Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 847-853 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 06 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.706.099 Marketing Pattern of Rubber Plantation in Tripura, India S.B. Adikari and Amod Sharma* Department of Agricultural Economics, Nagaland University, SASRD, Medziphema Campus, District: Dimapur - 797 106, Nagaland, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT The present study was carried out to study the marketing pattern of Rubber plantation in K e yw or ds Tripura State. In the first stage two districts namely South Tripura and Gomati were Tripura, Producer, selected purposively due to having highest area under rubber plantation crop, while in the channel, Rubber, second stage one block from each district was selected randomly and further from each Marketing , pattern, block three villages were randomly selected; from each village 10 respondents were Efficiency selected on the based on stratified random sampling methods. The marketing channels Article Info were identified based on the middleman from the point of production to the point of ultimate consumer (traders). Study reveals that the marketing efficiency in Channel I Accepted: (Producer-processor-wholesaler- trader) of South Tripura district was better than that of 04 May 2018 Available Online: Gomati district whereas Channel II (Producer-agent-retailer-trader) of Gomati district was 10 June 2018 more efficient than that of South Tripura district. The price spread of both the channels of Gomati district was more than the respective channels of South Tripura district. Introduction thousand tonnes and 905 thousand tonnes, respectively. Major contributions of traditional Natural rubber plays an important role in area rubber cultivation were made by the southern as well as production where more than 80.00 states of India with Kerala having more than per cent of rubber production was contributed 90.00 per cent of the total rubber production by smallholding farmers. As per International followed by Tamil Nadu contributing 2.89 per Rubber Study Group (Anon., 2015), cent of the total rubber produced in India. As worldwide production of natural rubber had per the government reports, cultivation of considerably increased from 68.11 lakh tonnes rubber in North eastern states would improve in 2000 to 121.03 lakh tonnes in 2014 and the socio economic condition of the worldwide increased consumption of 121.25 smallholders and around 4,50,000 ha of land lakh tonnes in 2014 as compared to 71.08 lakh had been identified by the national bureau of tonnes in 2000. India is the fourth largest soil survey suited for rubber cultivation. producer (8.90 per cent) and third largest Tripura holds the central position in rubber consumer (8.70 per cent) of natural rubber in production and has high prospective for the world. The production and consumption of cultivation in the region. The state had been natural rubber during 2008-2009 was 820 blessed with great potential for rubber 847 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 847-853 cultivation as compared to other non- villages viz. Salgara, Laxmipur and Fulkumari traditional rubber growing regions of the were selected. Thirty rubber growing farmers nation (Joseph et al., 2009; Joseph et al., were randomly selected from each block with 2010; Joseph et al., 2012). Presently, Tripura ten farmers from each of the three villages to is the largest rubber producer among the North obtain detailed primary data regarding eastern states and ranks second place in India cultivation of rubber crop. In total, 60 rubber after Kerala. As per Indian statistics (2013- growers were selected for the study. Five 2014) rubber productivity and production in intermediaries were randomly selected from Tripura was 1200 kg / ha / year and 37,277 mt, each of the selected districts for studying the respectively and it had increased the annual marketing aspects of rubber. Thus, a total income of the rubber growers by 112.00 per sample number of ten intermediaries were cent as per the study conducted by Joseph et selected. al., (2010). Marketing plays a significant role by bringing the producers and consumers The data required for the study were collected together and satisfying the needs of the from the respondents through personal consumers. So, a survey was conducted to interview method using pre-tested schedule. determine socio-economic characteristics of The marketing channels of rubber were the rubber growers, different marketing identified based on the data collected from channels and the marketing costs involved in intermediaries involved from the point of marketing of rubber, price spread of rubber production (producer) to the point of ultimate and the constraints faced by the rubber consumption (trader). The costs involved in growers in Tripura. Hence, the research on moving the rubber product from the point of “Comparative study on marketing pattern of production to the point of traders is known as Rubber in Tripura” was carried out to study the cost of performing marketing functions. It the marketing channels and price spread of involves transportation cost, weighing cost, rubber. storage cost, loading and unloading cost, packaging cost, miscellaneous cost. The Materials and Methods primary data for the present study was collected from the respondents by using pre- A multi-stage sampling procedure was tested interview schedule. All the secondary adopted for the present study for the purpose data used in the study were collected from of selection of representative from districts, various secondary sources viz. office of the blocks, villages and respondents. Based on Regional Rubber Board in Agartala, Statistical pilot survey, South Tripura district and handbook of Tripura, journals, research Gomati districts due to the high position in articles, etc. rubber cultivation area were selected. Rubber was cultivated in all the blocks of South Price spread is the difference between the Tripura and Gomati districts, however, the price paid by the consumer and the price maximum area under rubber was in Satchand received by the producer. It may consist of block of South Tripura district and Matabari marketing costs and margins. The price spread block of Gomati district. Hence, these two analysis was carried out as: blocks were selected for the survey. From the selected Satchand block of South Tripura district, three villages viz. Chotokhil, Producer’s share in Producer’s price Brajendranagar and Srinagar and from Consumer’s rupee = ----------------------- x 100 Matabari block of Gomati district, three Consumer’s price 848 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2018) 7(6): 847-853 In order to assess the marketing efficiency in agent was ₹ 9.70 per kg. The loading and the sale of the rubber, the Shepherd’s formula unloading charges alone constituted ₹ 3.00 of the following form was used. per kg (30.93 per cent) followed by both packaging and transportation charges (20.62 V per cent), storing charges (15.46 per cent) and ME = ----- - 1 weighing charges (12.37 per cent). The cost I incurred by the retailer was ₹ 11.5 per kg while loading and unloading charges alone Whereas: constituted ₹ 4.50 per kg (39.13 per cent) followed by both storing and transportation ME = Marketing Efficiency, charges (26.09 per cent) and miscellaneous V = Consumer price per unit of rubber, charges (8.69 per cent), respectively. I = Marketing cost per unit of rubber. While in Gomati district, marketing cost Results and Discussion incurred by producer in marketing of rubber was ₹ 3.20 per kg. In total cost of marketing, As per the information collected from weighing charges accounted for 37.50 per cent different intermediaries involved in rubber followed by both storing and miscellaneous marketing, the channels identified were: charges (31.25 per cent). The cost incurred in rubber sheet marketing by the processor was Channel I: Producer - Processor - Wholesaler - ₹ 10.60 per kg. The loading and unloading Trader charges alone constituted ₹ 3.00 per kg (28.30 per cent) followed by storing charges (23.58 Channel II: Producer - Agent - Retailer – per cent), weighing charges (18.88 per cent), Trader transportation charges (16.98 per cent) and packaging charges (12.26 per cent). The cost Table 1 reveals that in South Tripura district, incurred by the wholesaler was ₹ 10.50 per kg the marketing cost incurred by producer in while loading and unloading charges alone marketing of rubber was ₹ 3.00 per kg. In constituted ₹ 4.00 per kg (38.09 per cent) total cost of marketing, storing charges followed by storing charges (31.58 per cent), accounted for 66.67 per cent followed by transportation charges (23.82 per cent) and weighing charges (5.97 per cent). The cost miscellaneous charges (9.52 per cent). incurred in rubber sheet marketing by the processor was ₹ 7.50 per kg. The loading and The cost incurred in rubber sheet marketing by unloading charges with packaging charges the agent was ₹ 9.5 per kg. The loading and both constituted ₹ 2.00 per kg (26. 67 per unloading charges alone constituted ₹ 3.00 cent) followed by storing charges (17.33 per per kg (31.58 per cent) followed by both cent), transportation charges (16.00 per cent) weighing and transportation charges (21.05 and weighing charges (13.33 per cent). The per cent), packaging charges (15.79 per cent) cost incurred by the wholesaler was ₹ 9.50 and storing charges (10.53 per cent). The cost per kg while transportation charges alone incurred by the retailer was ₹ 10.00 per kg constituted ₹ 3.50 per kg (36.84 per cent) while loading and unloading charges alone followed by loading and unloading charges constituted ₹ 4.00 per kg (40.00 per cent) (31.58 per cent), storing charges (21.05) and followed by transportation charges (30.00 per miscellaneous charges (10.53 per cent).