can something like Gujarat's AMUL cooperative system start in Assam ? Umesh
shantikam hazarika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I think this has been happening all along in Assam. A few years back I came across farmers in Kharupetia allowing their tomato crop to rot because the price they were fetching in the nearby market would not even meet their transportation cost to the market. As far as I remember, Assam Unnati Sabha need not worry since they have already contracted their production to a buyer at a predetermined rate. For any one starting a new business, that is the most sensible thing to do.State intervention is the only answer, but how it is to be done is again a matter that can be decided by in depth going into the problem. Unless the power situation improves, cold storage may not be the solution. Also, simply having the cold storage may not be adequate, unless we have the total linkages in place. Your jibe at the freedom seekers at the end of your note was not necessary. I am sure they are still looking into our antecedants before they can reply to the queries raised by us. So please do not disturb them with such issues which may be beyond their comprehension. Shantikam Hazarika Director, Assam Institute of Management PO Box 30, GUWAHATI 781001, India HOME PAGE: www.aimguwahati.edu.in > Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:44:27 +0100> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: > assam@assamnet.org> Subject: [Assam] Potatoeconomics of Assam> > > > > A news > item in Pratidin makes a difficult reading. Less of facts, more of opinions. > > But an item published on 31st March2008 is of concern. The prices of potato > have suddenly plummetted in Assam. Apparently it should indicate the positive > impact of withdrawal of Value Added Tax on food items. But it is not, because > of the simple reason that the prices of rice-cereals etc. have remained > sky-high.> > Then why this sudden drop in potato prices? Its answer can be > found in the huge production of potato in Barpeta district under the aegis of > the Oxom Unnati Sabha. In order to ensure that the Oxomiya farmers producing > potato incur loss and do not dare to cultivate it again successfully, the > mainland India trading lobby or the oligopoly or the cartel, by whatever name > called, has suddenly reduced the market prices of potato so that the reigning market prices would not allow the local cultivators recover the input prices, let alone make a profit. Moreover, storing in Assam is a bit difficult, because of dearth of cold storage facility and lack of electricity to run the cold storages effectively.> > Such things have been taking place in Assam for a number of years in respect of tea, vegetables and now Potato. Some people may argue that let the market forces rule, as in any free market system. But history of economics shows that it is the trade barriers, subsidies and in short the protective policies of the state that have allowed the economies of rich nations grow. So such advocates actually are the spokespersons of the mighty, and in this case that of the mainland India that uses Assam like a hinterland. Moreover, had it been a fairplay, it would have been acceptable. But here is a design working to stifle capital formation in Assam and the Indian State and its local lackeys are helping such a design to succeed by its inaction or covert helping hand.> > I believe that we should do whatever we can to foil and expose such nefarious designs. Yes, desecration of archeological relics is important issue to tackle. But brazen economic loot is no less a question.> > I am also surprised that the outfits that want secession or sovereignty of Assam, do not point out these injustices in everyday life and restrict themselves to denouncing state atrocities, to which campaign people have become desensitized to an extent, as it smacks of partisanship. The major problem with these outfits are that they have failed to give anyone an alternative picture or system, if they have one, to fire the imaginations of the people, who they apparently want to win over.> > > Uttam Kumar Borthakur> > > ---------------------------------> Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now> _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam@assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _________________________________________________________________ Video: Get a glimpse of the latest in Cricket, Bollywood, News and Fashion. Only on MSN videos. http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-in _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org Umesh Sharma Washington D.C. 1-202-215-4328 [Cell] Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info) http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info) www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used ) http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/ http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ --------------------------------- Yahoo! for Good helps you make a difference _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
