Marketing efficiency and constraints analysis of fresh mango in Malda District, West Bengal

The present study analyses the marketing efficiency, price spread, spatial price difference and marketing constraints of fresh mango in Malda district of West Bengal. Basically primary data were used. A total of 120 samples (60 farmers and 60 intermediaries) have been selected. A sample of sixty farmers were surveyed by three stage stratified random sampling method. In order to identify the major marketing channels as well as all intermediaries, two markets were purposively selected based on convenience i.e. Englishbazar Regulated Market (Malda) and Siliguri Regulated Market (Darjeeling). A total of sixty samples for market intermediaries were taken randomly. However, seven predominant channels were identified practising in the marketing system. Among these, four major channels which accounted for about 80 per cent of the total procurement in the district were selected for major commercial varieties grown in the district. Marketing efficiency was worked out by employing Acharya's Modified Marketing Efficiency method. Producer's share in consumer's rupees was highest in Channel-I (80 per cent) as compared to Channel-III (57 per cent). The constraints analysis using Garrett ranking techniques revealed that large number of market intermediaries involved in the marketing channels (Garrett score 69), faulty method of sale (Garrett score 67) and lack of infrastructural facilities (Garrett score 60.3) were identified as first, second and third major constraints in the study area respectively. Co-operative model of marketing should be promoted to improve marketing efficiency by direct selling of produce to consumer in all parts of the country.