Marketing Management in Farmers' Commodity Interest Groups - A Case in Maharashtra
Loading...
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UAS, Dharwad
Abstract
A Farmers’ Commodity Interest Group (FCIG) is a self managed, independent
group of farmers with shared goal and interest. The need of the hour is to explore the
enterprising ability of the Indian farmers and their ways of working in team,
utilization of available resources and effective management of the respective groups.
The study was carried out in Vidarbha and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra and
tabular analysis different business performance ratios were employed to analyse the
data. The study revealed that, line type of organizational structure was seen in FCIGKatol,
Warud and Kalameshwar, while in FCIG-Rawer line and staff type of structure
was observed. When cost involved in pooling of commodity is concerned, it was
found that, FCIG-Katol incurred 2.50 lakhs, FCIG-Warud, Kalameshwar and Rawer
incurred 2.21 lakhs, 63,200 and 47,500, respectively. The total cost of value
addition in FCIG-Katol, Warud, Kalameshwar and Rawer was 8.33 lakhs, 9.13
laks, 3.41 lakhs and 5.50 lakhs, respectively. When it comes to marketing
activities, farmers’ meeting and exhibitions were carried out in less number and the
costs incurred in marketing of commodities were 4,472.50, 4,717.81, 4,615.10
and 3,715.70 per tonne, respectively for the FCIGs considered. The total cost of
business in the above FCIGs was of the order of 19,975.20, 24,027.89,
23,394.84 and 38,217.37 per tonne. The net returns after deducting all the
expenses found to be 50,849.80, 48,472.11, 52,440.16 and 46,781.63 per
tonne respectively. Socioeconomic status of the farmer, high cost transportation and
proximity to market were the major problems encountered by the farmer members of
the FCIGs. As the FCIGs are free of tax, the farmers who are not part of any farmers’
association can involve themselves in such profitable organizations to improve their
income level and standard of living.