Marketing Cost, Market Margin and Price Spread in Fig

Three marketing channels were noticed in sale of fig viz., Channel-I: Producer-Consumer, Channel-II Producer-Commiss ion agent-Retailer-Consumer and Channel-II I Producer-Commiss ion agent-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer. Quantity sold through Channel-III was higher. Per quintal marketing cost incurred by producer was worked out to be Rs. 617.53 which was high because of heavy charges by commission agent followed by transport and packing material. From the various items of the marketing cost, major contributing factors were commission charges which was highest (40.75 per cent) followed by packing material (22.93 per cent), transport charges (17.54 per cent) and grading and packing charges (10.67 per cent). Marketing cost incurred by wholesaler in Mumbai market, retailer in Mumbai market and retailer in Pune market was Rs. 79.30/quintal, Rs. 588.24/quintal and Rs. 463.01/quintal, respectively. The total marketing cost incurred by retailer was more because of high transport charges and more losses during transport. Price spread of fig in Pune and Mumbai markets have been studied. In the process of marketing of fig in Pune and Mumbai markets, producers were getting only 64.29 per cent and 51.80 per cent of the consumer’s rupee, respectively. The rest of the rupee was swallowed by the market expenses incurred by producer, expenses and margins of retailer in Pune market and Mumbai markets.