PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF MARIGOLD FLOWERS IN RAJASTHAN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO JAIPUR DISTRICT

摘要

The study was undertaken during rabi season of 2005-06 to estimate the cost of cultivation of marigold flowers and returns and marketing margins of different middlemen involved in marigold flower trade in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, The study is, based on information collected from randomly selected 60 marigold flower cultivation farmers, 2 commission agents, 2 commission agent cum wholesalers and 2 retailers. The overall coat of cultivation of marigold flower was estimated as Rs. 73,65 per hectare. The overall gross income and average net income from marigold crop was estimated to beRs. 121792 and Rs. 48141 per hectare, respectively. The average return per rupee investment was estimated as R.1.66. which shows that marigald cultivation was highlyprofitable in the selected area. Out of the two marketing channels channel- 1 (Producer - Commission Agent - Retailer - Consumer) was the important channel from producer's point of view, where, producers received more percentage share (35.68 per cent) inconsumer's rupee than the channel-U (31.95 per cent). The total marketing cost was Rs. 6.90 and Rs. 8.63 per kilogram of marigold flower for channel-I and channel-II respectively. The major item of marketing cost were the value of quantity loss and labour charges. In channel-I, retailers earned 43.77 per cent margins while in channel- II commission agent cum wholesalers and retailers earned a margin of 10.35 and 34.69 per cent of the price paid by the consumers. This shows that the present marigold marketing system is not condusive to the interest of producers as lion's share of consumer price is taken away by the middlemen.