Setting Management Style of a Cotton Farm - Essay Sample

Introduction

Despite cotton being a renewable natural resource, its future stands on the balance due to the vulnerability of the production process, contributed by such factors like environmental degradation, poor working conditions and unstable markets (Peshin, 2013). It, therefore, means that Cotton farmers must develop a plan that will address such issues. Application of the program will then generate a higher harvest. Different cotton framing groups have so far produced a practical solution to the good of cotton production. Apart from addressing the issues, the plan also promotes sustainable farming. An analysis of the BCI plan will help in understanding the best cotton farming management style. This work suggests the most appropriate cotton management style.

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Guidelines When Setting a Management Style for Coffee Farmers

Set Aims and Objectives

As Iqbal et al. (2016) indicate, a management plan only attains the intended purpose if the implementation team follows deliberate aim and objectives. A look at the BCI shows sample set targets for quality cotton. Therefore, good cotton farm management will require a well thought -out process with specific aims and objectives. The objects give the management team guidelines on how to run the process in their favor. Such targets could include the expected harvest from a given measure of a piece of land, anticipated quality of the cotton and sustainability.

A good cotton management plan also addresses issues like lack of farmer understanding of the farming process. The style should emphasize the benefits of constant engagement and capacity building of the farmers through such initiatives like training. Through the training, farmers understand to get to understaff the demands of cotton farming together with the importance of following set objectives (Iqbal et al., 2016).

Apply Better Cotton Production Principles

In cotton farming, production principles and criteria refer to the guidelines that ensure cotton farming produces the highest standard of the produce (Too & Weaver,2014). Cotton represents a vital cash crop for farmers and an economically valuable part of the total US economy with 35 million hectares of the US land under cotton cultivation (USDA, 2018). The vast engagement of cotton production in the country makes the use of a better management style prerequisite for the achievement of the target. For instance, a farm management team should develop rules that restrict easy access of the farmland to only the farmers and managers. The unit can also set principles that enhance the standard system. Peshin (2013) suggest that a good management style should reflect the environmental, social and economic challenges and highlight the best practices in cotton production. In some cases, the farm management team should organize transition phases; it requires to implement a new roll-out its principles and criteria.

Practice Sustainability in the Production Process

A good farm management style considers the sustainability of the specific project and faring activity in general. Such management style thus initiates practices that ensure continued production of cotton both on during short-term and continues production. The plan gives attention to what accumulation of a particular breed of cotton wastes on the farm would lead. The focus should, however, consider possible impacts both on people and the environment. The plan should provide for alternatives that offset the adverse social and environmental effects associated with cotton cultivation. A sustainable cotton farm management style should include initiatives like sufficient irrigation techniques, healthy cultivation practices, and proper use of pesticides and fertilizer. Sustainable farming principles applaud such management style due to their positive contribution to soil fertility, availability of clean water, biodiversity and human health. The technique should consider socio-economic impacts like working conditions for women workers. The style should also indicate how it will prevent cases of child and forced labor. Also, farmers and workers should generate their profits and earn their living from the activity without taking unacceptable risks (Downes et al., 2017).

Counter Environmental and Climate change

The world is experiencing severe environmental and climate change. One of the effects of the difference is the increased vulnerability of cotton production as they adversely affect the level of productivity of cotton (Reimer & Prokopy, 2014). A good cotton malmanagement style should provide for the system of performing analysis of the factor to assess the imminent risk and how they relate to cotton farming management strategies. The approach should ensure the reliability and validity of all proposals about management style. With the analysis, the management team can identify and confirm the existence of different causes of risks. The reports are then used by farmers who respond by planting cotton breeds that adapt to the perceived threats. The whole effect is a benefit of a prevented spread of the impact to farmers' livelihood which results from reduced income (Too & Weaver,2014).

Use of Better Agricultural Policies

A strong thought-out management style should place the dynamics in agricultural policies as the highest source of risk in cotton farming. The move helps in according the change enough attention. The attention helps to secure the future of farming activity. Under this strategy, the plan identifies issues of using blow standard tools or equipment including small dams and small turbine scheme for irrigation. In case of such matters, the program should have readily available solutions. Also, through the plan, farmers should be directed on how they can monitor the possible sources of risks and provide possible risk management strategies. The move triggers farmers to give their opinion on how to counter the causes of the dangers (Too & Weaver,2014).

The System Should Provide for Training of Farmers

Peshin (2013) acknowledges the fact that it is only through training that cotton farmers can achieve much regarding rotation, pest management, and sustainable planting. A good cotton management style should provide cotton farmers with competencies through training. The technique should set criteria for selecting who will pather with the farmers. The method should provide for regular capacity building support for the Partners to ensure that every staff has sufficient knowledge and skills to manage a cotton project. Such programs like cotton assurance plans enable a reduction in risks of false claims. With the support of like-minded associates including non-governmental organizations, companies, and cooperatives, the management style should as well set a target of what number it should train within a given timeline (Peshin, 2013).

Joint Effort Collaboration and Partnerships

A management style that targets success should jointly manage cotton farming. The approach makes it a requisite for the management team to work with organizations that form part of the chain of production, supply, and use of cotton. The team should engage in textile and fashion brands and civil society organizations that sustain the sector. The style should also cultivate collaborations and partnership with other organizations whose members are likely to create a robust global network to grow the production and uptake of good quality cotton (Too & Weaver,2014). By combining the efforts, farmers can continuously improve their farming practices.

Engage Group Management System

A good style should group farmers from small-scale to large-scale farmers in the same region. The method should provide for the regional manager helps the learning groups to master best practice techniques. A lead farmer will be responsible for each learning group. The leader farmer organizes training sessions for his group and creates forums to discuss their progress. The style should work towards a robust approach like the progressive helping farmers to raise productivity and improve their profits, in a way that is better for people and better for the environment.

Evaluating the Performance

Too and Weaver (2014) agree that it is only through evaluation an implementation team will know the effect of its program. This phase will thus provide insight if the strategies of stipulated by management style applied are improving the performance of the farmers. The stage includes taking records of the initial farmers understanding of cotton production. The implementor should take the survey at different phases from the start of the program, at the mid of the assessment and the end of the program. In a set period of evaluation, the style should singe out at least an achievement that makes the proud. The process should start again if the assessor notes that the farmers have not grasped the management concepts.

Conclusion

The success of cotton farming requires a good management style. The style should work to remedy the weakness of the farmers and improve their performance. During developing a guideline for management, the team should set the objectives of the process, provide packages that allow for such initiatives like training of farmers and engaging other stakeholders on the cotton chain. Periodic evaluation of the farmers will tell the team if it needs to find alternative management style.

References

Downes, S., Kriticos, D., Parry, H., Paull, C., Schellhorn, N., & Zalucki, M. P. (2017). A perspective on management of Helicoverpa armigera: transgenic Bt cotton, IPM, and landscapes. Pest management science, 73(3), 485-492. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.4461

Iqbal, M. A., Ping, Q., Abid, M., Kazmi, S. M. M., & Rizwan, M. (2016). Assessing risk perceptions and attitude among cotton farmers: A case of Punjab province, Pakistan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 16, 68-74. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420915301515

Peshin, R. (2013). Farmers' adaptability of integrated pest management of cotton revealed by a new methodology. Agronomy for sustainable development, 33(3), 563-572. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-012-0127-4

Reimer, A. P., & Prokopy, L. S. (2014). Farmer participation in US Farm Bill conservation programs. Environmental management, 53(2), 318-332. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026483771500112X

Too, E. G., & Weaver, P. (2014). The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance. International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 1382-1394. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026378631300094X