Exploring Marketing Channels and Challenges in Pineapple Farming in the Hilly District of Assam

Abstract

Pineapple is one of the major fruit crops in Assam, contributing around 17.44% of total pineapple production in India. However, despite its potential, favourable agro-climatic conditions and high-quality varieties such as Kew and Queen, the marketing system remains highly fragmented. Multiple marketing channels prevail simultaneously in the state and market efficiency is unevenly distributed. It indicates that most channels offer low price realisation to farmers, with only a few efficient channels enabling higher returns. Pineapple cultivation in the state also faced several obstacles and marketing challenges that hinder farmers from earning sustainable profits. The paper studies the existing marketing channels and challenges in pineapple farming in the surveyed areas to improve profitability and sustainability. The study is based on primary sources of data collected through the multistage sampling technique. The total sample size is 100, which is randomly selected from the surveyed villages. The study found that a number of marketing channels prevail in the areas based on their farm size, resource availability, and marketing accessibility, among others. The study also identified a number of challenges that affect the farmers’ profitability and sustainability, which need to be addressed.

Keywords: Pineapple, Challenges, Marketing Channels, Hill District

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