Farm to Fruit: Principles & Practices is an interdisciplinary academic book that presents agriculture as a connected system involving production, food science, vegetable science, processing, consumers, markets, finance, taxation, media, financial inclusion, and sustainable development. The book brings together contributions from ten professors belonging to different academic fields, with each chapter examining agriculture through the author’s area of specialization while remaining aligned with the central theme.
The book is edited by Dr. Raghvendra Singh and Dr. Ashish Srivastava, both associated with the Faculty of Agriculture and Allied Industries, Rama University. Their academic leadership provides the book with a strong agricultural foundation while encouraging multidisciplinary discussion and practical relevance.
The chapters explore scientific agricultural practices alongside value-chain development, circular economy, agricultural marketing, rural finance, accounting, taxation, consumer perspectives, and communication. This structure helps readers understand agriculture not only as a production activity but also as an economic, commercial, social, and institutional ecosystem.
Published by Govin Publication, the book is suitable for students, researchers, academicians, agricultural professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and readers from agriculture, management, commerce, finance, food science, and allied disciplines.
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Chapter 5
Daraksha Siddiqui is a research scholar in the Faculty of Commerce and Management, Rama University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, pursuing doctoral research in the field of financial inclusion. She also brings professional experience in admissions and academic relationship management, which has strengthened her understanding of institutional coordination, stakeholder engagement, communication, and service accessibility. Her academic interests include digital finance, rural development, financial inclusion, agricultural value chains, and technology-enabled financial systems.
As the author of Chapter 5, “Digital Finance in Farm Value Chains,” in Farm to Fruit: Principles & Practices, she examines how digital financial services can improve the efficiency, accessibility, and transparency of agricultural and fruit-based value chains. The chapter discusses digital transaction platforms, financial inclusion of small and marginal farmers, digital crop loans, technology-based credit assessment, crop insurance, and data-driven risk management. It also explains the role of Unified Payments Interface, electronic agricultural markets, and integrated digital-payment systems in connecting farmers, traders, suppliers, processors, and consumers. The chapter highlights how digital finance reduces transaction costs and delays, improves access to credit and insurance, strengthens market linkages, and supports inclusive and resilient agricultural development.
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