MALGUDI EXPRESS This simulation was developed on the basis of fieldwork conducted by the faculty of IRMA in a village in Sabarkantha

district of Gujarat. It focuses attention on decision making processes of farmers, especially the small and marginal farmers. It also seeks to simulate, under some simplifying assumptions, how decisions taken by large farmers influence the fortunes of small farmers. It is expected that it will give you an experience that will sensitize you to issues of the rural poor in our country and help to develop better understanding of conditions under which policy interventions could produce better results. There are four main actors in the game: (1) the Game Manager who represents God and the Government, (2) the Trader who represents the market and the implementing arm of the Government, (3) the households of the village represented by you - the participants, and (4) the Game Inspectors to supervise the game and to help you and validate/ratify your transactions. Malgudi Express simulates economic relationships underlying four major subsystems of the village economy, namely, (i) crop production system, (ii) livestock production system, (iii) household system, and (iv) market system. These basic interrelationships are shown in Figure 1 at the end of this note. The first thing you have to do is to form teams from among yourselves, according to the instructions given, to represent individual households of Malgudi village. Each team will consist of 3 members. At the beginning of the game, you will be given the details regarding the family members and assets of the village household of which you will jointly act as the head throughout the game. You will take decisions for this household as well as accept the consequences of these decisions. The objective of each team during the simulation is to manage such assets as it has, in a manner that a. it can at least meet subsistence requirements for all family members, b. It can feed appropriately its young and adult animals, and c. It can maximize its financial surplus/wealth after meeting all these requirements. The main data set that you will need in order to take your decisions is presented in the next section. Do spend some time to understand these tables before you come for the simulation. It will involve quite a bit of computations, and you will not have access to MS XL. So do get a calculator; it will stand you in good stead! Bringing some pencils, an eraser and a sharpner may also be a good idea. The rest of the game will be explained to you by your Game Manager before you begin the simulation.

Figure: 1 Economic Relationships Underlying Malgudi Express

HYV Seeds Fertiliser Pesticides Irrigation power

Market System

Ghee Maize Maize

Crop Production System

Maize Maize Straw Bullock power units

Livestock Production System

Labour Labour Milk

Maize

Household System

DATA TABLES The main data you will need in order to play Malgudi Express and take your decisions is presented in Table I to VI. Your asset base and your family details will be allotted to you at the beginning of the simulation. Please go through it carefully and familiarize yourselves with the rules. Also, please go through the entries to be made in the Players Recording Statement (PRS). Your Game Manager will help you in understanding how to make entries in the PRS before the Simulation begins. Table I Crop production states
No drought, no pest attack A A+ A A+ No drought, but pest attack C C+ A A+ Drought, but no pest attack B A B A Drought and pest attack D C B A

no irrigation, no pesticide irrigation only pesticide only irrigation and pesticide

Table II

Crop yield (kg/acre) corresponding to different crop states and production technologies
Maize Grain Ordinary No With ferti ferti HYV No With ferti- fertiMaize Straw Ordinary No With ferti- fertiNo fertiHYV With ferti-

Crop Prod States A+

1080

1560

1200

2160

2640

3120

4680

5400

900

1300

1000

1800

2200

2600

3900

4500

600

750

350

480

2100

2400

3700

4100

C+

780

984

600

720

2160

2520

3720

3960

650

820

500

600

1800

2100

3100

3300

430

480

140

160

1700

2000

2700

3000

Table III

Inputs requirements (per acre) for maize crop Maize (ord seed) 30 1 2 40 50 5 30 1.5 4 60 100 10 Maize (HYV seed)

Input requirements Essential seeds (kg) labour (FLU/year) bulls (BPU/year) Optional irrigation power (hours) fertilizer (kg) pesticide (kg)
Notes:

1. HYV refers to High Yield Variety seeds for maize. These seeds are genetically modified in order to give a crop yield higher than the ordinary seeds. 2. The maize crop from HYV seed, if used as seed the next year, will not carry HYV traits. It may also be highly prone to pest attacks. Crop from ordinary seed will not have this drawback. 3. Maize straw is used as fodder for animals. 4. Land can only be used in units of 1 acre. You cannot take any decisions for fractions of one acre. 5. FLU (Family Labour Unit) is the labour put in for one year by one male or female in the age group of 16 60 years. Labour can be used or hired in terms of FLUs. Each family member in the specified age group provides labour equivalent of 1 FLU per year. A child, on attaining the age of 16, starts providing 1 FLU. An adult (male or female) attaining the age of 60 cannot be used as farm labour. However, the nutritional requirements of the person do not change. 6. BPU (Bull Power Units) is the bull power needed for land preparation, tilling and other farming operations. A single bull provides 20 BPUs per year. 7. In order to irrigate your land, you should have a well and a pump set. Since the water table is very low, digging a well and mounting a pump costs Rs. 10,000. You can buy the pump from the trader. You will also have to buy power for running your pump from the trader. One well and pumpset can generate a maximum of 600 irrigation hours per year. You could also buy irrigation hours from some other farmer who may have made the investment, at a price mutually agreed upon. 8. Other inputs i.e. seed, fertilizer and pesticide can be bought from the trader at prices announced by him/her from time to time. These prices will be displayed on a chart next to the trader. 9. The trader will also buy your output (maize) from you at prices announced by him/her annually. 10. You can store your excess maize production for consumption for next year. 11. Any surplus of maize straw, FLUs, BPUs and irrigation hours will have to be consumed or traded in the same year. These are perishables and cannot be stored for future use. 12. Any surplus of fertilizer, seed or pesticide not used this year can be stored for future use. 13. The rainfall and pest situation will be announced by the Game Manager from time to time.

Table IV

Food requirements for subsistence Maize (kg/year/person) 300 300 Milk(kg/yr/person) 25 75

Family members adult >= 16 yrs child < 16 yrs

Notes: 1. The food requirements for your family are to be computed on the basis of the per head requirement given in the above table. 2. If you are not able to arrange for total requirements for the survival of your family, starvation deaths will occur with the youngest member of the family dying first. 3. Any surplus of maize or milk generated can be sold or stored only after subsistence maize and milk requirements for the entire family for the current year have been met. 4. If family labour is being hired out, the responsibility for feeding the person still stays with the family he/she is a member of, unless explicitly decided on in the trade. 5. You cannot enter the next year of the game without balancing the feed requirements of your family and animals or declaring them dead to balance the same. The Game Manager has to certify this.

Table V

Feed input milk output relation for cow in-milk

Feed Combinations

Feeding Rates (kg/year) Maize straw 2000 1800 1700 1500 1300 1200 Maize --100 200 400 600 750

1 2 3 4 5 6

Milk output with 5% fat (kg/year) 150 220 340 585 850 950

Table VI Cattle Bull Cow (dry) Calf Table VII

Feed requirements for other cattle Maize (kg/year/animal) 300 Conversion of milk into ghee Milk (kg) 20 Ghee (kg) 1 Maize straw (kg/year/animal) 2400 2000 2000

Notes: 1. Each adult animal would require FLU to tend to it each year. 2. A young cow gives birth to a calf for the first time and begins to produce milk at the beginning of the third year of her age. 3. From then on it gives birth to a calf every alternate year i.e. a cow gives birth to a calf and produces milk in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th year of its life. During this period it is referred to as a Cow in Milk. In the remaining years, it is referred to as a Dry Cow. 4. A cow, either in milk or dry, cannot be drafted for farming operations. 5. A young bull becomes available for draft purposes from the third year of his life. The normal life of any animal is limited to 12 years. When it reaches its 12th year, it will die. 6. In case of a cow in milk, you can choose amongst the feeding rates given above. The milk output of your cow will correspond to the feeding rate chosen by you. 7. Milk can be used for family consumption, sold to other households in need of it or converted to ghee for sale to Trader. The conversion rate between milk and ghee

is given in Appendix VI. The price at which the trader will buy ghee will be announced every year. If you are unable to provide enough fodder for your animals, your animals will die starting with the youngest animal.

Table VIII Asset Value

S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. Notes: 1.

Assets land bullocks in-milk cows dry cows calf (male or female) Pumpset

Unit price (Rs.) 5,000 1,200 1,000 1,000 300 pegged to market price

Prices will stay constant for the period of the game. There will be no appreciation or depreciation in asset value over time.

PLAYERS RECORDING STATEMENT

Section 1. Demography & Resources

Category Adults (age >=16 yrs)

Ages

Children (age <16 yrs)

Bulls

Cows In milk Dry Calf (female) Calf (male) Land Cash Pumpset

Players Recording Statement Section 2. Crop Production System

Particulars

2.1 Essential inputs A. Land (acres) B. Seed (kg) C. FLU D. BPU Signature of Game Manager (Pls dont proceed without sign) 2.2 Crop status & optional inputs
A. Pest attack (Y/N) B. Rain (Y/N) C. Pesticide (kg) D. Irrigation hrs E. Crop status (A+, A,B,C+,C,D) F. Fertiliser (kg) 2.3 Output A. Maize grain (kg) B. Maize straw (kg)

Maize (ord) ordinary

Maize (HYV)

Y/N

Y/N

Section 3. Animal Production System

A. B. C. D. E. Type of animal Feed combination (I,II,III) In milk cows Dry cows Calves Bulls Total Maize used (kg) Maize straw I/ II/ III used (kg) Milk output

Section 4. Surplus or Deficit of Milk and Crop Output

Particulars A. Production B. Family use C. Animal use Balance (+,-) Coupons given: Milk Maize Maize Straw Maize Maize straw (kg) Milk (kg)

Coupons taken: Milk Maize Maize straw Cleared for the year: Yes/ No

Starvation deaths: Y/N Humans: Animals: Sign _______________

PRS (contd.) Section 5. Transactions with other families

Famil y no Item Inflow Quantity Item Outflow Quantity Sign of family Sign of inspector

1. 2.

3.

Entries in each row of Section 5 should be certified by the Game Inspector by putting his/her brief signature at the end of the row. In case of hiring of labour units or bull units, the responsibility for feeding the same is on the family to which they belong. If feeding them is part of the wage, it must be clearly indicated in the contract and the owner family should collect the food coupons (maize & milk) accordingly from the family which hires in. Any loans taken from other households can also be entered in Section 5, with the interest rate agreed upon.

Section 6. Transactions with Trader

6.1 Purchase of goods : cash outflows Commodity Price Quantity Maize seed ord Maize seed HYV Fertilizer Pesticide Maize grain Pump set Irrigation power Total 6.2 Sales of goods : Cash inflows Commodity Price Maize grain Ghee Total expenditure Sign of trader

Quantity

Total revenue

Sign of trader

1.

Entries in each row of Section 6 should be certified by the Trader by putting his/her brief signature at the end of the row.

Sale and purchase of assets

Purchase of assets Year Asset

Price (Rs.)

Quantity

Total expenditure (Rs.)

Sign of the trader/ family

Sign of inspector

Sale of assets Year Asset

Price (Rs.)

Quantity

Total expenditure (Rs.)

Sign of the family

Sign of inspector

NET WORTH STATEMENT (NWS) (Statement for calculation of change in Households Net Worth)
A. Assets at the Beginning of the Game

S. no. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Assets Land Bulls In-Milk Cows Dry Cows Calves (male or female) Well + pumpset Cash Total (A)

Number of units

Unit Price (Rs.)

Total Value(Rs)

Part A of the NWS is to be filled as the beginning of the game.

B. Assets at the end of the Game S. no. Assets 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Land Bulls In-Milk cows Dry cows Calves (male or female) Maize grain Maize seed (HYV) Ghee Fertilizer Pesticide Well + pump set Cash Total (B)

Number of units

Unit Price (Rs.)

Total Value(Rs)

Part B of the NWS is to be filled at the end of the game. Please wait for the Game Manager to declare the game closed.

C. Index of change in Net Worth (Asset Base) (B A) ------------- x 100 = A