The challenge of sustaining agricultural self-reliance: A comparative study of the impact of market crisis on farmers in India.

摘要

This thesis is an investigation of the impact of market crisis in the edible oil sector on farmers operating in two different production systems in India. In the summer of 1998, India experienced an outbreak of "dropsy", a potentially fatal condition was caused by the adulteration of domestically produced mustard oil. As a result of the epidemic the government took the following steps: (1) banned mustard oil for several weeks; (2) reduced the import duty on edible oils in order to increase imports and maintain availability in the market; and (3) improved the incentive package offered to mustard farmers to ensure that production levels are maintained.;The first research enquiry demonstrated that planning in India's edible oil sector has largely been based on the ideological dogma of 'self-reliance'. India has opted to 'selectively de-link' from the international community in an effort to protect its fledgling domestic market. This was accomplished through various planning apparatus, such as price regulation, incentives to farmers, and a strict import/export regime.;Findings demonstrated that commercial farmers were not significantly affected by the crisis, primarily due to the efforts taken by the government to cushion the impact. In contrast, traditional farmers adapted their production systems to grow more mustard for domestic use. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).