Jitender Kumar Bhatia

Production and Marketing Challenges of Potato Cultivation in Haryana, India

Contract farming is an agreement between farmers and processing and marketing firms for the production and supply of agricultural products under certain agreement, frequently at predetermined prices. In return, the firms are offered high price to the farmers against their farm produce. The basis of the relationship between the parties is a commitment on the part of the farmer to provide a specific commodity in quantities and in quality standards determined by the purchaser and an undertaking of the sponsor to support farmers’ production and to purchase the commodity (Ahmad and Awais, 2011).

Marketing pattern and price spread of fish in Haryana

The present study was carried out in the four divisions of Haryana state i.e. Gurugram (Gurgaon), Rohtak, Ambala and Hisar. From each division one district was selected on the basis of highest area and fish production. District Karnal, Kaithal, Hisar and Nuh (Mewat) were selected from each division. From each selected district, ten wholesalers and ten retailers of involved in fish marketing were selected from each market. The Channel-III (Producer → Consumer) was found most efficient with the marketing efficiency 17.2, followed by Channel-II (Producer →Retailer →Consumer) and Channel-I (Producer →Wholesaler →Retailer → Consumer) with marketing efficiency of 4.42 and 1.36 respectively. The Channel-III was found most efficient due to direct marketing by producers and very low marketing cost incurred thereon, but quantity of fish disposed off through this channel was on a limited scale. As far as marketing patterns was concerned, more than 70 per cent fish disposed of through Channel-I (Producer → Wholesaler →Retailer →Consumer) whereas the fish producers received maximum share in consumer rupees through Channel-III (direct marketing by producers). Thus study concluded that there is pressing need to minimize or standardized the marketing functionaries between fish producers and consumers so that both fish producers as well as consumers could be directly benefited.

Marketing of Cucumber Cultivated under Poly House in Haryana

The study revealed that producers obtained maximum share in consumer rupee (93.46 percent) from direct marketing of cucumber which may be due to non-existence of market intermediaries between producers and consumers. Whereas least share in consumers rupee (62.67 percent) were observed in Channel-II which may due to large number of middlemen involved in marketing chain of cucumber. As far as marketing efficiency was concerns, Channel-I was found most efficient among all other marketing channels. Lack of poly house/crop insurance schemes to mitigate the risk arising due to damage of crop/structure (84.00 per cent), followed by attack of insect and pest as well as nematodes (80.00 per cent), supply of inferior poly-house materials/lack of advice from service providers (80.00 per cent) were found most prominent constraints in the production of cucumber under poly house, whereas, lack of market information about prices and demand in different markets (80.67 per cent), non-remunerative prices of produce (76.00 per cent) were observed some of the marketing constraints. Keeping in view all the aspects, there is need to provide more support to realize full potential by development of efficient market infrastructure, providing liberal financial support at low interest rate. Poly house enterprises should be treated as agricultural rather than commercial entity. So that emerging poly house enterprise proved to be more profitable for the farmers of the state.

Marketing Behaviour and Constraints in Marketing of Poplar (Poplus deltoids) in Haryana

Agro-forestry is primarily aimed at running the basic needs of food, fuel, fodder and timber besides, helping the farmer in increasing productivity and sustainability of production, particularly from marginal agricultural land. There are global crisis for energy and agro forestry provides and alternate sources of energy. Trees supply cheap sources of fuel wood. Therefore, the study was conducted in Yamunanagar district of Haryana, which was selected purposively on basis of maximum area and production under poplar plantation. The study revealed that the total cost incurred by the producer/seller was T79.57 per quintal of produce. The major item of marketing cost borne by producer was commission fees, market fees, transportation and unloading charges. Further, it was observed that problems faced by the poplar growers in marketing of poplar were problem in direct marketing, high marketing cost, lack of support price, frequent price fluctuations and malpractices adopted by market functionaries in weighment of produce as well as during grading of produce in different categories.

Economic and Land Use Evaluation of Barley Based Intercropping Systems

A field experiment was conducted at CCSHAU, Hisar during the Rabi season of 2013–14 in thrice replicated randomized block design with thirteen treatments to evaluate the intercropping of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)with mustard, chickpea and fenugreek with different row ratio in replacement series. Results revealed that barley seed yield was reduced more drastically in barley + mustard intercropping compared to barley intercropped with chickpea and fenugreek. Among intercropping treatments, barley + mustard (6:3) proved most economical barley based intercropping system having maximum barley equivalent yield (7936 kg ha−1, net return (66333 ha−1), B:C ratio (2.90), net return per day (451.2), RNRI (1.57), profit margin (65.5) and IAI (+1798.5) followed by barley + fenugreek (6:3) with highest values of LER (1.32), LEC (0.42), ATER (1.28), LUE (129.8per cent), SPI (66.2), MAI (18508 ha−1), MER (1.31) and IER (1.34). Among different row patterns, barley intercropped with either of the intercrop at 6:3 row ratio provided best performance. Hence, barley + mustard (6:3) intercropping system can be a best option to get more monetary return and resource use efficiency compared to their monocultures.