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Using farm‐level data from dairy farmers in India's Bihar state and the two‐stage residual inclusion method, this study investigates the impact of the adoption of food safety measures (FSMs) on milk yield and profitability of smallholder dairy farms. This study reveals that herd size and experience in dairy farming have a significant effect on the number of FSMs smallholders adopt. An additional FSM increases milk yield by about 1% and profitability by about 2.3%. An extra year of education increases yield and profits by about 3.8% and 4.9%, respectively. The government could design and incentivize policies that help increase herd size and promote better housing conditions for animals, thus promoting the uptake of FSMs and increased milk yield and profitability. [EconLit Citations: Q12, Q16, Q18]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labor‐saving and income‐increasing technologies may affect women farmers differently from men. However, very few studies explicitly account for women's preferences for new technologies. We carried out a discrete choice experiment with 337 female and 329 male farmers in Maharashtra, India, to measure their willingness to pay (WTP) for direct‐seeded rice (DSR) with drum seeder and to understand the gender differences in marginal valuations of key attributes. We used the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) to collect self‐reported data on the role and say of women in different domains of decision making. The respective gender roles of women and men in the family and on the farm are aligned with their preferences. Men have a greater say over how the family spends the cash. Accordingly, men tend to have a higher WTP for attributes that increase income (increase in yield) or reduce cash costs (reduction in seed rate). Women contribute a large share of the labor for transplanting rice, much of which is unpaid work on family farms. Women, therefore, seem to value labor saving more. Women in our sample were more interested in the new technology and had a higher WTP for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the literature on contract farming (CF) in India and assesses the impact of smallholders’ perceived production risks on the adoption of CF; the impact of CF on smallholders’ food security; and its impact on employment generation in their farming enterprises. We also show the impact of the outcome variables by risk preference of smallholders. Using farm-level data and endogenous switching regression methods, this study presents three key findings. First, the perception of weather and pest risk, access to irrigation facilities, extension visits, and access to institutional credit are the main drivers of CF adoption. Second, CF adoption increases food security and varies with the revealed risk preference of smallholders, and risk-seeking smallholders tend to gain higher food security. Third, regardless of revealed risk preferences, smallholders who did not adopt CF benefit from adoption by reducing their labor requirements, with no significant losses in yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize lessons from the agricultural value chain models and their associated financing mechanisms in China and India as to provide policy recommendations on how best to facilitate development of efficient and inclusive value chains. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on a review of the existing literature on agricultural value chains and their financing mechanisms, and draws lessons from it for strengthening interface between product and financial markets in order to enable smallholders capture benefits of the value addition. Findings – From the comparative review of value chain financing mechanisms and current policy contexts the authors find dominance of internal financing of value chains (in terms of provision of inputs, technology and services) in both the countries. Value chain finance from commercial banks and other financial institutions is limited and mainly through tripartite agreements among the financing institutions, lead firms and farmers. Practical implications – The lessons drawn from various value chain models and their financing mechanisms provide feedback to financial institutions and policymakers to take measures to strengthen value chain finance in smallholder agriculture. Originality/value – The paper undertakes a rigorous review of the existing value chain models and their financing mechanisms in light of the most recent research on emerging innovations and development strategies, in order to glean key lessons for policy recommendations on strengthening linkages between financial and product markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for organic basmati rice (OBR), both at home and abroad, coupled with policy reforms have given rise to contract farming (CF) production in India. OBR production, however, is highly susceptible to weather and pest risks. This study investigates the impact of smallholders’ perceived production risks on their adoption of CF in OBR farming. We also assess the impact of CF in OBR production on yields, prices received, and the livelihood of OBR producers. We use farm-level data from smallholder organic basmati rice farms in India and the endogenous switching regression method to account for heterogeneity. Although CF in OBR led to lower yields, it increased the prices producers received and improved the livelihood of OBR producers. The impact of CF varied with farmers’ revealed risk attitudes. Risk-loving OBR growers with CF experienced the highest loss in yields, and risk-averse OBR growers with CF received the highest prices. We find that the OBR growers who did not adopt CF would benefit from adopting it, regardless of their risk attitudes, especially when it comes to prices received and livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]