National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management … · vegetables etc. Apart from these,...

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National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad(An Organisation of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India)

No. 48July - September 2019

Did the Lion roar? .................................3

Summer Internship Diaries ...................4

Godrej LOUD on Campus ....................6

Life at MANAGE ...................................7

Krishi Chanakya ‘19..............................8

Spice Poll: U.S.- China Trade Wars ...10

Samanvay Guest Lectures .................12

ALUMNI SPEAK .................................14

Israel: An Agri-innovative Nation.........16

Evidence based inputs in Agriculture..18

Talent Hub: 2019-21 Batch .................19

Contents

SPICE MANAGEPGDM(ABM)

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“Through my education, I didn’t just develop skills, I didn’t just develop the ability to learn, but I developed

confidence.”- Michelle Obama

MANAGEPGDM(ABM) SPICE MANAGE

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Make in India is a flagship initiative launched in 2014 to raise the manufacturing sector’s

share in domestic output and employment, and to enhance national technological capabilities to counter growing import dependence. It consists of sectors such as mining, textiles, leather, aviation, automobiles, food processing and other manufacturing sectors. India is the fastest growing economy in the world and the largest producer of several agricultural commodities. There are around 1.2 billion consumers with increasing demand for branded food. It is also the 4th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. Proactive government policies with attractive fiscal incentives of our country are like cherries on cake. Rich demographic dividend with high focus on skill development, availability of skilled personnel are opportunities for investors across the food processing supply chain in all the fields such as dairy, fruits and vegetables etc. Apart from these, 100% FDI is permitted under the automatic route in the Food and Processing industry in India. 100% FDI is allowed through government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce in respect of food products manufactured or produced in India but were the opportunities grabbed well?

India is the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of a variety of fruits and vegetables in the world. However, food is being wasted at the harvest point and during transportation. India witnesses nearly 4.6 - 15.9 % wastage in fruits and vegetables annually, due to lack of modern harvesting technologies and cold chain infrastructure. To tackle this situation with the concept of Make in India, 296 cold chain projects were approved as on May 2019 not only for dairy and fruits but also for seafood. Forty two mega food parks were established with USD 2.38 billion investment. The number of registered food processing units has increased from 38,608 in 2014-15 to 39,748 in 2016-17. There were investors from USA, UK, Japan, Italy, Germany, Canada, France and Switzerland. Increasing

investments in this sector have led to high demand for more qualified people and hence helped in providing employment opportunities to the unemployed.

Inspite of all the achievements of Make in India, the real question arises “Whether this is enough for the growing population of the country and apart from this development, What it brought into the country?” India’s natural comparative advantage lies in using its unskilled labour. Indian manufacturing as well as services are skill-intensive, which leaves unskilled masses short of decent jobs. Agriculture, the backbone of Indian economy is not considered as a sector in the project. The nation’s manufacturing landscape is dominated by a multitude of small companies, which account for more than three-quarters of industrial employment which is not considered during the implementation of the program.

Land, labour, electricity, technology, transport, cost of capital, cost of borrowing, and many others are factor costs. Unless some or all factor costs are favourable, no one will embark upon manufacturing. The major manufacturing economies of the world have reached their positions by making factor costs more advantageous if the product were made in their countries rather than made elsewhere. This is one of the reasons why the Make in India is not so successful. Unfortunately, it appears that there was a little homework done before and practically no policy support after. ‘Make in India’ has turned into a hollow slogan.

by Chilaka Harshitha Saranya

PGDM (ABM) 2019-21

DID THE LION ROAR?


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Akshara Mallela

Summer Internship Diaries

Sameer Pandey

Summer Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd.“Just after landing at my project location I headed towards the hotel where the team I was going to work with, was preparing for the monthly plan meeting. It was a team of consultants having expertise in different areas which were components of the project I was part of. My firm was a Technical Support Agency (TSA) for the client. The client was the state government working on a World Bank-funded project, for development of livelihood for farmers.In the following days, I surveyed many districts across the state as part of my primary research. The area I was covering also included part of the Naxal belt of the country. Interacting with the people affected directly gave me unique insights, as so far my knowledge of it was based on newspapers only. The field visits helped me understand the dynamics of the farmer community, the disparity in terms of land size and geographical disparity in terms of resources.During my visits to the rural heartland for conducting the primary research, the hospitality of the villagers was something which touched my heart. Also, the impact of so many years of work by the government for women empowerment was quite visible. Most of the insights for my survey were given by the young educated women in the community.I kept on alternating between the field and the office. The office was meant for secondary research and brainstorming on developing our project. Our team occasionally ended the day with a cup of coffee, which was a learning opportunity for me. I understood the business environment, work-life and the dynamics of consulting in the development sector, directly from the experts. A consultancy firm is an excellent place where you get an opportunity to work with experts from diverse fields. The internship helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses by working under stressful timeline. It gave me a glimpse into the life of a consultant.”

Summer Company: Britannia Industries Ltd.“My 2-month journey at Britannia Industries Limited, one of India’s leading food company with a 100-year legacy is truly an enriching experience. It started with a one-week induction regarding various wings in the firm like Sales, Marketing, Replenishment, Legal, Human relations etc and visit to the factories. Working as a Purchase intern at BIL empowered my understanding about how the minute fluctuations in prices of Raw Materials can impact the cost savings of the firm owing to its large quantitative requirements. My project was to map various wheat varieties Pan-India to suit differentiated maida requirements for various new products at BIL and to design an effective sourcing method for the same. My project gave me an opportunity to interact

with millers, traders, various agriculture research institutes in various parts of the country and to understand the nuances in milling, to know how milling practices could effect the quality of Maida, Price and quality fluctuations of wheat from one region to the other. It gave me a holistic idea regarding Wheat in the country and how policy changes and regulations can impact the entire Purchase Scenario. Everything at the firm right from numerous meetings, constantly buzzing mobiles, lots of coffee, people putting in long work hours gave me a peek into the corporate life and what my life is going to look like in the future. It taught me how an eye for detail is very important for a Purchase Manager. Thanks to Britannia for this wonderful opportunity.”


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Summer Internship Diaries

Akshay Kailas Pagar

Summer Company: Yes Bank Ltd.

“It was a dream come true to work with the finest corporate bank. I got a glimpse into corporate culture even before entering the work place because of a detailed mail sent by YES Bank regarding etiquettes to be followed. I spent one week before internship preparing about the banking sector. When the day when the day arrived, I entered the office with enthusiasm to learn and give my best and the environment at the work place encouraged me more to do so... My project was on “Assessment of borrowers through Cash surrogate method and comparative analysis of individual loan proposition by major players”. I started off my project by reading literature regarding my project topics. As a part of project, I got an opportunity to interact with the people working in other banks, with different stakeholders and partners in the process of lending to explore the on-field practices regarding sourcing, assessment and approval of the application for loan. I got to see how policy formation takes place regarding products of banks and got very valuable insights regarding retail banking related to group and individual loans. I was also involved in real assessment of the borrowers of group and individual loans. With the support of staff at YES bank and my guide in particular I completed my project on a very positive note with very encouraging reviews. To sum it up, if I have to put my internship experience in one word-Amazing!”

Vasunthra S.

Summer Company: FMC India Pvt. Ltd.“My step towards corporate world started with FMC India Private Limited. My project on “Competitive Benchmarking of Demand Generation Activities” provided me an opportunity to explore the marketing aspects of the Agri Input Industry. The guidance of the industry experts and our alumni helped me to reflect my theoretical cognition on the real life scenario prevailing in the industry. The primary objective of the project was to analyze the marketing efficiency of FMC India Private Limited vis a vis its direct competitors in seven states and map the value chain of Paddy, Soya bean and Sugarcane with the pesticide purchase decision influencers at various stages. The major stakeholders of my project were dealers, distributors and farmers. My journey across various markets provided me insights about how

a firm influences farmers pesticide purchase decision. To be specific about FMC India Private Limited, their major focus is on influencing the farmers by communicating the value delivered rather than providing high trade incentives. Firms reach farmers by organizing Demonstrations, Field Day, Harvest Day, Field On Wheels, Organized Farmer meetings, Group meetings, Small and Large Farmer Meeting, Testimonials and regular follow ups. Various firms persuade the influencers of farmer’s pesticide purchase decision like Private Consultants, Sugar Factories and Co-operative Societies through region specific meetings and training programs. My experience as a summer intern with one of the industry giant made be realize the vitality of field level insights in management level decision making. Overall my learnings are an essence of Corporate world and Field Level marketing dynamics.”


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The academic session of 2019-20 started off on a joyous note as ‘Godrej on Campus’,

included MANAGE in the coveted list of colleges eligible for LOUD. 2nd of August was decided as the date for campus visit by the company team to launch the said program. The days following this announcement were spent in drawing up the common line of action for the day; the students of first year also began preparing their dream articles.

When the day finally arrived the campus was abuzz with students rushing to get the preparations done. Not just the Samanvaya Hall but also the whole campus was decorated in the colour of Godrej. The team comprising of Mr Ritesh Bhardwaj (Deputy General Manager HR), Mr Anil Gupta (Associate VP-Marketing), Miss Sandhini Nagvekar(Corporate Manager-HR) and Miss Divya Jha( Lead Diversity and Inclusion); was as pumped up as we were, to interact. Post their arrival they were welcomed with an energetic cultural performance which was immensely appreciated by them.

fact that correct answers gave us a chance to pick up a goodie made it more engaging. This was followed by an interaction with Mr. Anil who being a post graduate in Agriculture explained how he had to unlearn to learn the depths of agri-business industries. His experience with various roles and organisations made us understand how wisely he chose his career path. Following this Mr. Ritesh Bhardwaj, who made a successful career for himself in spite of multiple odds, spoke about his passion for art, cycling, reading, meditating and bike riding at great lengths. He too explained the reason behind his switching jobs as, stagnation in what he was already doing.

Next, Miss Sandhini, showed us around the website for LOUD and also explained what they were actually looking for in the LOUD applications. She tried to make us understand what differentiated a winning application from the others. The students were then encouraged to put forth any question they were inquisitive about. Ranging from the queries regarding the LOUD form to the CSR activities of Godrej, many questions were answered by the team.

The opportunity to have Godrej on campus, was indeed very important for us, as it gave us an exposure to the corporate world. Motivated by the visit of the team, the students seemed more eager to give the final shape to their LOUD applications and wings to their dreams.

The Godrej Goodies which the team had brought along for the students were neatly stacked in one corner while the placards in the hands of the students reminded us about the excitement which was to follow. The interactive session started off with the ice breaking session as Miss Sandhini put forth some questions for us students, regarding the history of Godrej. For this purpose two volunteers were asked to come forth. It was a very exciting round and the

ON CAMPUS


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MANAGE, a wonderful learning abode, adorned with nature’s touch feels like home. Inside

the wide green campus, the grey buildings stand shimmering in hot summers and chilling winter evenings, like a star shining in the night sky. The peacock’s call can melt anyone like the rain of happiness is about to come. Standing in the middle of campus and taking a glimpse of it, feels no less than a passionate admiration of our beliefs with which we came here.Life at MANAGE is defined by the facilities and the infrastructure provided here. It is not the monotonous activities here every day but the essence that the place gives with the absolute flavours of life with learning and experience. A universe in itself, people from different academic and cultural background converging from different geographical locations, feels like it is the perfect blend necessary to understand the broader perspective with which students should step out of the Institute as managers. Years of learning experiences in several minds and the achievement of people in such a short span of life sounds astounding. The long-standing bulky building and marvellous infrastructure is the silhouette of the miracles performed by our alumni in the corporate world. Many of these exemplary and outstanding personalities have visited here in the past 20 days since we have been here, and the only thing that brought them here out of their busy life is the shape this campus has given them during their wonderful life at MANAGE. Their never quenching thirst of giving back what this campus has given them always motivates us to keep our spirit of surfing against the tides alive. Whenever any faculty enters our class, they keep reminding us that things would never be the same and the miraculous transformation that would be coming into us, in these years, would be a life-changing experience. Their eyes are full of hope saying that ‘no matter what, your ideas can change the world’. This is only a fraction of the hard work our seniors put to keep us on right track as this a student-driven program and they want to bring the best out of us like the diamonds that need to be polished. There is a long and hard way to go but a million dreams are keeping us awake.It was a pleasant Hyderabadi afternoon of 16th June 2019 that I stepped into this Pearl City with a belief that it’s going to be my Dreamland where I am going to find my treasure. I recollected my aspiration to convert MANAGE and a sense of pride glimpsed in my eyes. The moment I entered MANAGE I could

sense a feeling of affinity and the love of motherhood in it. The gate welcomed me to real life and I saw the Gandhi statue which stood as an embodiment of peace, piety, and prosperity.

by Neeraj Yadav

PGDM (ABM) 2019-21

Life at MANAGE

Thirst for knowledge, hanker for proficiency, and lust for being professional is edged here! Greeted

by the ambiance, received by infrastructure, taken in by mastery, there sits the Nobleman majestically at the entrance, enlightening and reminding souls to keep the legacy of MANAGE fly higher.Getting selected unexpectedly after the end of the second waitlist, I was quite excited to breathe a blend of languages and cultures that reflected from names of people to their outfits. Being her little princess, showing adieu to mom was very hard, and pearls rolled down my cheeks. Then I made up my mind that I am here to be an independent Queen. With overflowing excitement to meet new friends who have traveled all over India to reach their destiny, I started my journey. We were made to intermingle with the opposite gender, and being somewhere between an introvert and extrovert, initially, I felt uneasy but that did build up my confidence to overcome language barriers.We were wet-nursed by alumnus with their rich experiences in the corporate field from different sectors, groomed by seniors and educated by other faculties. I also feared that regular food fest; sitting for long hours in an air-conditioned classroom might make me lazy. Exploring Hyderabad by an official trip to Birla mandir, Hussain Sagar Lake and Inorbit mall added flavors to my admission here. I feel MANAGE is a home of professional busy bees, building their own empire of great hives that no one dares to touch. People here are not just gamers; but game-changers driving their selves towards victory. A place where everyone feels too early to sleep by 2 a.m. and too late to wake up by 6 am in the morning, charging us to being busy & productive, sometimes the irresistible insane feel of running out from here does pop up in my mind that loses its battle when I think about my dreams and responsibilities. For sure, MANAGE is a place to grow.

by Raghavi MD

PGDM (ABM) 2019-21


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Krishi Chanakya, the flagship event of MANAGE was held on 16th and 17th of

August, 2019. The fest aimed at revolutionizing Agribusiness is hosted by the best sectorial B-school annually, in order to promote managerial and entrepreneurship skills among the students of various participating B-schools, breeding an attitude of competition in them.

Nine Events were conducted including seven different competitions namely Khoj (A social idea), Dhurina (The Best Manager), Akanksha (The B-plan), Arthacharya (A Business Idea), Vishleshan (A Financial Model), Dattansh (Data Analytics), Sushodh (Case Study competition) and a Human Resource Workshop by esteemed Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Vice President–HR, Coromandel International Limited.

The main attraction of Krishi Chanakya 2019 was Shikhar: Agri-Summit, coordinated by Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Services Pvt. Ltd., on “Small holders and farmer collectives (FPOs) as vehicles for sustainable growth of Indian agriculture” and was graced by

Krishi Chanakya ‘19

the presence of panel members consisting Mr. A Praveen Reddy (President - MULKANOOR CO-OPERATIVE Rural Bank & Marketing Society Ltd; Ex. MLA – Husnabad), Mr. N V Ramana (Advisor, Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Services; Ex. Chairman – Agriwatch), Mr. Sankar Datta(Visiting Professor at IIMA and IRMA; Founding member PRADAN and Indian Grameen Services; Ex. Director – BASIX), Dr. G V Ramanjaneyulu (Executive Director - Center for Sustainable Agriculture), Mr. P G Ganesh (Business Consultant - Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Services; Ex. Senior Director - Rabobank India).

The B-fest was made possible by our Signature Sponsor - Coromandel International Ltd., Associate Sponsor - Rasi Seeds Pvt. Ltd, Event Sponsor - Seedworks International Pvt. Ltd. along with our patron sponsors Samunnati Financial Intermediation and Services Pvt. Ltd., ADAMA India Pvt. Ltd., Trouw Nutrition India Pvt. Ltd. and Premier Irrigation ADRITEC Pvt. Ltd.


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Krishi Chanakya 2019 reached a new peak with 3070 participants from 132 B-schools of India including XLRI, MDI, SIBM, NMIMS, IRMA, IMT, NAARM and CCS-NIAM making their way to the final campus rounds of diverse competitions. MANAGE could hardly contain the excitement of hosting the 82 finalists. Apart from the main theme focusing on Agribusiness, a variety of parallel events like Photofrolic and on-spot games (which were conducted by Finance & Marketing Club, MANAGE) were also organized to enrich the mood of an actively participating bunch of students from across the country.

“Practice Golden Rule Management In Everything You Do. Manage Others

The Way You Would Like To Be Managed.’’- Anonymous


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‘GLOBAL EQUITY INVESTORS UNNERVED BY RE-ESCALATION OF US-CHINA TRADE

TENSIONS’

The US and China’s escalation of trade tariffs is expected to hit growth in both countries in 2019, when the boost from President Trump’s sweeping tax cuts will also start to wane. Mr Obstfeld said the world would become a “poorer and more dangerous place” unless world leaders worked together to raise living standards, improve education and reduce inequality.

In the last one month, the value of the rupee has dropped to an all-time low, hovering around the mid 68s against the US dollar. This coincided with Donald Trump’s threat of imposing a fresh round of tariffs on exports worth $200 billion. This trend can be traced to the weakening of the US dollar, which automatically creates a negative impact on the trade deficit of India, causing a chain reaction of sorts.

Spice Poll: U.S.- China Trade Wars - Implications for India

Amid concerns over the global trade war, key indices in the Indian share market dropped due to the cautious approach of the investors. During this period, the BSE Sensex saw regular plunges in points. NSE Nifty’s performance too was along the same lines as it also saw significant drops. As of now, the Sensex is trading at about 37,521 (at the time of publication), which is still below the average.

As the United States of America imposed duties on steel and aluminum, India now has to pay approximately $241 million worth of tax to the US. India, on the other hand, as a counter-measure has proposed imposing duties on 30 different types of goods. This will ensure that the US has to pay about $238 million as duties to India. However, this will make life more difficult for the end consumers as everything that falls under the tariff scanner is expected to become more expensive.


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This poll was conducted among students of PGDM (ABM) batches of 2018-20 & 2019-21. The result published is the outcome of said poll.

2. Several people have talked about the possibility of India benefitingthrough increasing exports to the US and shift of FDI to India. According toyou,whichamongtheseisgoingtobemostbenefitedinIndia?

3. The recent escalation in the US-China trade war has brought forward the next US recession as being perceived by the economists of Reuters. What implications shall it have on India?

1. China halting US agricultural purchases would provide no solution to the trade wars. What is your opinion?


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On 28th July 2019, the Samanvay Hall in MANAGE which has always been an

evidence of freshers being incepted about the Corporate Scenario, witnessed yet another Guest lecture Series by our very own MANAGEite, Mr. Avinash Desamanagalam, who is working as the Research Manager (Agriculture, Food and beverages) in Mordor Intelligence, a leading market Research Consultancy. The maiden guest lecture for the 2019-21 batch, was organized to provide an insight on ‘Global and Indian trends affecting the Agricultural Scenario’.

The lecture commenced with a crowd of enthusiastic students applauding Mr. Desamanagalam as the welcome address was delivered. Mr. Desamanagalam, who belongs to the batch of 2008-2010 of MANAGE, has been a part of companies like MONSANTO India Ltd., MITRA, Synergy Technofin Pvt. Ltd. and MART, performing diverse roles throughout his career. He started his address by explaining the necessity of persistence for a MANAGEite.

The guest lecture was successful in touching aspects regarding various sectors of agribusiness, and how the changes in Global Agribusiness are affecting the scenario in India. An insight about the Domino effect regarding Lehman Brothers and thus, Agricultural Scenario in emerging and advanced markets

were compared with examples of countries like South Africa, Vietnam, Kenya and GCC stressing on importance of organic farming and its growing usage. In a detailed deliberation on Organic Agriculture, the business generated from bio fertilizers was tagged as higher than normal fertilizers. An emerging potential market in India for Quinoa seeds in Rajasthan, flax and pumpkin seeds due to changing dietary habits was noted. He also talked about cannabis and its scope of business in India as an effective addition to animal feed. Moreover, the Indian Agricultural Machinery Industry and its growing prospects were highlighted in relation to increased tractor sales defining rural economy. Animal nutrition, Development sector, Block chain Management were some of the other topics that were discussed about. In an interactive session after the lecture, students raised various questions on the prevailing agriculture scenario and how to tackle trade deficits in India, whether education is becoming a hurdle in way of imparting Technological Innovations in agriculture, Food Processing industry and its growing prospects in the overall development of the country, Lifestyle acting as an obstacle in way of adopting varied agricultural practices and crops in India, etc.

While he called upon the students to be more vigilant of developing their knowledge than profit, he also added that experimenting in every sector to learn and grab any available opportunities remains beneficial in the long run. A wonderful session inducting the fresh minds into the realities of Agribusiness corporate scenario on lines of an ever changing Global and Indian agricultural trends, came to an end with a vote of thanks. It goes without saying that the guest lectures play a significant role in development of informed managers, and Mr. Avinash Desamanagalam gave an apt start to the series.

Samanvay Guest Lecture: Mr. Avinash Desamangalam


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With a fresh wave of energy sweeping off the

day’s dullness, the walls of Samanvay Hall vibrated with applause as Mr. Unnikrishnan Vijayan, the Senior Purchase Manager at Britannia Industries Limited, stepped on the dais for yet another one of the much awaited Guest Lectures. The topic of Lecture was “Domestic and International Sourcing of Agricultural Commodities”, from the lecturer, with an experience of over 14 years in the area of Procurement and Inbound supply chain management in FMCG sector. Our very own MANAGEite, Mr. Unnikrishnan was a part of the class of 2003-2005, following which he joined ITC Ltd. as the Assignment Manager in the Food Business Division. He also worked with Perfetti Van Melle before finally joining Britannia in Commodity Market Research. The lecture commenced with Mr. Unnikrishnan speaking about the importance of Cost, Sales and Profit, following a general introduction of Commodities, Procurement and Sourcing, adding about Global and Local Trade scenarios. He spoke about MSP, import parity, fair average quality and glitches of storage and warehousing. Following this, he explained how external factors pertaining to environment, technology and Government Policy changes (e.g. Essential Commodity Act) and seasonality affect an organisation’s internal decisions and margins. He also talked about Absolute Buying Efficiency and Mark to Market, forward deliveries and parity from sources, bench marked prices of commodities, spot prices as well as future prices.

Samanvay Guest Lecture: Mr. Unnikrishnan Vijayan

In the interrogation round following the lecture, various questions relating to the concerned sector as well as the food industry were raised. Importance of pricing and quality in procurement, timing of taking calls and decisions by a company, seasonality of demand and its effect on sourcing, short selling and commitment upfront, etc. were few of the queries that were countered.

In an informative session, students gained an insight about existing Commodity Market in Global and Domestic situation through real-life experiences shared by Mr. Unnikrishnan such as the Sugar Crisis in 2007. He even shared his experiences in Perfetti and Britannia, explaining about his roles and responsibilities, thus motivating a crowd of anxious students into believing in a competitive and growing career in the commodity & logistics as well as procurement sector.

The lecture concluded with the Vote of Thanks and a better informed and motivated crowd cheering as Mr. Unnikrishnan left for the day.


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1. What is MANAGE to you? A beautiful campus that contributes a lot

to our nation-building and an institute where every PGDM student gets the best opportunity to transform herself/himself into a good agribusiness professional and a better human being within a span of 21 months.

2. How do you succeed in creating harmony between your work and personal life amidst the hectic corporate schedule?

By following a proper and organized routine. My office hours are 12 noon till 9 pm, five days a week. So, every weekday till noon, I am 100% with my family and I make sure that I leave my office by 9 pm. I experienced and learnt this personal and work-life balance when I worked for two years at my company HQ in the USA. People there maintain a very strict demarcation between personal hours and work hours, which is logical and the way it should be. Before noon, I take an hour out to exercise to exercise which is very important to maintain good physical and mental health. I do not carry any any work home. As I am into global physical trade (not terminal trade) of commodities and work with different time zones, sometimes I need to dedicate 15-20 minutes to my work after office hours but that is seldom. Nowadays, for most of the office goers, travel stress is probably the biggest stress. If you can cut it down to the maximum extent, you have achieved something precious. So far, I have been lucky to be able to stay very close to my office and therefore, have been able to cut that travel stress to zero. That gives me a better balance.

3. Being the country level manager, a hawk-eye has to be kept on the market dynamics happening even at the minute

ALUMNI SPEAKInterview with Mr. Somnath Bera(Director and Country Manager, Seaboard Special Crops India Pvt Ltd.)Seaboard Corporation is a Fortune 500 Public Ltd company with its HQ in the USA.

level. How do you monitor the market in such detail and take the most strategic decisions for the company?

I keep my eyes and ears open to every possible conversation (both physical and electronic), happening around me and I continuously try to learn from those conversations. Technology has made the availability of information very easy but filtering that heavy inflow of information and extracting what is useful information is the key. Depending on the need, I have daily as well as periodic conversations with people who are associated with this global commodity trade industry and then I convert the collected data into information and use that information to make decisions. Yes, a hawk-eye view is definitely required to keep myself and my team up to date with the market dynamics, globally.

4. No farmer is fair enough to conduct trade in the country. This is a policy paralysis and a big lacuna where the needy is ignorant or never gets a chance to trade. Can there be a new


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model of trading where the small and marginalfarmerswouldgetbenefitted?

I would say that the scenario is changing and it’s changing fast. The Govt. as well as various corporates are working in their respective capacities to make the supply chain more efficient and thus, more valuable in which the farmer is a key participant. I think the farmers are better informed nowadays and are aware of the different platforms (physical platforms as well as some electronic ones) where they can buy inputs, services and sell their produce. The farmer also understands the additional value which these more efficient and transparent platforms offer to them. The farmer base, however, is so big that all these efficiencies will take time to reach each farmer, but I am sure, thousands of farmers are getting smarter each day. I know a lot of cases where the farmers have not only become traders but even became exporters. As trading is a very dynamic thing and involves various risks, one can gain or lose (small to big). The amount of trading knowledge trading knowledge and risk-taking ability a farmer has is very important. Knowledge can mitigate some risk. Our farmers are definitely getting smarter.

5. What is the future of the trading sector of the country according to you, taking into account the friction happening between the big shot markets of the globe?

Trade of commodities will always be very active but yes, it will become more and more technology-driven. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the use of smart-contracts under Blockchain Technology and many more such technology-driven concepts will emerge which would aim towards streamlining the trade and improve the trade efficiency. In this massive world of trade of Agri commodities with the trade war between two big countries, one country’s loss is another country’s gain.

e.g.; (1) China used to import big volumes of Soya from the USA. Due to the trade war between the USA and China, Brazil

and Argentina are gaining big time as they are now supplying Soya to China.

(2) China used to import big volumes of Canola/Rapeseed from Canada for crushing. Due to the trade war between them, China is now thinking of importing Rapeseed from India which they were not doing for the past many years.

6. Your advice to take MANAGE’s glory and legacy to the manifold.

MANAGE has served as both a witness to and a participant in the reform and opening up of our nation’s agriculture sector. Being a nodal organization in imparting Agri related training, contributing to the National Agriculture Policy and by successfully running a full-time PGDM course, MANAGE has not only contributed to nation-building but also benefited from this process. MANAGE has played and will keep on playing multiple roles in the development of the nation: as a witness, a participant, a contributor, and a beneficiary.

Going forward, MANAGE will be a more important player but its role would probably remain the same: nurturing talent, fostering research and innovation as well as knowledge transfer to strengthen the Agri sector in improving the country’s food grain production, improving the Agri infrastructure, Agri knowledge transfer, improving the standard of living of the farmers, training and nurturing Agribusiness professional and producing Agripreneurs. MANAGE has a major contribution to the proper channelization of all these efforts of the Govt.

To all the PGDM students and the Alumni, we being the mobile brand ambassadors of MANAGE and now with a global physical presence, we have to keep up the good work which we are doing and most importantly stay connected with each other so that we keep sharing the good work, enhance our knowledge and sound smarter. All of these would be the key factors in taking the institute’s glory to greater heights.


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Israel a country known for its rich culture and history, clean and beautiful infrastructure with

many places of sacred and historic importance. It leads in providing new innovations and technologies which are used by people around the world to enhance their life and also create global sustainability. These technologies help us save, produce and treat water, utilize revolutionary ways of saving resources and generating energy and enable more advanced and more efficient eco-friendly agriculture and waste water treatments.

Agriculture is not an age old concept of Israel but was developed after second world war. When Israel was established in 1948 only 20% of the total land in the country was arable which has now tripled increasing the production by 16 times. Presently, around 17% of the total agricultural budget is used for research and development.

Despite the fact that the geography of Israel is not naturally suited for agriculture as most of the area is desert area with acute water shortage and high temperature arid conditions, Still, Israel has emerged as one of the major leaders in agricultural technology.

Israel has travelled very fast in making itself independent in terms of food security. Today, Israel is self-sufficient in agriculture. It produces around 90% of its own food requirement and also feeds several parts of the world. It is also a major exporter of fresh produce in the world.

India being a developing country can benefit a lot from Israel. Israel is a small country and can transfer its technology to India which is a quite big country and can greatly benefit from Israeli agricultural technology.

What can we learn from Israel?

• Dairy farm management -Israel has developed temperature control systems

Israel: An Agri-innovative Nation 27. Kanupriya


PGDM(ABM)

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for dairy farms to maintain the temperature which in turn increases the welfare and productivity of the cows. Also, profits in the dairy sector have gone up due to the development of advanced systems for breeding, herd management, and robotic milking systems.

• Technology for farming in challenging environmental conditions: Israelis have developed advanced technologies for increasing water use efficiency, climate control systems for monitoring and control of temperature and humidity in greenhouses. As more than half of the country is desert, over the years extensive research has led to the development of technologies which help in producing quality product even in adverse climatic conditions.

• Leading pioneer in water and irrigation technologies: The concept of Drip irrigation was developed in Israel. It is a system which provides water directly to the plant roots which increases water use efficiency and crop yield. Israel recycles more than 86% of its waste water. It has developed techniques for water purification, recycling and treatment of water and use of this treated water for irrigation and other purposes.

• Precision agriculture: It can be defined as Provision of technology. of technology to map and analyse crops and accurately observe and measure all the parameters necessary for the growth and ideal habitat of the crop while maximizing resource utilization. Use of artificial intelligence for satellite imagery and past data records to predict and forecast the yield and help farmers make the best decision so as to increase the output and earn more profits. The farmers are directed to apply pesticides and weedicides only on those areas where they are required and not the entire field.

• Efficient Post-harvest management process: During the post-harvest period the fruit quality may degrade which causes major losses. Methods have been developed to extend the shelf life of fruits without affecting the taste and other quality and nutritional parameters of the fruit.

Source:https://agfundernews.com/israels-agritech-market-map-400-startups-putting-the-tech-in-agritech.html

by Kanupriya

PGDM (ABM) 2019-21

“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at

all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Be-

cause remember that’s where you will find success.’’ - Thomas J. Watson, 2nd President of IBM,

political figure, and philanthropist


18

Over the last three decades ,China has extensively increased its agricultural

production to feed its population,which is the largest in the world. But this increased production has also lead to excessive use of fertilisers, acidification of soil and increased levels of pollution.

Researchers at the China Agricultural University decided to address these concerns without reducing the yield of farmers.The researchers preferred methods tailored for specific crops, regions, and weather conditions over ‘one-size-fits-all farming’ .The team conducted 13,123 field test in the decade long period from 2005 to 2015. Through the tests they were able to determine how yields varied with different crop varieties, planting times, planting densities, fertilizer, climate and water use.

Using results from the field tests, the researchers developed evidence based advice which was further tailored to suit their local conditions. One such advice was to focus on fertilising efforts during a particular season rather than spreading it out evenly throughout the year. This simple advice reduced the average usage of Nitrogen based fertilisers by 20% in the particular area.

During the period of the study nearly 21 million farmers adopted the recommendations of the

The Potential of evidence based recommendations in Agriculture

team. This lead to an increase in crop productivity of rice,corn and wheat by 10 % and decreased the use of fertilisers by 15%.

This study amazed researchers worldwide due to its huge scale.The study’s success can be attributed to the several outreach programs and workshops conducted by more than 1000 researchers along with 65,000 bureaucrats and technicians at provincial or county agricultural agencies and nearly 140,000 representatives from agriculture businesses.

The study is estimated to have cost $54 million but it has already saved the Chinese farmers nearly $12.2 billion by reducing the usage of nitrogen based fertilisers by 1.2 million tonnes.

Source:1.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02792-7

2.https://www.google.com/amp/s/qz.com/1228061/chinas-agricultural-miracle-that-could-feed-the-planet-without-destroying-it/amp/

byBalaji Sridharan

PGDM (ABM) 2019-21


PGDM(ABM)

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BALLA RACHANACompleting her B.Sc. Agriculture from Agricultural College Bapatla, Acharya Naikula Gogineni Ranga Agricultural University, Ms. Rachana believes that MBA was the only way she could do justice to her passions. An ardent learner of words, Rachana has a collection of words which, if published, would make another ‘Word Power Made Easy’ book. A trained Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer over a period of 7 years, she has won many awards for her finest performances. While painting and sketching make her find peace in chaos, they also have won her a position in the Media Cell MANAGE, the club that is the face of MANAGE. An efficient speaker, and an ardent dreamer, Rachana wishes to put her passions into the service of others, and that, she believes would help her learn further.

Talent Hub: 2019-21 Batch

C.A. HUBAIB HASSAN Hailing from the Venice of India, Alappey district of Kerala, Mr. C.A. Hubaib Hassan has completed B.Sc. Agriculture from College of Horticulture, Thrissur. A prodigy as he must be described, Hubaib is extremely passionate about Quizzes. And no wonder, that has helped him gain a significant identity among all others here, a participant in many national and regional quizzes with his best achievement his best achievement being - winner of the All India Agri Unifest Quiz conducted in the year 2018. Apart from this Hubaib is an efficient dancer and this talent of his has not only been appreciated by others, but has brought fame to his university and now MANAGE. He is also a theatre artist and has won various awards and accolades in drama, mimes and skit competitions. A humble introvert, yet a passionate dreamer, Hubaib aspires to own a website offering Quizzing coaching and training to other aspirants like him.

Dr. K. Anand ReddyDirector (HRD) & Principal Coordinator, PGDM(ABM)

MANAGE, Hyderabad

Facilitators

Dr. Lakshmi MurthyDeputy Director (Doc)

MANAGE, Hyderabad

Team Pratibimb

SPICE is Published by: LITERARY CLUB, MANAGE National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management

(MANAGE) Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030 Tel: +91-40-240162702-706 | Fax: +91-40-2401388

Arkdeep ChakrabortyPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Athira P RajPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Himanshu PantPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Mohit KumarPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Piyush DagarPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Titikshya Tushar KantiPGDM (ABM)MANAGE

Note: SPICE is a mouthpiece of MANAGE PGDM (ABM) students.The opinions expressed are purely that of students and do not re�ect the opinion of MANAGE.

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