An Analytical Study of Cultivation and Marketing of Mangoes in Ratnagiri District

Abstract

Mango is the king of fruits. Everyone likes mango. Mango is demanded all over the world. In the world of LPG and with the commencement of the age of information technology, the all-round information about the mango has reached all over the world and resulted in increase in demand for mango all over the world. The alphonso variety in Konkan region in general and Ratnagiri district in particular is the mango variety demanded all over the world. Mangoes and mango products from Konkan region in general and Ratnagiri district in particular are demanded in national as well as international market. newlineThe Ratnagiri district has favourable environment i.e. proper agro-climatic surroundings, huge domestic market and cheap labour availability etc. for the mango business. The mango is one of the major cash crops of the district. Many people from the district are engaged in mango cultivation and marketing. From the year 1990-91, the Government of Maharashtra has undertaken massive programme of plantation of horticulture crops under the Employment Guarantee Scheme. A huge number of mango growers from the Ratnagiri district have taken benefit of the scheme. The Government has declared Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad and Thane districts as agri-export zone specifically for alphonso mangoes newlineMango growers and distributors from the Ratnagiri district have ample opportunity to develop their mango business worldwide. To find out the present situation of the mango business in the Ratnagiri district, the socio-economic conditions of the different mango business stakeholders, in particular, mango growers, mango pre-harvest contractors, mango distributors, mango processors and mango consumers, different activities related with the mango business carried out by the mango business stakeholders, cost of establishment and operation and maintenance of the mango orchard, different marketing channels used, distribution system, mango processing and the major problems faced by the mango business stakeholders in the Ratnagiri district in cultivation a