Journal of Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences

Adiel N. Mbabu and Andy Hall (Eds.) (2012) Capacity Building for Agricultural Research and Development: Lessons from Practice in Papua New Guinea, 274pp; United Nation University- Maastricht Economic and Social Research and Training Centre on Innovation and Technology (UNUMERIT), Maastricht: The Netherlands.

Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth (b- 1952) started his career as Lecturer at Post Graduate Department of Economics, Government College Gurdaspur and later at Khalsa College; Amritsar specializes in Quantitative and Development Economics. He has the distinction of serving the prestigious Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana for more than two decades (1981-2000) and remained Director-Principal of Saint Soldier Management and Technical Institute Jalandhar. Currently, he is heading Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies, Amritsar- a multidisciplinary research institute.

A recipient of Cultural Doctorate of Philosophy of Economics from the World University, Arizona, USA is an active member of various professional bodies, namely, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Agricultural Economics Research Association and so on and participated in various national/regional seminars, conferences etc.. He remained member of the Academic Council of Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. An unwearied researcher has about 200 research papers published in various international and national journals of repute and ten research monographs to his kitty. Besides, he has authored/co-authored /edited 15 books which have been well received and highly acclaimed during his three decades of professional career. Recently he has given facilitated with National Teacher Award by NEFD Chennai. He has also been honoured by various awards, namely, Guru Draunacharya Samman, Vijay Rattan Award and so on. He has been member of editorial board of various national and international journals and has produced more than ten M. Phil students and four are doing research leading to award of Ph. D degree.

Dr Kainth undertook in-depth analysis in the varied domain of economic development in general and agricultural development in particular at regional level. He made a useful attempt at sketching the anatomy of economic development of Punjab. His careful venture in the area of agricultural export not only offers as a timely tome but also boldly addresses some of the nagging doubts and growing dilemmas facing policy planers and authorities alike. His diagnostic studies of farmers-producers lead to better understanding of development of market structure- an important pre requisite to successful agricultural operation. Rigorous yet lucid analysis of information of non economic factors on production pattern amply demonstrated that the technological innovation can ensure the freedom from the clutches of the weather vagaries is a myth. His careful probing into a micro unit of farmer’s experience contradicts the doom Sayers for they expose an optimistic reality whose lessons can and should reshape future thought and action.