CONSTRAINTS OF FARMERS IN MARKETING OF COCOA PRODUCTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO POLLACHI TALUK. COIMBATORE DIST, TAMILNADU, INDIA

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1 CONSTRAINTS OF FARMERS IN MARKETING OF COCOA PRODUCTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO POLLACHI TALUK. COIMBATORE DIST, TAMILNADU, INDIA Dr.R.UMAMAHESWARI 1 B.VIGNESH 2 1 Associate Professor, PG and Research Department of Management Science, Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College, Pollachi. 2 Student, PG and Research Department of Management Science, Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College, ABSTRACT Pollachi This study studies the constraints of farmers in production and marketing of cocoa products in Pollachi Taluk, Coimbatore District, TN, India. There are problems is cultivation as well as marketing of cocoa products. The present study has been taken to bring out the issues faced by the farmers in marketing of cocoa. Most of the farmers are small famers and they are financially poor they are cultivating this as intercrop. Farmers face crop loss from pests and diseases. Marketing strategies are very poor they are dominated by private players who are making bulk purchases. They face lack of support of storage facilities, technical advice, inadequate loan facilities, wide fluctuation in price, exploitation by middle men, lack of organized market etc.,. Hence this study is undertaken to study the constraints faced by farmers and to analyze their marketing issues. The primary objective is to study the To study the marketing problems faced by the cocoa cultivating farmers in Pollachi area. It is a qualitative and empirical research. Convenient sampling is used to collect data from a sample of 120 respondents. The collected data was analyzed using tools like percentage analysis, Chi Square test. Keywords: cocoa farmers, marketing constraints, cultivation, crop, Chi Square. INTRODUCTION Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and 58 percent of India s rural population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture is one of the main contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India. Indian economy is an agrarian economy with more than 75% of its people living in village is depending upon agriculture and allied activities. In Tamil Nadu, 56% of population is depending on Agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood. The standard of living of the rural people depends on the agricultural development. The standard of living of the people depending on agriculture needs up liftment on par with people depending on industrial sector whose life standard is being improved because of dynamic industrial growth in Tamil Nadu. The Government is taking efforts to attain sustainable agricultural development by bringing agriculture as a commercial venture by switching over from the present method of cultivation through adoption of new scientific method of cultivation to increase the productivity to manifold, value addition, processing and utilization of marketing opportunities Cocoa cultivation is becoming increasingly popular with farmers in Tamil Nadu due to its rising demand across the country and abroad. To meet the increasing demand of cocoa seeds, more and more farmers here are taking to cocoa cultivation as an "inter" crop along with coconut to double their incomes icmrrjournal@gmail.com

2 To bridge the demand supply gap in cocoa seeds in the country, a major chocolate manufacturing company in the private sector has signed an agreement with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to identify the area for the production of cocoa and carry out other research associated with its increased yield. Demand for cocoa beans depends upon the nature and extend of the demand for cocoa-based products in the country or aboard. The cocoa trade in India consists of two markets, known as the wet bean and dry bean markets. COCOA PRODUCTION IN INDIA: There are three major variant groups of cocoa namely, Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario. Among them the forastero type is the one that is commercially grown all over the world. Forastero type will have red or reddish violet color for its tender leaves and fruits will be comparatively smaller. Green fruits are one of its peculiarities. When it grows ripe it gets yellow color. The tender leaves of criollo type will have either white colour or light reddish colour. The fruit will be bigger and red in colour. When it is ripe it will be orange in colour. There are other types of cocoa, which have derived either from forastero' or from cross pollination between forastero and criollo.18 The Trinitario populations are considered to be from Forasteros although they are descended from a cross combination between Criollo and Forastero. In International market criollo type has more demand and price. Its aroma, taste and special features are the reasons. But its overall production is only in a small scale. Cultivation practices vary according to climate, soil, labour availability etc. However, there are a few basic practices and principles to be adopted for the successful cultivation of cocoa. Cocoa is planted as a pure crop in forest areas by thinning and regulating the shade. But it can be grown advantageously, as an n inter crop in arecanut as well as coconut gardens. Raising of Cocoa as a pure crop is not recommended especially in Kerala due to high pressure on land. Cocoa is planted as an intercrop in coconut and arecanut gardens. Cocoa is a crop of the tropics. In India cocoa is mainly cultivated in the Southern parts for the last 40 years. Most of the cocoa plantations in Kerala, Karnataka, Tarnil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are mixed gardens along with arecanut and coconutpalms.inafew cases,it isgrown in forest cleanings. Due to the high nutritional value, good taste and flavour, cocoa products have got a good demand. Kerala ranked first in production, accounting for 31 per cent of area and 52 per cent of the production in India. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the other cocoa growing states. In Kerala, the crop is now cultivated in an area of ha with an annual production of 6100 tones and productivity of 685 kg/ha. The productivity of cocoa was low (500 Kg/ha) in despite increase in area and no improvement since last five years was seen in terms of cocoa productivity. In India, the consumption of the cocoa based confectioneries are highly dependent on the upper and middle income classes of urban and rural areas. A s the Indian middle class is growing and becoming more and more affluent, the disposable income has also increased. This class of people are shifting from traditional 'mithai' to the more exotic chocolates. The real income of these sections are destined to grow over time and along with this trend, the consumption of confectioneries and 'fad' foods is bound to increase. The same is the case of the new rural rich, who are becoming increasingly educated and urbanized icmrrjournal@gmail.com

3 The increase in the income of households and purchasing power has changed life-styles and tastes. The wider access to the markets with the spread of television and an efficient distribution network, has made the product easily, several new chocolate products have come into the market recently. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Various constraints are militating against the cultivation as well as marketing of cocoa products. The cocoa farmers are facing many problems. Most of the farmers are small famers and they are financially poor they are cultivating this as intercrop. They face crop loss from pests and diseases, poor marketing strategies, lack of support of storage facility, lack of technical advice. and they are dominated by private players who are making bulk purchases. Hence this study is undertaken to study the constraints faced by cocoa farmers. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To study the marketing problems faced by the cocoa cultivating farmers in Pollachi area. 2. To study the demographic profile of the cocoa farmers. 3. To Identify the problems in cultivation of cocoa HYPOTHESIS 1. To find out whether there is any significant association between the area of cultivation and maximum profit. 2. To find out the association between satisfaction in method of pricing and price of cocoa beans per kg LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Due to time and cost constraints, the study is confined only to 120 samples of respondents Study is limited to Pollachi Taluk only, therefore generalization may not be possible. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The studies conducted by R.V.Nair,V.K. Mallika,andM.Swapna (2015) A Procedure for Top working in cocoa.national research Centre of spices reported Cocoa is inter planted in alternate rows at a spacing of 5.4 m x2.7m when cocoa is to be raised as an intercrop in coconut gardens. There can be an average of 200 cocoa plants per acre. A Study on 'Cocoa, farmers diary, conducted by Cadbury India ltd, Bombay, reported The important inputs in cocoa cultivation are organic manures, chemical fertilizers, irrigation and pesticides, insecticides. In spite of intensive research, no clear guidelines on the manuring of cocoa are available. Experiments have shown that the adequate quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur are essential for cocoa growth. Ajay Verma(2012) in his paper discussed the importance ofmarket, marketing, and export performance of cocoa in the world market. He concluded that Indian cocoa have more export potential than other crops icmrrjournal@gmail.com

4 METHODOLOGY RESEARCH DESIGN: It is a qualitative research, which is concerned with qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind and also it is empirical research relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory. It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or experiment. Data and Sampling method: The data is collected from 120 respondents in Pollachi Taluk of Tamilnadu through a structured questionnaire by Face-to-Face interview and observation method. Convenience sampling technique is used in this study. TOOLS OF ANALYSIS The tools used are: Percentage Analysis Chi-square Analysis RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Percentage Analysis 1. AGE GROUP OF RESPONDENTS S.No Age No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Below 25 years years years Above 45 years ANNUAL INCOME OF THE RESPONDENTS S.No Annual income No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Below Rs.2 Lakh Rs.2-4 Lakh Rs.4-8 Lakh Above Rs5 Lakh INCOME SOURCES OF THE RESPONDENTS S.No Income sources No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Agriculture only Agriculture with business activity Agriculture with allied activity Others icmrrjournal@gmail.com

5 4. AWARENESS ABOUT COCOA CULTIVATION S.No Awareness about cocoa No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Through family Friends and farmers Agriculture officers Media COCOA CULTIVATION PRACTICES S.No Cultivation practices No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Through family Other farmer s Farmers enhancement program Agricultural officers REASONS FOR THE PROBLEMS IN GETTING GUIDANCE S.No Reasons for the Problems No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Lack of agricultural officer Lack of study material Lack of government support Others AREA OF CULTIVATION OF COCOA S.No Area of cultivation of cocoa No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Below 5 acres acres acres Above 25 acres icmrrjournal@gmail.com

6 8. YEARS OF ENGAGEMENT IN COCOA CULTIVATION S.No Engaged in Cultivation No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Less than 5 years years years Above 20 years FIRST YIELD OF PLANT S.No Plant first yield No. of Respondents Percentage 1 After 1 year After 2 year After 3 year After 4 year PATTERN OF HARVESTING S.No Harvesting No. of Respondents Percentage 1 On daily basis On weekly basis Fortnight On monthly basis MAXIMUM PROFIT EARN PER ACRE S.No Profit earn per month No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Below Rs Rs10001 Rs Rs15001 Rs Above Rs PRICE OF COCOA BEANS PER KG S.No Price of cocoa No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Below Rs Rs.101 to Rs Rs.201 to Rs Above Rs icmrrjournal@gmail.com

7 13. REASON FOR DISSATISFACTION IN PRICING S.No Reason for dissatisfaction in pricing method No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Low price No consultation by officials No price control among farmers Total TYPE OF SUBSIDIES S.No Type of subsidies No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Financial Raw material Fertilizer Machinery Others Total PROBLEM FACED IN TRANSPORTATION S.No Problem faced No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Yes No TYPE OF PROBLEM FACED IN TRANSPORTATION S.No Type of Problem faced No. of Respondents Percentage 1 High rent Non availability of vehicle Poor infrastructure Others 02 6 Total SOURCE OF MARKET FOR COCOA BEANS S.No Source of market No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Private players Commission agent Retail traders Wholesalers icmrrjournal@gmail.com

8 18. DESIRE TO SELL YOUR PRODUCT S.No Desire to sell product No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Private agencies Government agencies Cooperative cottage industry Commission agent Others MARKETING FACILITIES OFFERED BY BUYER S.No Marketing facilities No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Cropping finance Transport arrangement Market information Packing material MAXIMUM DIFFICULTY S.No Maximum difficulty No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Scale adjustments Rejection of beans Theft Birds TYPES OF PROBLEMS IN STORING OF COCOA S.No Problem No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Lack of storage houses High rent Location of storage house Others 01 8 Total icmrrjournal@gmail.com

9 22. KIND OF PROBLMS IN DRYING OF COCOA S.No Kind of Problem No. of Respondents Percentage 1 Wet climate Lack of own place Duration Total HARVESTING AND PACKING CHARGES S.No Charges No. of Respondents Percentage 1 High Normal Low CHI SQUARE Hypothesis 1: To find out the association between the area of cultivation and maximum profit. Null hypothesis: H0=There is no significantassociation between area of cultivation and maximum profit. Alternative hypothesis: H1=There is a significant association between area of cultivation and maximum profit. TEST RESULT Calculated X 2 value: Degree of freedom: 9 Table value: Five percent level: INTERPRETATION Since the calculated X 2 value (52.25) is greater than the table value (16.92) at 5% level of significance. So the Null hypothesis is rejected. Hence it can concluded that there is significant association between area of cultivation and maximum profit. Hypothesis 2: To find out the association between the satisfaction in method of pricing and price of cocoa beans per kg. Null hypothesis:h0=there is no significant association between satisfaction in method of pricing and price of cocoa beans per kg. Alternate hypothesis: H1=There is a significant association between satisfaction in method of pricing and price of cocoa beans per kg. Test Result Calculated X 2 value: Degree of freedom: 3 Table value: Five percent level: icmrrjournal@gmail.com

10 INTERPRETATION Since the calculated X 2 value (40.27) is greater than the table value (9.49) at 5% level of significance. So the Null hypothesis is rejected. Hence it can be concluded that there is significant association between satisfaction in method of pricing and price of cocoa beans per kg. CONCLUSION Cocoa cultivation is increasing day by day in Pollachi and nearby areas, even though problems like drought, poor pricing method, lack of agricultural officers, and lack of farmer development scheme, monopolistic competitions, lack of government intervention in cocoa farming, restrict farmers to involve in cocoa cultivation. So the necessary changes should be made in pricing policies to increase the price of cocoa and government has to maximize its involvement in cocoa cultivation for the welfare and development of farmers by providing them with subsidies. They should also protect farmers from being exploited by the private agents. Instead of private players government has to procure cocoa directly from farmers. REFERENCES JOURANALS: Kissan world Advertising express Journal of marketing Journal of contemporary research Passumaivikkatan WEBSITE: farmer.gov.in icmrrjournal@gmail.com