IDENTIFYING THE STRUCTURE OF AGRICULTURAL MARKET IN ASSAM: A LOOK INTO THE EXISTING SYSTEM

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.