In the recent past, India has made rapid strides in milk production. Milk production is increasing at 1 per cent per annum in the world. While in India, it is increasing at more than 4 per cent. Dairying is one of the fastest growing  nterprises in the country, achieving 7.4 per cent growth rate during 9th five year plan (All India Dairy Business Directory, 2001). Since demand for milk and milk product is income elastic, consumption can improve only when the income of producer increases along with increase in production.

The impact of climate change on agriculture is being witnessed all over the world, but countries like India are more vulnerable in view of the huge population dependency on agriculture. Monsoons are changing more frequently. Droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, hot extremes and heat waves are making negative impact on agriculture production. Increasing glacier melt in Himalayas may affect the food production in future. Impact of climate is comparative more significant as compared to the past due to increasing global warming, natural calamities and this may result fluctuations in yield of

many crops. Climate change may alter the distribution and quality of India’s natural resources and may adversely affect the livelihood of its people. This paper is an attempt to analyze the impact of climate change on production of wheat and rice.

The continuous use, misuse and exploitation of land resources have resulted in its degradation and destruction. In order to sustain development process in the long- term, it is necessary to have a judicious allocation of land between various uses/ activities with regard to its sustainability and capability. The sustainable productivity of land resources happen to be the basis of all living being, therefore management , conservation and development of land resources are considered to be the most important aspects. The present paper is based on region-wise-data of Uttar Pradesh. Analysis discusses the land use patterns and trends in all the regions of Uttar Pradesh. It provides information for different years pertaining to the area under nine land use categories. The analysis of Land use pattern in different regions of Uttar Pradesh is undertaken to identify important imbalances that requires immediate attention of planners. In view of this, paper presents a plan to shift the area from undesirable land uses to desirable land uses gradually over the years in the state. This suggestive model is expected to optimize the land use under different categories in the state. Paper concludes that Land Use Policy

should aim at optimizing returns on long- term basis rather than meeting short term requirements on adhoc basis, land development/management programmes for generating higher aggregate income and critical input of water should include intensive land development and need to be reviewed so that

regional disparities are reduced to a minimum and sustainable development among the regions could be attained.

Income inequality is closely related with poverty and food security in developing as well as under developed economy. The present study has been conducted based on primary data collected from rural households in Birbhum district, West Bengal. Present status of income inequality and its ecomposition by sources of income (agricultural income and non-agricultural income) and by different categories of farms has been analysed. It has been observed that the income inequality is more prominent in marginal farms than that of small and medium farms. The contribution of non-agricultural income to the overall income inequality is 94.12 per cent. So it is evident that the overall income inequality commonly occurs due to non-agricultural income rather than agricultural income. Similarly, the income inequality within sub-groups is little bit high as compared to BETWEEN sub-groups.

Under the given circumstances the agribusiness courses offered by agricultural universities/ institutions need a market orientation for sustainability. The institutes should be sensitive to students’ and industry needs by identifying the target agro-industry, trade or services enterprises and co-coordinating

with them in course structure design. This will also make the courses commercially viable and sustainable. The industry focus can give them an edge in the market if some experimental learning is facilitated by placing them in specific industries in the last semester over and above the usual summer

training as a part of the course as is done in some leading institutions. The institutes should provide functional area managers to the concerned trade and industrial units who should also be capable to manage independently small business units and entrepreneurial ventures. On-the-job training is very

helpful for developing such skills to make the students self dependant. Since the PG students in such courses come from B. Sc. (Ag.) stream they are technically conversant with most of the agricultural specialties but lack seriously in managerial orientation and leadership qualities. They are also found to be deficient in communication and soft skills. Added emphasis should be given on these components. They have to be made better managers in addition to being good technocrats. A package with an outsourcing of such modules through collaboration with professional management institutes may do wonders for the conventional institutes. Such leading institutes may also offer teachers’ training for preparing the faculty to take the challenge themselves in future. Quantitative skills development and computer applications capability should be improved for the students as well as the teachers through a customized provision of special modules to overcome the individual weaknesses. It is expected that such a restructuring of the agribusiness courses in the agricultural institutions will upgrade them to meet the market demand in the globalized era and will also lead to modernization of

the agriculture sector in India.

The magnitude of displacement in Orissa is a matter of deep concern as the benefits of development could not be attained by the poor and backward people despite our planned effort since independence.With the introduction of new economic reforms in 1990-91, the government of Orissa is inviting several companies to extract its natural resources for economic development of the state. But in the name of development the interests of the local inhabitants are neglected and they become worst sufferer of the development strategy followed by the government. Acquisition of land for these purposes poses a greater threat to the displaced community and alarming the situation day by day where the government is planned to develop large projects. The extraction of resource for economic development is leading to large scale development - induced displacement which has put up public resistance against forcible land acquisition by the government which has been totally neglected. The Draft—Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, which came into existence in the state on May 2006, as an alternative mechanism, is relatively good in many point of view, but ignores some major issues which plays a vital role for the livelihoods of millions of people. Though the policy

promises several additional sops for project affected families, but the activists quoted it, ‘as a mere public relations exercise of the government’. Therefore, an appropriate, adequate and effective policy measures for the resettlement of displaced inhabitants in the project affected area is the need of the hour.

Vegetable is major source of vitamins and minerals, but the level of consumption is very low due to low production and market imperfection. Present study was an attempt to analyse the value chain of vegetables in Palpa district of Nepal. Primary data were collected from 75 vegetables growers, 17 input suppliers, 38 vegetable traders, 30 consumers of Palpa district. Seven different vegetable marketing channels were found in the district. Out of these channels, channel-VI for tomato, channel-III for green chilli and channel- VII for cauliflower were found best channels of marketing. Marketing planning committee (MPC) in local level and apex body in district level used to facilitate for linking the retailers and farmers with getting nominal weighing charge. They used to facilitate for balancing the value shared and margin added in the vegetable products. It can be predicted that, marketing

channels associated with such actors may develop more sustainable and commercially viable value chain in the vegetable marketing in the Palpa district. Constraints can be managed through the improvement of production technology, management of marketing system, extension of linkage and

network between service receiver and providers. There are some opportunities for the improvement of the marketing system which can be trapped by the policy maker or planner to develop the program strategy related to vegetable. Some recommendations are made at the end of the conclusion viz. provision of linking the local agro vets to the reliable companies to ensure quality input supply in the district; improvement in production and marketing that may increase farmers’ share, lower

production and marketing cost, improve quality; Provision of empowerment training to MPCs and leader farmers focused on advocacy and negotiation with supporting organization, basically government agencies, multiplication and capacity enhancement of local marketing bodies like different marketing

committees which have great role to increase the marketing efficiency etc.

This research article discusses the role of Self-Help Groups in promoting women empowerment and standard of living of poor. The study revealed that SHGs play an instrumental role as financial intermediary between banks and SHG members and their economic wellbeing. SHGs functions are collection of savings and offering credit to its members to undertake economic activities thereby they become empower in all spheres. The SHGs promotes savings habits, economic independence, selfconfidence, social cohesion, asset ownership, freedom from debt, additional employment, etc. Thus, SHGs have served an effective role towards women empowerment, social solidarity and socioeconomic

betterment of the poor for their consolidation.

Over the past two decades, women’s empowerment has been increasingly recognized as a crucial factor for any country’s holistic and sustainable development. Policy makers have suggested that gender equity is very much interlinked with most of the development policy of a country and it is

crucial for meeting the international development standard like, Human Development Index, Gender Empowerment Index, Millennium Development Goals, etc. It has been identified that gender inequality can constrain the outcomes of macroeconomic policies. For instance, economic reforms with decreased incentives can reduce women’s output or restricted access to education or training can hamper women’s ability to develop their human resources (World Bank, 1995). It is not only costly to women, but it is also costly to children and men. Women’s empowerment can provide the possibility for all countries to have some combination of increased  productivity, improved human resources,less stress and better overall education and health.