Marketing and Price Spread Analysis of Moringa in Tamil Nadu, India
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Horticulture International Journal Research Article Open Access Marketing and price spread analysis of moringa in Tamil Nadu, India Abstract Volume 2 Issue 4 - 2018 The export of Moringa leaves is a big business in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, N Venkatesan,1 C Sekhar,2 M Murugananthi,3 Karnataka and Odisha. The major countries which import Moringa leaves are China, 2 U.S.A., Germany, Canada, South Korea and European countries. Though the existing A Vidhyavathi 1Research Scholar, Department of Social Sciences, Agricultural arrangements for marketing of farm produce are appreciable, there could be some gap College and Research Institute, India in Institutional linkages and hence an attempt has been made to assess the existing 2Department of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural marketing practices prevalent in respect of Moringa farmers of Southern Tamil Nadu. University, India The study has found out that the traders of Moringa are accounted to be around 255 in 3Department of Agricultural and Rural Management, TNAU, numbers whom are spread in 17 states of India. Among the 17 states, Tamil Nadu is India the forerunner with large number of traders whom are exclusively dealing the different produce of Moringa. They are coming under the category of Manufacturer cum Correspondence: C Sekhar and A Vidhyavathi, Department Exporter or the Wholesalers and Distributors of Moringa produce. Tamil Nadu is alone of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, blessed with 149 traders whom are accounted for 58 per cent to the total number of Coimbatore – 641 003, India, Email [email protected] traders available in the country revealed indirectly that the Tamil Nadu is the potential Received: May 28, 2018 | Published: August 31, 2018 pocket for resource mobilization for trading in respect of Moringa followed by Gujarat is accounted for 14 per cent. Tamil Nadu is blessed with 4 important trading centers for Moringa produce. They are Udangudi of Thoothukkudi District; Aundipatti of Theni District; Aravakkurichi of Karur District and Oddanchatram of Dindigul District. In respect of Fresh Moringa (Drumstick), there were three marketing channels through which the fresh Moringa pods were distributed to the ultimate consumers. In respect of value added products of Moringa, there were three channels involved in distribution of the produce to the ultimate consumers. Among the three channels, two are domestically operating pathways and the one is devoted for export of Moringa produce. Among the three channels of Fresh Moringa pods, the Channel – I was found to be efficient with respect to addition of higher share to the producers. The supply and value chain in respect of Moringa are not well defined and regulated and are distributed to the needy through some middlemen. Being the demand oriented and high revenue earner, the regulated supply and value chain becomes important. Keywords: marketing of moringa, value addition of moringa, marketing channels, price spread, marketing efficiency Introduction per ha. Among the different states, Andhra Pradesh leads in both area and production (15,665ha) followed by Tamil Nadu (13042ha) Moringa leaves have been reported to be a rich source of and Karnataka (10,280ha). In other states, it occupies an area of β-carotene, protein, vitamin C, calcium and potassium and act as 4,613ha. Tamil Nadu is the pioneering state as it has varied genotypes a good source of natural antioxidants; and thus, enhance the shelf- from diversified geographical areas, as well as introductions from life of fat containing foods due to the presence of various types of Sri Lanka. In Tamil Nadu, Moringa was cultivated as sole crop in antioxidant compounds such as ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic homesteads, around cattle sheds, on farm boundaries, and as isolated and carotenoids. In the Philippines, it is known as ‘mother’s best plants in fences and as groups of trees on village waste lands. In the friend’ because of its utilization to increase woman’s milk production early 1990s, in Southern Tamil Nadu, people have started growing 1,2 and is sometimes prescribed for anemia. Interestingly, 80 per cent perennial Moringa types in Moolanur block of Dharapuram taluk, of the production of Moringa leaves in India, fetching higher share Moringa is established as an intercrop on field in a large scale and their of foreign exchange to the country. Growing at a rate of 26-30 per allies were cropped with vegetables and Sorghum formed a Moringa cent annually, the export of Moringa leaves is a big business in Tamil based intercropping system. This Moringa based cropping system Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha. The major countries was evolved as a protection to alley crops from drying winds during which import Moringa leaves are China, the US, Germany, Canada, summer and Moringa has also provided some additional income. With South Korea and European countries. India exported Moringa leaves the migration of people from South to North India, and elsewhere in worth Rs 14.6crores in 2015, compared to Rs 11.61 crores in 2014. the world, the Moringa cultivation and the demand for Moringa has The export of these leaves worth Rs 2.50crores in January and picked up. February of 2016. The latest trend in the Moringa market is the shift towards organic leaves and usage of solar driers (APEDA). Farmers found that growing Moringa crops during summer season was remunerative. Thus, Moringa gained a foothold as a summer Production of moringa vegetable. Its unique flavor and aroma became very popular. For India is the prime producer of Moringa (Drumstick) with an South Indian any meal without Moringa and pulses is considered annual production of 2.2 million tonnes of tender fruits from an incomplete. The demand for the Moringa pods also has increased due area of 43,600ha leading to the productivity of around 50 tonnes to the increased urban settlements and migration of people to urban Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Horticult Int J. 2018;2(4):212‒221. 212 © 2018 Venkatesan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Copyright: Marketing and price spread analysis of moringa in Tamil Nadu, India ©2018 Venkatesan et al. 213 colonies. Based on the significance of Moringa in the human diet, this Tiruppur (1191ha), Ariyalur (813ha) and Madurai (536ha). These study might be more viable with the specific objectives of assessing details are analyzed and presented in Table 1. Table 1 revealed that the the production and marketing practices of Moringa prevalent in the area under Moringa is skewed to certain districts because of the good Western and Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is one soil conditions and becomes good revenue earner among the rural of the largest producers of Moringa with an annual production of households and hence Moringa cultivation in these districts becomes 6.71lakh tonnes of tender fruits from an area of 13042ha. Among the popular one. In Tiruppur District, the Moolanur Block had the highest Districts, Theni leads in both area and production (3424ha) followed area under Moringa next to Sathankulam of Thoothukkudi District. by Dindigul (2645ha), Karur (2070ha), Thoothukkudi (1465ha), Sathankulam had become the hub of Moringa cultivation. Table 1 Area under moringa in different districts of Tamil Nadu Name of the Area under Moringa Percentage to total area under moringa in Average Productivity / Sl. No. District (Ha) Tamil Nadu Position 1 Theni 3424 26.25 First 2 Dindigul 2645 20.28 Second 3 Karur 2070 15.87 Third 4 Thoothukkudi 1465 11.23 Fourth 5 Tiruppur 1191 9.13 Fifth 6 Ariyalur 813 6.23 Sixth 7 Madurai 536 4.11 Seventh 8 Other Districts 898 6.89 Total Area in Ha 13042 100 51.45 Source: Season and crop report of Tamil Nadu (2015-16) Problem focus 3. To assess the Marketing efficiency of the Marketing Channels Practiced for Distribution. Though the existing arrangements for marketing of farm produce are appreciable, there could be some gap in Institutional linkages, Methodology empowering farmers’ organizations and their role in marketing of farm produce like Moringa. Whether these arrangements are fulfilled Among the Vegetables, Moringa is the one which is used very by the Government for facilitating marketing and export of Moringa commonly by the people of South India for its flavor and delicious through some institutional arrangement or not is unavailable to the taste in Sambar and Curry preparation. Besides, it is also a source researcher. And hence an attempt has been made to assess the existing of several medicinal properties and hence the crop commands marketing practices prevalent in respect of farmers of southern significance in cultivation. Every household will be maintaining one Tamil Nadu. Though India had higher market access among the or two Moringa tree in their homestead considering its importance Global partners with regard to the Moringa, still some consignments and is grown almost in all the districts of Tamil Nadu and South India. in fruits are rejected by certain countries for want of sanitary and phytosanitary issues and the specification of the importing country Selection of traders is unmet and hence rejection is visible. In this respect, the role of To assess the marketing practices followed by the farmers and the APEDA is giving an orientation to the exporters through appropriate traders, a separate questionnaire has been designed as delineated elsewhere package of training and the strict adherence of quality norms is a and the questionnaire has been tested and made fit for survey. Before must. In this respect, an attempt has also been made to document the entering into the survey, the numbers of traders who are dealing with status of marketing and trading of Moringa to different countries and Moringa marketing were enlisted by conducting inquiries with the the issues connected with the export of Moringa to enhance the trade officials of Department of Agriculture and the General traders in the in horticultural produce.