26

How will the data be analyzed?

In what style will the report be prepared?

What techniques of data collection will be used?The Research Design undertaken for the study is Descriptive one. A study, which wantsto portray the characteristics of a group or individuals or situation, is known asDescriptive study. It is mostly qualitative in nature. The main objective of Descriptivestudy is to acquire knowledge. 4.1 Source of Data Data are the raw materials in which marketing research works. The task of data collectionbegins after research problem has been identified and research design is chalked out. Datacollected are classified into primary and secondary data 4.1.1 Primary data:In this study, the primary data is collected to understand the main reasons behind thesatisfaction of the employee. This is collected using a questionnaire specifically designedfor the employees of all levels. 4.1.2 Secondary data:Secondary data were collected from the companys annual publications, memorandums of settlements, newspapers, journals, websites, and from library books.The methodologythis study consists of both primary data. These dates collected from the respondent swere through questionnaires. The primary data were collected from the respondents.

27 4.2. SAMPLE SIZE All the items consideration in any field of inquiry constitutes a universe of population. Inthis research only a few items can be selected form the population for our study purpose.The items selected constitute what is technically called a sample. Here out sample size is50 employees from the total population in the organization. The samples are selected onthe basis of convenient.

4.2.1QUESTIONNAIRE SCHEDULE:Questions are framed in such a way that the answers reflect the ideas and thoughts of therespondents with regard to level of satisfaction of various factors of job satisfaction.Thefollowing scaling techniques have been used for each question in the questionnaireschedule. To study the problem clearly numbers of employees from each department wereselected on the basis of the size of the department as well as nature of the work.Questionnaires were distributed to the employees individually and lot of efforts had to betaken to collect the required data from the selected sample of employees representing thepopulation. The questions in the questionnaire are framed on the basis of the factorsresponsible for satisfaction

28 4.3.TOOLS OF ANALYSIS 4.3.1. Simple percentage analysis:Here the simple percentage analysis is used for calculating the percentage of satisfactionlevel in the total respondents. No of RespondentPercentage of Respondent = ----------------------------------------------- X 100Total no. of Respondents4.3.2. One-way analysis:Instatistics,one-way analysis (abbreviated one-way ANOVA) is a technique used tocompare means of two or more samples. This technique can be used only for numeric data. 4.3.3. Weighted average and ranking analysis:Here weighted average analysis is used find average mean with their factorscorresponding weights and rank according to their average mean.

Weighted average can be defined as an average whose component items aremultiplied by certain values (weights) and the aggregate of the products aredivided by the total of weights.

One of the limitations of simple arithmetic mean is that it gives equal importanceto all the items of the distribution.

In certain cases relative importance of all the items in the distribution is not thesame. Where the importance of the items varies.

It is essential to allocate weight applied but may vary in different cases. Thusweight age is a number standing for the relative importance of the items.

Competitors of gathri rice mill

Amar Exports
Meparamba . 678006 . Palakkad . See phone Jack-fruit chips, pokavada, rice murukku, banana chips, instant chukku kappi, mixture, tapioca chips, peanut, manufacture... Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
B

Paddico Ltd.
Kunnukad, Elappully (p.o.) . 678632 . Palakkad . See phone Rice, manufacture and suply. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
C D

Sindhiya Modern Rice Mill

Elaven Chery, Perungottukavu, Post Kizhakkumuri, Kollengode . 678508 . Palakkad Brown rice, manufacture and suply. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
E

Sreedhar Modern Rice Mill

Mariyapadam, Elavampadam Po . 678711 . Palakkad . See phone Basmati rice, rice, manufacture and suply. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
F

Deepam Agro Mills

Prabhamandiram, Pervemba P.o. . 678531 . Palakkad . See phone Export, rice, basmati rice. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
G

New Grand Bazar

Near Police Line, Swathi Nagar, Court Road, Alathur . 678541 . Palakkad Cumin seeds, rice, basmati rice, spices, suply, non basmati rice, soap, shampoo, red chilly. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad, Seed Palakkad
H

Nature's Food Products

31/483, C/o. Sree Meenakshi Agencies, Big Bazar . 678014 . Palakkad . See phone Food Palakkad, Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
I

Sindhiya Modern Rice Mill

Sindhiya Modern Rice Mill, Perungottukavu, Kizhakkumuri P.o., Nemmara . 678508 . Palakkad . See phone

Matta rice, rose matta rice, manufacture and suply, palakkadan rice, rice, white rice. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad
J

Sidharth Agro Foods

Kallingal Building, Manissery, P.o. Ottapalam . 679101 . Palakkad Puttupodi, sambar powder, semiya, export and manufacture and suply, jaggery, rice ada, chilly powder, turmeric powder, ... Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Globe Merchandisers Fzc

Sai Zone Sharja, Near Sharza International Airport, Post Box No 8264 . 8264 . Palakkad . See phone Flour, mung dal, pulses, trade and suply, rice, rajma. Pulses Palakkad, Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Kanchana Food Process Works

Ponnarampallam Village, Vadavannur P.o, Palakkad(dist). . 678504 . Palakkad . See phone Export and distribute and manufacture and suply, rice and rice powder. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Global Impex
Prabha Mandiram, Peruvemba (p.o.) . 678531 . Palakkad . See phone Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad, Coconut Palakkad

Ak Amblam Kunnath
Amina Manzil, Near Pencos, Thathamangalam, Palakkad Dt . 678102 . Palakkad Heated rice, manufacture and suply, food like organic rice. Food Palakkad, Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Chandamama International
The Chips, Mooppan Complex, R.s. Road . 678001 . Palakkad . See phone Hpl sheets export, base oil, sugar, rice, timber, paper scrap and iron scrap, rbd palm olein, trade. Iron Palakkad, Paper Palakkad, Rice Palakkad

Lakshmi Narayana Flour Mill

T. S. Road, Mannarkkad . 678582 . Palakkad . See phone Coriander, turmeric, rice, chilley, manufacture, flour. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Biju Mordern Rice Mill

Ootara, Kollengode . 678507 . Palakkad . See phone Manufacture and export, matta rice single & double used in eatables. Rice Palakkad, Rice Export Palakkad

Apex Green Trading

Mangode House, Malampuzha Road, Mukkai . 678005 . Palakkad . See phone Wheat, sunflower oil, rice, sugar, cumin seeds, scraps hms1&2 rails, milk power mandate, cement, spices, trade, basmati... Iron Palakkad, Power Palakkad, Rice Palakkad

"Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy" - this is a statement which epitomises and defines the importance of agriculture in India. It is the driving force of the Indian economy. The following statistics drive home the point that various agricultural issues and problems need to be addressed and resolved with utmost care for the betterment and sustainability of the economy and society as a whole.

Share held by agriculture (2009-10) % of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) % of total exports % of nations total workforce

Percentage 14.6% 10.23% 58.2% (highest across all sectors)

Brief history: India was hugely dependent upon food imports for many years post-independence. This prompted the government to develop a model for self-sufficiency in grain production. The Green Revolution, headed primarily by Dr.Swaminathan proved to be "successful" in this regard. Consequentially, the country also created substantial reserves for the same. Challenges faced in the 21st Century: The benefits of the Green Revolution were evident till the early 1990s. Henceforth, however, the slowdown in agricultural growth became a major cause for concern. Currently, Indias rice yields are one-third of Chinas and about half of that of Vietnam and Indonesia (true for most agricultural commodities). Bold action from policymakers will be required to shift away from the existing subsidy-based regime that is no longer sustainable, to build a solid foundation for a highly productive, internationally competitive and diversified agricultural sector.

Poor irrigation Canal Irrigation (major dam projects) no more in favour

Major and medium canal irrigation projects are no longer efficient in functioning. They are fast becoming out dated and hugely expensive to maintain. Micro-irrigation: Research studies indicate that: Water saving is about 40 80%, Incurs less labour and fertilizer cost and The output yield increase is up to 100% for different crops. Drip irrigation (type of micro-irrigation) is proven to be technically feasible and socially acceptable for small, marginal and large farms. Limitation: Unaffordable initial installation cost In this regard, the government facilitates increase in micro-irrigation by subsidising 50% of the cost of equipment and issuing the balance by institutional credit.

Illiteracy and communication problems Farmers need to be educated so that they can make well-informed decisions with respect to crop cultivation and harvest. The ITC e-choupal is an excellent venture and lays prime focus on farmer problems. We know that there has been tremendous penetration of mobile phones in the rural market over the past few years. The potential is huge and the most important part is that the farmer does not have to be literate to use a mobile application. Concepts which can benefit the farmer community:
1. Two-way audio/video broadcasts and communication system facilitating direct communication between agricultural experts and farmer community. 2. Mobile social network of local farming community 3. Farming mobile alerts software giving information on government conferences, market price fluctuation, weather updates etc. 4. Agricultural mobile query system 5. Inbuilt radar system on mobile phones for regular updates

Inadequate financial inclusion in the rural areas Financial inclusion is critical for the inclusive growth of a country. According to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), nearly 73% farmers do not have access to any credit facility - formal or informal. This has an effect on the farmers marketing strategy as well. The following facilities can create a positive impact:

Overdraft facility Provide micro-insurance Mutual fund and other financial products Use technology for providing last mile connectivity E-payment options Rural credit bureaus

Outcomes:

Generation of employment Alleviation of poverty and Social cohesion

The financial institutions must commit to extending support to their customers during both turbulent and growth periods.

Other Problems which need attention are:

Fragmented land holdings Lack of technological development Rampant industrialisation and soaring real estate prices Rise in fuel prices produces a cascading effect such that

Expenditure patterns of the farmer community fluctuate Transportation cost increase Inflation due to rise in market prices and Buying power plummets. Reforms that can make a difference Tackling food crisis

Technology transfer: Production, processing, storage, distribution and value addition all activities require modern technology for efficient functioning. Developing countries like India do not have the latest technological solutions in most cases. This is where Technology transfer comes into the fray. Bilateral and multi-lateral technology agreements and formation of blocs between countries will help this cause.

Precision farming: It increases the information intensity so that the farmer can make an informed decision. This is done by accurate mapping of different geographical areas by GIS software. GIS is a Geographical Information System (GIS) for soil/land resource analysis. Precision farming generates an output containing spatial and non-spatial variations based on multiple inputs obtained from linking of spatial databases, analytical and crop simulation models at the same time. Resource characterisation is important to obtain worthy results from GIS. The farmer obtains the distribution of crop yield and water resources as a function of soil and weather conditions. This essentially makes GIS an ideal tool for crop planning and management which allows the farmer to better estimate budgets for crop planning. Widely acclaimed by government agencies, GIS - Precision farming is set to be the next big thing in Indian agriculture. It also involves a significant quantum of technology transfer seen in recent times. This strategy will reduce the demand-supply mismatch because farmers will make better decisions rather than simply going for crop diversification in anticipation of monetary gains.

Government initiatives: Government plans to distribute cash instead of kind (food) through the Public Distribution System (PDS) will only increase corruption and wastage of funds. Instead the PDS can be used to procure all locally produced grains at respectable MSPs and distribute them equitably. This will mitigate the problem of agrarian crisis and create employment opportunities. The Food Security Bill is a landmark achievement and it is based on the ideology of Right to Food-for-All. Other potentially innovative strategies include

Interest-free agriculture loans (to prevent farmer suicides)

Ration cards in the name of women (for women empowerment in the rural areas). Only concern is the accuracy of the database of the BPL families. Gurudwara-like langar system in all religious places.

Addressing the problem of food storage: Focus should be laid on the following points to increase food storage capacity:

Cold chain infrastructure for storage of excess food Upgrading the package materials Usage of tested pesticides Increased co-operation between the state and central governments and Proportional increase of food grain output and storage capabilities.

Food security: GM crops and the burden it carries: The future implications of the GM technology are not concrete. This is a cause of concern because India cannot afford to face the problem of self-sufficiency again. There is no doubt that GM technology is a revolutionary concept but being circumspect is necessary in this case.

Conclusion: The need of the hour is sustainability in all aspects of life. We cannot afford to procrastinate addressing this issue any further because there will soon be a point of no return. It is the question of the existence of the human race and in this regard, sustainability of agriculture and selfsufficiency of countries in terms of food is of paramount importance.