Economic Analysis of Marketing Efficiency of Cauliflower Across Different Channels in Sikar District, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Cauliflower is an important winter vegetable crop in India, valued for its rich nutritional content and economic significance, and its marketing system plays a key role in determining farmers’ income through efficient price realization. The present investigation was conducted to examine marketing costs, margins, and price spread associated with cauliflower across different marketing channels. A multistage sampling design, incorporating both purposive and random techniques, was employed to select the district, tehsils, villages, and respondent farmers. A total sample of 60 farmers was drawn, representing 10 per cent from each category within the selected villages. The Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti, Sikar, was purposively chosen to analyse the structure and magnitude of marketing costs and margins in the cauliflower trade within Sikar district, Rajasthan. In addition, a sample comprising five petty traders, five wholesaler-cum-commission agents, and seven retailers was selected from the market for detailed assessment. Marketing costs, margins, and price spread were estimated based on the expenses incurred by intermediaries, along with the calculation of absolute and percentage margins. The findings revealed that farmers utilised three principal marketing channels: Channel I (Producer → Petty merchant → Wholesaler-cum-commission agent → Retailer → Consumer), Channel II (Producer → Wholesaler-cum-commission agent → Retailer → Consumer), and Channel III (Producer → Consumer). Within the study area, the total marketing cost of cauliflower was estimated at ₹333.78 per quintal in Channel I and ₹317.03 per quintal in Channel II, indicating relatively higher transaction costs in the more intermediary-intensive channel. The marketing margin earned by wholesalers-cum-commission agents was ₹146.65 per quintal, while retailers obtained a margin of ₹181.12 per quintal. The producer’s share in the consumer’s rupee was found to be 69.22 per cent in village-level sales, 73.93 per cent in regulated markets, and reached 100 per cent in direct sales to consumers. The findings are particularly relevant for researchers and policymakers in designing strategies to reduce intermediaries’ margins and enhance the producer’s share in the consumer’s rupee.