Agricultural Marketing in Marathwada A Case Study with reference to Food Grains Marketing in Latur and Jalna Districts

Abstract

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy because of its high share in employment and livelihood creation. The share of agriculture in the gross domestic product has registered a steady decline yet this sector provides direct employment to more than fifty percent of total workforce in the country and a large proportion of the population depends upon agro-based industries and trade of agriculture products. It is also an important source of raw material and demand for many industrial products, particularly fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural implements and a variety of consumer goods contribute significantly to the exports. However, the growth of agriculture over a period of time remained lower than the growth in non-agriculture sectors. newlineAgricultural marketing covers the services involved in moving an agricultural product from the farm to the consumer. Numerous interconnected activities are involved in doing this, such as planning production, growing and harvesting, grading, packing, transport, storage, agro and food processing, distribution, advertising and sale. Some definitions would even include the acts of buying supplies, renting equipment, paying labor, arguing that marketing is everything a business does. Such activities cannot take place without the exchange of information and are often heavily dependent on the availability of suitable finance. newlineMarketing systems are dynamic; they are competitive and involve continuous change and improvement. Businesses that have lower costs, are more efficient, and can deliver quality products, are those that prosper. Those that have high costs, fail to adapt to changes in market demand and provide poorer qualities are often forced out of business. Marketing has to be customer-oriented and has to provide the farmer, transporter, trader, newline3 newlineprocessor, etc. with a profit. This requires those involved in marketing chains to understand buyer requirements, both in terms of product and business conditions. newlineA Study of Agricultural Marketing: newlineA study of the agricultural marke