Semester 5

**Agricultural Value Chain Management** is the study of the complete journey of agricultural products from farm to market and how value is added at each stage. The course begins with an introduction to the concept and importance of value chains, distinguishing between supply chains and value chains. It then covers the input supply system including seeds, fertilizers, equipment and finance, followed by production and Good Agricultural Practices for crops and livestock. Students learn about proper harvesting and post-harvest handling such as cleaning, sorting, drying, storage and cold chain management to reduce losses. The next focus is on processing and value addition through packaging and quality control, then on marketing and market linkages including branding, pricing, contract farming and collective marketing. It also examines distribution and logistics, governance of chain actors, and the role of support services like finance and extension. Finally, the course emphasizes cross-cutting themes of sustainability, quality and safety, traceability, certification, and innovation using digital tools, enabling learners to map a value chain, identify bottlenecks, and design profitable, sustainable and inclusive linkages from input supply to the final consumer.