Protected cultivation is an innovative way of raising seasonal and off-seasonal crops under a controlled environment. Vegetables and flower crops have tremendous potential to augment productivity, generate employment, utilize land efficiently and enhance export. This study was undertaken to assess the economic feasibility of protected cultivation in the high export potential zones of the Pune and Nasik districts of Maharashtra, India, by employing project analytical tools and the regression model. The results revealed that the cultivation of flowers and vegetables under protected cultivation was highly lucrative with high investment. The protected cultivation of rose and capsicum had higher cultivation cost (300%), gross return (250%) and net return (190%) as compared to open cultivation. Moreover, most of the crops grown in polyhouses are highly profitable at different discount rates (7%, 10% and 12%), whereas a few crops were rewarding under shade net condition with subsidies. Factors such as literacy (p < 0.05), income (p < 0.05), access to subsidy (p < 0.05) and the risk orientation index (p < 0.01) were found statistically significant in technology adoption. In the context of a changing climate and shrinking land resources, water scarcity, incidence of pests and diseases, an ever-increasing population, low productivity under open conditions and changes in consumer’s preference are the drivers for switching over to protected cultivation. In the recent past, protected cultivation has been gaining importance in different parts of the country, including Maharashtra. The policy implications are creating modern infrastructure, enhanced application of ICTs, maximum crop production with minimum utilization of land and institutional support to promote technology on a commercial scale.

Agri-startups in India are pivotal drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship, addressing critical challenges related to food security, rural livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. These startups leverage advanced technologies, data analytics, and precision farming techniques to enhance agricultural productivity and reduce post-harvest losses, contributing significantly to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Government initiatives such as the “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” program, coupled with strategic collaborations with foreign entities, have provided substantial momentum to the agri-startup ecosystem in India. Through this concerted effort, various stakeholders, including Knowledge Partners and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana—Agribusiness Incubators, are actively nurturing and scaling innovative agricultural projects. Regions like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh have emerged as hotspots for agri-startup activity, benefiting from conducive policy environments and robust agricultural infrastructure. The landscape of agri-tech investments in India has seen of significant growth, with a notable surge in 2021, reaching $1.18 billion across 66 transactions. Despite a more cautious approach from investors in 2022, the number of transactions increased, indicating sustained interest. The agri-tech sector demonstrates maturity, with a steady investment pipeline and a notable increase in deals surpassing the $5 million threshold. Agri-startups empower smallholder farmers, contributing to SDGs related to food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability, fostering innovation and sustainability in the agricultural sector. Agri-startups encounter several challenges, viz., limited access to capital, regulatory complexities, and technological limitations, hindering their growth. Pricing issues, market penetration constraints, and investor apathy further impede scalability. Despite these challenges, agri-startups promote environmental sustainability through practices like organic farming and water conservation. Collaborative research, training programs, and alignment with global sustainability trends empower farmers and position agri-startups to capitalize on emerging opportunities in sustainable agriculture markets worldwide.

This paper analyzes the impact of a Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) on the Technical Efficiency (TE) of smallholder groundnut farmers in the context of climate change in India. We use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to study the TE of smallholder farmers, which range between 0.58 and 1, with a mean of 0.79. Using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique, we find that the TE of smallholder farmers improves when they participate in a WBCIS using three matching methods. Increasing the coverage of farmers under a WBCIS can help in reducing smallholder farmers vulnerability to climate change.

The 1991 Indian reforms aimed at economic liberalization, as a part of its economic structural adjustment, and transformed the nation’s economy into a more global market-based and service-oriented system, which revolutionized its agricultural trade facet. The new regime paved the way for self-reliant Indian agriculture to expand its roots into the spheres of global competitiveness and export orientation. India enjoys a competitive advantage in the international market and considering the growth in India’s exports of major agricultural commodities. This study employed the Constant Market Share model to analyze the export performance of its various facets such as diversification, instability, elasticity, competitiveness, etc. The findings revealed that India’s growth performance of major agricultural commodities’ exports both in terms of quantity and value was found satisfactory (except wheat and cashew nuts, shelled (quantity)) during 1991-2020. During the recent past decade, i.e., 2011-2020, World Demand Effect (WDE) is the main source of India’s agricultural export performance (due to the general rise/fall in world demand given a constant market share of India, unlike Market Distribution Effect (MDE), Commodity Composition Effect (CCE) and the Residual Competitiveness Effect (RCE) due to high inconsistency arising out of changes in the external environment). Both MDE and RCE with respect to commodity-wise exports and CCE and RCE with respect to country-wise exports are found negative for the majority of commodities and countries (markets) respectively. Consistently negative CCE for exports of agricultural products, total and across major export destinations were found more disheartening and this should deserve special attention. So, it is imperative to boost the export competitiveness of agricultural commodities from India and the future prospects of exports depend on how much the latest surge in COVID-19 infections in India affects its agricultural production and global demand conditions.

This study investigates the impact of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) on smallholder dry chilli farmers in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, with a focus on price realization and poverty alleviation. Two specific FPOs, Red Chilli Farmer Producer Organisation and Spoorthi Chilli Producers Company Ltd., from the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh were chosen for the study based on their substantial business turnover and comprehensive backward and forward linkages to their farmer-members. The smallholder farmers were stratified into two groups viz., treated (161) and untreated (n = 315) based on the FPO membership criterion. The Foster-Greer-Thorbecke model revealed that the poverty incidence among untreated farmers was recorded at 0.691, which was approximately 49 percent higher than the poverty incidence of treated farmers (0.352). The depth and severity of poverty were also greater among untreated farmers, with a poverty depth of 0.494 compared to the lower value of 0.126 observed among treated farmers. The results from Endogenous Switching Regression Model revealed a significant positive relationship between FPO membership and both price realization and poverty alleviation. Farmers with FPO membership experienced 2.11 percent higher prices and 39.14 percent higher annual agricultural income compared to untreated. Factors such as education, adherence to Good Agricultural Practices, farm experience, access to improved inputs, and credit significantly influenced FPO membership. The study concludes that FPO membership plays a crucial role in improving the standard of living for smallholder dry chilli farmers by increasing prices and income. So, this research sheds light on the significance of FPOs in enhancing the economic well-being of smallholder dry chilli farmers in Andhra Pradesh.