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The goal of agri-commodity warehousing is to help farmers store their produced grains and pulses and obtain bank and financial institution credit facilities in a way that will benefit them financially.

This research states that Rajasthan is the primary state that produces a huge variety of agricultural products. Furthermore, we concentrated on the Bikaner district, where agri-commodity warehousing has been steadily rising. Important commercial and governmental organizations are also carrying out this act of service.

The Significance of Warehouse Management for the Storage of Goods Derived From Agriculture

i. Central location: Products can be received, stored, and distributed by goods owners from a warehouse, which is a central location. Product accountability will be passed to the warehouse staff as soon as the products arrive. It is necessary to implement safety precautions.

ii. Value-adding: By cutting cycle times and overall costs, a logistics system's main goal is to improve efficiency and customer service. By enabling firms to maintain inventory, storage adds value to the logistics chain and ensures that orders are shipped on schedule.

iii. Economic benefits: Since products are sent from a single place rather than several, storage lowers transportation costs for both businesses and consumers.

Results of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA)

There are incredibly few licensed and registered warehouses in India, and there is no system in place for commodity grading or quality certification. Farmers sell their properties in difficulty because of the significant fragmentation of landholdings in India, which makes aggregation a very challenging operation. Farmers lose out on a fair price for their produce in the process. The farmers would have a location to score their produce with the implementation of WDRA. Farmers will benefit from not having to sell in difficulty.

An instrument recently introduced under the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Act (WDRA or Act) called the negotiable warehouse receipt (or "NWR") may provide the answer that has eluded agriculture market reforms in India: a different market channel that can connect the farm gate to national markets.

By using the Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (NWR / NWRs) system to collateralize agricultural inventories, credit availability will rise, costs will fall, and external financial resources will be brought in for the industry. Farmers will benefit from lessening their reliance on moneylenders thanks to the credit facility provided against the receipt. Properly constructed NWRs guarantee the existence and quality of agricultural inventory, giving banks safe collateral.

However, this will require some time. It needs well-designed infrastructure, appropriate regulations, and intensive farmer education.

Rao & Rao (1997)[1] collectively read aloud on „Agricultural Commodity Transportation in India‟, They claimed that as transportation is a crucial link in the chain of production and sale in agriculture, it is an essential component of pre- and post-harvest activities. The process entails transporting a variety of inputs, such as seeds, farms, machinery, labor, fertilizer, pesticides, etc., to farm yards; assembling the finished product at the farm's center; transporting the goods to nearby marketplaces, retail establishments, village or wholesale agricultural assembly markets, Godowns, and lastly to the final consumption locations. Their work also emphasizes the literature and research review, which includes studies done in this sector both domestically and internationally, the Indian rural transportation scene, production and marketing trends, the infrastructure profile of the chosen sample villages, intermarket transportation, etc. A summary of the debate and recommendations on the many facets of agricultural commodity transportation is provided at the study's conclusion.

Singh et al. (1987)[2] carried out their research as, „Agricultural Marketing in India: Analysis, Planning and Development„, that describes agricultural marketing in terms of primary, secondary, and terminal markets; the current Indian agricultural marketing system and its techniques of selling food grain commodities; the roles and responsibilities of middlemen; and the ways in which agricultural marketing contributes to the economic growth of the country. In addition, it outlines the flaws and restrictions of agricultural marketing in India, including inadequate storage facilities, inadequate infrastructure, transportation issues, malpractices, and weak financial services. It also discusses the competition in the agricultural market. Finally, it provides recommendations from the government to enhance the agricultural marketing system. Assembling, grading, standardizing, processing, transporting, storing, distributing, funding, taking on risk, market research, and information are some of the key characteristics that define the goal of marketing services. The authors provide a state-by-state study that includes recommendations and ideas from the National Commission on Agriculture, and they discuss the history, growth, development, virtues, and drawbacks of regulated markets. The book concludes by outlining the study of agro-commodity grading and standardization with legislative measures and Acts; food grain article storage and warehousing; financial, credit, and capital requirements for agricultural marketing in India; agricultural marketing education, research, and administration; causes and effects of agricultural price fluctuations and policies, means, and measures to stabilize them; and, finally, the role of marketing intermediaries for crop marketing.

Acharya[3] made a seminal contribution to Indian agriculture in a research project that included 27 book sets State of the Indian Farmer – A Millennium Study”. This book is the result of research on agricultural marketing done as part of the Indian government's Ministry of Agriculture's "Millennium Study" on farmers in India. With an emphasis on Indian farmers, the book, particularly Volume No. 17 on "Agricultural Marketing," examines advancements and changes in the field of agricultural marketing in India over the past 50 years. Nine chapters make up the book's content, which is arranged as follows: general aspects of agricultural marketing practices; an analysis of the agricultural produce markets' regulatory framework; an overview of the infrastructure for agricultural marketing that has changed and is currently in place; plans to encourage private investment in this sector; the role and responsibilities of significant marketing institutions and organizations; government policies and programs pertaining to pricing, market intervention, and credit policy in relation to agricultural marketing; an assessment of the facilities for marketing research and extension and statistical databases; and, finally, some lessons for a long-term policy on agricultural marketing development have been identified..

Govindrajan et al. (2006)[4] in an academic research paper, „Probability and Intensity of Farmers using Regulated Markets: A Tobit Approach‟, brings attention to the predicament faced by Indian farmers who are the targets of unfair commercial practices committed by commission agents, dealers, and local merchants. To protect farmers' interests in agri-markets, the government established regulated marketplaces to guarantee equitable and consistent trade practices. Consequently, the writers endeavor to examine the likelihood and level of farmers' involvement in regulated marketplaces. The Tobit Model was utilized to examine farmers' involvement in regulated markets for the sale of their agricultural products. The share of output that is disposed of in regulated markets is the dependent variable in this analysis. The independent variables are the price ratio between regulated markets and farm gate, farm size, marketed surplus, educational attainment, and the number of times the regulated market functionaries canvass a farm. Cross-sectional data gathered from the farmers in the Erode district served as the study's foundation. 160 farmers who were chosen at random from the notified region of the regulated markets are given a questionnaire. The findings indicated that raising farmers' educational attainment was crucial to their participation. Another conclusion reached was that the District might have more regulated markets than just the ones that are now there, which would mean that there would be more human resources accessible.

Population and Sample for the Study

The current study focused on Agri Commodity traders in the Bikaner district. Initially, a comprehensive list of Agri Commodity traders residing in Bikaner was compiled. The total number of Agri Commodity traders in the Bikaner district amounted to 500.

Subsequently, a random selection process was employed to choose 250 traders from the district who were actively engaged in the Agri commodity business. These selected traders constituted the final sample for the study. Throughout the research, a concerted effort was made to ensure representation from all traders in Bikaner who were part of the study, ensuring a well-rounded selection of cases for examination.

Data Collection Process

The data collection process for this study was conducted with meticulous attention to detail. The primary tool employed for gathering information was a structured survey administered to merchants operating within the target market. This survey was meticulously designed to elicit relevant insights and perspectives from the participants, ensuring the acquisition of high-quality data essential for the study's objectives. Traders were directly contacted, with regular in-person visits whenever necessary, to ensure the questionnaire was effectively administered. Clear instructions related to the questionnaire were provided to traders, emphasizing the importance of their cooperation in the study.

Respondents were assured of the confidentiality of their identities, explicitly stated in the questionnaire, to uphold response uniformity and minimize bias. A data file was meticulously constructed for the filled questionnaires, and analytical tools such as frequencies and cross-tabulations were applied to identify and rectify any entry or coding errors.

Table- Distribution Of The Respondents On The Basis Of Their Responses To The Statement, "Rate The Technology Integration For Storage Efficiency During Peak Seasons And Slum Season.”

	Excellent	Good	Neutral	Poor	Very Poor
SACML	61	140	14	35	0
(NCML / NCMSL	44	91	57	58	0

 

Graph- Distribution of the respondents on the basis of their responses to the statement, "Rate the technology integration for storage efficiency during peak seasons and slum season.”

Interpretation: Above table presents the results of traders' responses to the statement, "Rate the technology integration for storage efficiency during peak seasons and slump seasons." The responses were categorized into five distinct levels for evaluation. The findings suggest that a substantial number of traders (SACML-140, NCML-91) expressed that they highly agree with the excellent technology integration for storage efficiency during both peak and slump seasons for both companies. Conversely, a small number of traders (SACML-35, NCML-58) indicated that they consider this integration to be very poor.

The inception of this research endeavour was conceived with the intention of conducting a meticulous comparative analysis between two prominent private Agri-commodity warehousing entities, namely Star Agri Warehousing and Collateral Management Limited (SACML) and National Collateral Management Services Limited (NCML/NCMSL), both actively operating in the vibrant agricultural landscape of Bikaner, Rajasthan.

The overarching objective of this study is to delve into and address a set of pivotal inquiries, illuminating various dimensions of the Agri-commodity warehousing sector These inquiries includes a nuanced exploration of the marketing strategies employed by SACML and NCML/NCMSL, with a particular focus on their efficacy in enhancing the efficiency of goods storage during both peak and slump seasons, a comprehensive examination of the procurement strategies adopted by these companies for bulk storage of commodities, with a deliberate emphasis on a customer-centric orientation to enhance the overall experience for clientele, an in-depth analysis of the warehouse management frameworks implemented by SACML and NCML/NCMSL, intricately aligned with their distinctive marketing and procurement strategies, to provide a holistic understanding of their operational paradigms, an exploration of the additional facilities or services provided by Warehouse Service Providers (WSP) affiliated with these companies, transcending the conventional domains of warehousing and collateral management services.

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4. Rajesh Chadha, Davenport & Elumalai. “Competition & Regulatory Reform in Indian Agricultural Markets”. Paper prepared for: International Workshop, (Agricultural Trade Liberalization & Domestic Market Reforms in Indian Agriculture) sponsored by Australian Govt. Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research. June 2008.

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