question_answer 9)

What are the alternative channels available for agricultural marketing? Give some examples.

Answer:

Previously, farmers used to sell their products to traders who used to exploit them by faulty weighing and manipulation of accounts and also paid lower price to the farmers. If farmers directly sell their product to consumers, it increases their incomes due to elimination of intermediaries. Thus, alternative marketing channels were developed to bring the farmers in direct contact with the consumers. Some examples of these channels are Apni Mandi (Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan); Hadaspar Mandi (Pune); Rythu Bazars (vegetable and fruit markets in Andhra Pradesh) and Uzhavar Sandier (farmers markets in Tamil Nadu). (i) Further, several national and multinational fast food chains are increasingly entering into contracts/alliances with farmers to encourage them to cultivate farm products (vegetables, fruits, etc) of the desired quality by providing them with not only seeds and other inputs but also assured procurement of the products at pre decided prices Such arrangements help in reducing the price risks of farmers and expand [he markets for farm products.