Marketing of Agricultural Products in Orissa A Case Study of Selected Regulated Markets

Abstract

India is predominantly an agricultural economy. Agriculture continues to be the newlineengine of its growth and development. Odisha is also an agriculture based state. newlineAgriculture contributes about 30 per cent to the net domestic product of the newlinestate. As per 2011 census, more than 73 per cent of its population, directly or newlineindirectly, depends on agriculture. Therefore, a strong foundation of agriculture newlineis necessary for sustained and rapid growth of the state. But this will not be newlinepossible unless there is a socio-economic development in the life of the farmers. newlineFarmers today in Odisha are not so much ignorant about the methods and newlinetechnology of cultivation as they are about the marketing of their products. newlineBeing oblivious of the complexities of the modern marketing system, they have newlinebeen exploited by the unscrupulous middlemen. A mere call to produce more newlinewithout providing an efficient marketing machinery which could assume a fair newlinereturn to the producer-seller carries no conviction with the farmer. Developing newlineRegulated Markets is a significant step in this direction. newline