Market Potential of Agrochemicals used in Mango and Okra from Valsad and Surat Districts

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. Agriculture sector needs to be on the boom if a country like India wants to feed its increasing population but it cannot be possible without solving the problems of pests, which dwindles the crop production. That's when the role of agrochemical sector comes into play. The rising population of our country demands that our agricultural practices are sufficient enough to feed the rising population. This process will lead to effective utilization of various agrochemicals that include fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators etc. The present study was conducted to measure the market potential of agrochemicals. 200 farmers were chosen for the study by purposive sampling. The present study has been conducted for mango in Valsad district and in Surat district for Okra. The study measures the market preference of farmers regarding agrochemicals used in mango and okra from Valsad and Surat districts. Majority of the farmers used Imidachloprid against the attack of mango hoppers. The study found that other insecticides such as Acephate, Thiomethoxam, and Fenobucarb were also used by the farmers. White fly is a major pest in okra and vector of yellow vein mosaic virus. To combat white fly infestation, insecticides such as Dimethoate, Thiamethoxam and Monocrotophos was used. From the study, market potential recorded for pesticides in mango was 40,481.8382 liters and in okra was 29,457.35 liters.