MARKETING OF POTATO IN HOOGHLY DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL

Present study is an attempt to identify marketing channels for potato and to study the price spread in potato marketing in Hooghly district of West Bengal, for suggesting suitable measures for increasing the marketing efficiency. Using simple random sampling technique, data were collected from a total of 30 potato farmers, 5 wholesalers and 16 retailers by personal interview method with the help of pre-structured schedule during February 2001. A total of 5 marketing channels were identified out of which ‘Producer-cold store-commission agent/ wholesaler-retailer-consumer’ was found to be the most important marketing channel as about 40 percent of the total potato on sample farms was being disposed off through this channel. Major share of potato produced was disposed off at the time of harvest without storing in cold store because of low retention power of the marginal and small farmers due to financial obligations. However, the net share of producer in consumer’s rupee was higher in Producer-commission agent/ wholesaler-retailer-consumer channel (about 60%). Marketing efficiency was also higher in the same channel. Both the channel for potato marketing were inefficient due to involvement of a number of middlemen and require due attention from the Government to increase the efficiency of the potato markets of West Bengal which can be increased by taking following steps: 1) Providing loan facility on cold stored potatoes to farmers 2) providing more cold storage space by constructing more cold stores, 3) Encouraging farmers for forming cooperatives for sending potatoes directly to distant markets and 4) providing cheap and efficient transportation to potato.