http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/index.asp 1810 editor@iaeme.com
International Journal of Management (IJM)
Volume 11, Issue 12, December 2020, pp.1810-1824, Article ID: IJM_11_12_166
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=11&IType=12
ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510
DOI: 10.34218/IJM.11.12.2020.166
© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed
IDENTIFYING THE STRUCTURE OF
AGRICULTURAL MARKET IN ASSAM: A LOOK
INTO THE EXISTING SYSTEM
Murchana Gogoi
Research Scholar, Department of Commerce, Dibrugarh University
Assam, India
Dr.Ashit Saha
Professor, Department of Commerce, Dibrugarh University
Assam, India
ABSTRACT
Though the agricultural market and marketing in Assam have experienced
tremendous growth in the last decade. But there remain major hurdles in the further
development, as Assam lacks an efficient and well-coordinated marketing system till
date. The researchers, as such, feels the need to highlight the existing marketing
scenario of Assam for likely improvements by the concerned authorities to the benefit
of the stakeholders. This paper on structure of agricultural market in Assam addresses
two set of objectives- to identify the present agricultural marketing status in Assam and
(ii) to identify the agricultural market structure operating in Assam. Considering the
limited resources available on the related literature, the key findings indicated that the
agricultural markets in Assam is still operating to a great extent in its traditional form.
Even with participation and support from government and private agencies, the way of
marketing and dominance by the middlemen have not changed much from the past. The
procurement of paddy in Assam, is carried out by the Department of Food, Civil
Supplies and Consumer Affairs under the Government of India in selected revenue
districts of the state along with Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Assam State
Agricultural Marketing Board. On the other hand, the paddy farmers are also free to
sell the product either directly in the markets or through agents. As far as marketing of
paddy is concerned, it is generally sold out to village traders, intermediaries, millers
and representatives of wholesalers. The marketing of raw jute is found to be carried out
through the traditional market, intermediaries and organised markets. Shortage of
manpower due to retirement and also a ban on retirement since 1991 has affected the
procurement activities of jute to a great extent. Whereas, locally grown vegetables are
marketed directly to consumers. Only a few of the farmers undertake an indirect channel
of marketing their limited production.
Key words: Agricultural Marketing, Market Structure, Marketing Channel