Value Chain Assessment of Horticultural Crops in the Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra

Abstract

Background: This paper investigates the horticulture crop value chain in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It focuses on the different approaches to marketing used in Vidarbha and makes note of the fact that just 1 out of 10 farmers choose the farm-to-table model. Methods: A survey was conducted in order to gather the primary data employing a simple random sampling method. The survey was undertaken in four districts viz., Nagpur, Amravati, Bhandara and Wardha. The crops under investigation were banana, mango, lemon, orange/mandarin, tomato, potato and onion. Result: It was recorded that the projected amount of produce wasted was the highest at the retail level for tomato, potato, banana and mango crops, at the farm level for lemon and orange and at the wholesale level for onion. Moreover, the harvested crops are not properly stored until delivered due to lack of storage facilities. Farmers received less price due to low quality of produce and exploitation by the middlemen. At the farm level, it was recorded that 15-36% of the yield is lost due to pests/predators, unprecedented weather conditions and improper management. The supply chain faces several issues, including the scarcity of high-quality seeds, a lack of irrigation resources, unfavourable weather that ruins the produce, post-harvest losses, lack of storage facilities, price seasonality and market volatility. Numerous vertical coordination problems in the value chain could be resolved by the adoption of horticulture cooperatives and the creation of FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations).