Farmer’s Constraints for Vegetables Marketing in Bangladesh

Abstract

Agricultural produce of vegetable growers is often lost after production due to many marketing challenges which make it difficult for vegetable growers to explore full market potentials and these also reduce incentives of participation in formal (commercial) or high-value markets. The aim of the study was thus to index and analysis factors (constraints) affecting marketing of major vegetables from growers perspective. Data were collected from 113 vegetable growers, Pearson’s correlation co-efficient (r) was used to determine the relationship between the selected socio-economic characteristics of the vegetable growers and their extent of marketing constraints faced. With regard to constraints, majority (68.1%) of the respondents faced medium constraints, while 16.9% and 15% of them had low and high marketing constraints, respectively. Among eleven characteristics, growers’ training received knowledge on vegetable marketing and availability of marketing information showed significant and negative relationship with their extent of marketing constraints faced. While age, education, family member, vegetable cultivation experience, annual family income, credit availability, extension contact did not show any significant relationship with their extent of marketing constraints. Results showed that lack of access to storage facilities was ranked the most prominent constraint followed by presence of middle man, lack of market information, inadequate access roads and lack of access to credit availability and high perishability of produce. Therefore development of better infrastructure in the form of storage facilities and availability of marketing information are vital for commercialization of vegetables.