Role of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Karad in Price Behavior of Jaggery

India is the largest producer of sweeteners including sugar and jaggery. Jaggery is the traditional product of sugarcane. Since ancient times, jaggery has been an important item of food and even today. The Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board runs 295 APMCs. The APMC, Karad was established on 01.01.1944 with main market yard at Karad spread over 15.60 hectors and sub- market yard at Masur spread over 1.51 hectors. The major commodities traded are wheat, jowar, maize, rice, soyabean, jaggery, mango, sapota, pomegranates, grapes and other cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables. The APMC, Karad created the facilities of auction hall, auction platform, banks, black boards, bore well, canteen, canteen shed, cold storage, compound hall, internet, etc. Jaggery manufacturing is an important cottage industry in sugarcane growing regions of Maharashtra. The jaggery manufacturers are mostly small and marginal relying on quick returns from jaggery. The monthwise time series data on arrivals and prices of Jaggery over the time period of 2009-10 to 2018-19 were collected from the official records of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Karad. The collected data were analysed to workout the trends, growth rates, seasonal indices and variability in arrivals and prices of jaggery. The study revealed that The arrivals of jaggery in APMC, Karad decelerated over the time period. The maximum arrivals of jaggery in APMC, Karad were observed in winter season. In the case of price indices, it was maximum during the month of March (103.00) followed by December (101.00) and minimum prices in July (41.70). There existed inverse non-significant relationship between arrivals and prices of jaggery during April, and December to January.