Agricultural marketing system is an efficient way by which the farmers can dispose their surplus produce at a fair and reasonable price.
“Agricultural marketing comprises all operations involved in the movement of farm produce from the producer to the ultimate consumer. Thus, agricultural marketing includes the operations like collecting, grading, processing, preserving, transportation and financing.”
An efficient agricultural marketing is essential for the development of the agriculture sector. It provides outlets and incentives to increase production, the marketing system contribute greatly to commercialize the subsistence farmers. Today the worldwide trend is to encourage direct farmer sales and promote contract farming. Today there is a need to integrate farm production and retail chains. There is a necessity to integrate farm production with national and international markets and to enable farmers to undertake market oriented production plan and adoption of modern marketing practices.
Normally, we can say that the agricultural marketing is the study of all the activities, agencies and policies involved in the production by the farmers and the movement of agricultural products from the farms to the consumers.
The agricultural marketing system is a link between the farm and the non-farm sectors. A growing, agricultural field requires various things from the non-farm area, such as fertilizers, pesticides, farm equipments, machinery, diesel, electricity and repair services etc. The expansion in the size of farm output again requires transportation, storage, milling or processing, packaging and retailing to the consumers. Agricultural marketing plays an important role not only in stimulating production and consumption, but in accelerating the pace of economic development also.
1. The Co-Operative marketing where marketing societies are formed by farmers to sell the output collectively to take the advantage of collective bargaining for obtaining a better price.
2. In order to ensure a fair and satisfactory market for agricultural produce, a good number of regulated outlets should be set up throughout for removing the practice of exploitation of farmers by the middlemen.
3. Weights and measures are to be modernized.
4. Encourage the contact farming as to set free the farmers from the clutches of moneylenders who often force them to go for distress sale of their output.
5. Betterments of storage and transport facilities.
6.Updated information to the farmers about prices and marketing operations.
7.Any increase in the efficiency of the marketing process, which results in lower costs of distribution at lower prices to consumers, always brings about an increase in the national income.
8.A reduction in the cost of marketing is a direct benefit to the society.
9.Marketing process brings a new varieties, qualities and beneficial goods to the consumers and therefore, marketing acts as a line between production and consumption.
10. Scientific and systematic marketing stabilizes the price level.
11. An improved marketing system can stimulate the growth of number of agro based processing industries.
12. A marketing system can become a direct source of new technical knowledge and influence farmers to adopt updated scientific methods of cultivation. Therefore, marketing is playing an important role in the economic development and stability of a country's economy.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT
WE ALL (INTERESTED) TOGETHER WILL PLAN A UNIQUE BRAND AND MARKETING PLAN AS TO ESTABLISH SMALLER TO BIGGER OUTLETS IN VILLAGE TO METROS TO PROMOTE ALL VILLAGE PRODUCE.
It is proposed to plan and set up under mentioned three systems which works parallel to achieve all above :
1. Common Selling Platform : Common Selling Platform is nothing but one social business enterprise which will organize the agriculture marketing specifically natural and organic produce along with the routine produce to meet and sort out all above. There are so many ways to form this. To be discussed among us.
2. Mutually Aided Co-Operative Society / Producer Organization : It is proposed to form a Mutually Aided Co-Operative Society / mega Producer Organization which to address all village produce which organizes the Training, Establishment and Marketing (with support of Common Selling Platform and NGO) which always supports and be as mentor to the marketing outlets, food processing units, farming and live stock managements, Self Help Groups, handlooms and village crafts.
3. NGO / Society : It need One NGO or Society to co-ordinate all above. NGO or Society will co-ordinate the things related to the objectives of Common Selling Platform and MAC Society / Producer Organization. Undertakes the awareness and training programmes for the Training, Establishment and Marketing to the marketing outlets, food processing units, farming and live stock managements, Self Help Groups, handlooms and village crafts by attracting the CSR, Government institutions. This can be taken up by “ Grama Bharathi”.
