The quiet revolution in agri-food value chains in Asia: Understanding the fast emergence of cold storages in poor districts in India

Minten, Bart and Reardon, Thomas and Singh, K.M. and Sutradhar, Rajib (2012): The quiet revolution in agri-food value chains in Asia: Understanding the fast emergence of cold storages in poor districts in India. Published in: Innovative Institutions, Public Policies and Private Strategies for Agro-Enterprise Development Ed: Ralph D.Christy, Carlos A da Silva, Nomathemba Mhlanga, Edward Mabaya & Krisztina Tihanyi (23 October 2014): pp. 313-340.

Abstract

In disadvantaged districts of Bihar, one of the poorest states in India and an area where smallholders dominate, we find that there have been dramatic increases and rapid up-scaling of modern cold storages, triggered by market reform, investment subsidies, and better overall public service provision and governance. Almost all potato farmers, small and large, participate in these cold storages. The availability of cold storages has seemingly led to improved efficiency in value chains because of lower wastages and some cold storages have become heavily involved in input, output, and especially credit markets. This emergence of cold storages thus leads to important changes in traditional potato value chains, with significant implications for smallholders.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Agri-Food, Value chains, Cold storages, Potato, Bihar, India
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O32 - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights > O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences ; Diffusion Processes; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing ; Cooperatives ; Agribusiness; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q16 - R&D ; Agricultural Technology ; Biofuels ; Agricultural Extension Services; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy

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