects, animals, or people can go completely unaffected or undisturbed by their use. There is less danger of impact on the environment and water quality.

Q: 20. Are there any disadvantages by adopting Biological Pest Control?

A: Biological control takes more intensive management and proper planning.

Disadvantages are:
- Time taking process;
- Requires accurate record keeping,
- Needs more patience,
- Require more education or training.

Successful use of biological control requires a greater understanding of the biology of both the pest and its enemies. Many natural enemies are very susceptible to pesticides, and using them successfully in an IPM program takes great care. In some cases, biological control may be more costly than pesticides. Often, the results of using biological control are not as dramatic or quick as the results of pesticide use. Most natural enemies attack only specific types of insects - unlike broad-spectrum insecticides, which may kill a wide range of insects. Though often an advantage, this can also be a disadvantage.

Q: 21. What is an Agri Export Zone?

A: Agri Export Zone means a comprehensive view of a particular produce/ product located in a geographically contiguous area for the purpose of developing and sourcing raw materials, their processing/packaging, leading to final exports. The entire effort is centered on a cluster approach of identifying the potential products, geographical region in which these products are grown and adopting an end-to-end approach of integrating the entire process, right from the stage of production till it reaches the consumption stage.

Q: 22. What is the importance of AEZ?

A: The primary objective of an Agri-Export Zone is to provide remunerative returns to farmers on a sustained basis by improved access to exports. The emphasis of the scheme is on market orientation. It starts with identification of products, which have a good export potential, devising strategies for market penetration and niche marketing, and then taking necessary steps to exploit the market potential. The implementation of projects under the Agri-Export Zone is expected to result in bringing down cost of production, enhance product acceptability and competitiveness in the international market and better price realization for agro products.

Q: 23. On What basis an AEZ setting up takes place?

A:
- Identification of a specific products which enjoy good export potential.
- Selection of contiguous geographical location where product is available.
- Taking necessary steps to strengthen the production, infrastructure, RR&D support, processing and packaging facilities etc.
- Undertaking intensive market development


Q: 24. What are the major benefits by setting up an Agricultural export zones?

A: The major anticipated benefits:

- Strengthening of backward linkages with a market oriented approach.
- Product acceptability and its competitiveness abroad as well as in the domestic market.
- Value addition to basic agricultural produce.
- Bring down cost of production through economy of scale.
- Better price for agricultural produce.
- Improvement in product quality and packaging.
- Promote trade-related research and development.
- Increase employment opportunities.

Q: 25. What is Contract Farming? Can it be made successful?

A: In simple language Contract Farming is nothing but an understanding between a Sponsor/Company/Corporate and Farmers to start up a joint venture for mutual benefit.
In order to make this venture successful certain key preconditions need to be taken care of:

- From the Sponsor point of view:

Must have identified a market for the planned production
Must be sure that such a market can be supplied profitably on a long-term basis

- From the farmer point of view:

Must find potential returns more attractive than returns from alternative activities and must find the level of risk acceptable
Must have potential returns demonstrated on the basis of realistic yield estimates

- Government support:

Enthusiastic encouragement by the regency’s leaders and the local agriculture department.
Adequate road and communications networks.
Two long-established irrigation systems – a traditional system maintained by the farmers, and a more sophisticated system constructed and supervised by the regency.

- General conditions:

A responsive and progressive farming community that expressed a strong desire to cultivate the crops and enter into contracts with the sponsor.
Suitable friable loamy soils with the desired level of soil acidity.
A sufficient altitude that provide the preferred temperature range.
Minimal competition from the production of high-value, tourist orientated crops such as those grown in other sub-districts.
Little evidence of the mosaic viruses that infect tobacco.
Farmers having adequate access to land, either as owners or as lessees.

Q: 26. Why contract farming?

A: Companies/sponsor engaged in processing and marketing of agricultural products are venturing with the farmers for a contract farming. They provide the farmers inputs and buy back the product with a rate specified in advance. Following are the inputs normally provided by the contract farming company:

- The variety of seeds needed for processing/ marketing.
- Guidelines to grow the crop.
- Pesticides, which does not result in residual toxicity.
- Extension services, free of cost.
- Fertilizers, hormones required for crop growth
- Other materials not available locally
- The terms of the contract are well designed and spelt out in advance and a consent letter is obtained from the farmer.

Q: 27. How does Contract Farming benefit farmers?

A: Assured market and support price for their produce
Efficient, timely technical guidance, almost free of cost financial support
Assured quality of farm inputs.
Better price for the produce without middlemen

Q: 28. How does Contract Farming benefit the company?

A: Backward market integration is possible with assured supply.
Ensured quality produce
Ensured permissible residual toxicity level for export.

Q: 29. What is micro finance (mF)?

A: Micro finance is a strategic tool for poverty alleviation and rural development by building the capacities of the poor in management of sustainable self-employment activities besides providing them other financial services like savings, housing and consumption credit and insurance.

Q: 30. What is the WTO?

A. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international body that develops and enforces rules for trade and investment. The body functions on the notion that market economy is the answer to all problems being faced by the people. Decisions affecting the economy are confined to the private sector, while social and environmental costs are borne by the public.

Q: 31. What is the Agreement on Agriculture(AoA)?

A. The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) provides for specific commitments by countries, which are members of the WTO to improve market access and reduce trade-distorting (link) subsidies in agriculture.

Q: 32. How are Indian farmers going to be affected after Agreement on Agriculture?

A. Opening up of the agricultural sector to trade will make the Indian producers vulnerable to price fluctuations that take place in the world market. They will face competition from agricultural imports, which India has to allow under the market access (link) commitments. Reduction and withdrawal of domestic subsidies will increase costs for the farmers. Reduction and withdrawal of export subsidies make conditions harder for the Indian growers to survive in the years in which international prices are low.

Q: 33. What is the major problem of Indian agriculture after liberalisation?

A: The major crisis dogging Indian agriculture is low yields. Costs of cultivation, per hectare, in India are much lower than elsewhere for many crops. But due to lower yields, cost per quintal of the produce in India is higher for almost all crops compared to other parts of the world. Only in years, when there are crop failures in some of the countries producing the crop, international prices can be high enough for Indian growers to sell at a profit.

Source:
Monsanto in India website,
www.indiaagronet.com-Organic farming
www.ncsu.edu-ipm
http://www.eximbankagro.com
Times agri-journal
www,wto.org