International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
M Mary Sharon and K Nirmal Ravi Kumar

abstract
Vegetables are important source of farm income, assures more farm employment and marketing of vegetables has significant importance due to perishability, seasonality, bulkiness and high post-harvest losses in transportation and storage. In India, Andhra Pradesh have vegetables area of 228.73 thousand hectares (2.08%) and production of 6084.7 thousand tonnes (4.30%) (Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, 2021). The main aim of present study is to assess the marketing channel choice of okra farmers in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh with a sample of 120 farmers. Results of Multinomial Logistic Regression Model (MLRM) revealed that the farming experience, education and number of middle men, gender, area under crop and distance to market were significant for the farmers who are selling their produce to local wholesaler channel and household size, price of the commodity and number of middlemen, gender, area under crop and distance to market were significant in case of local vendor channel. Gender, area, prompt payment of sales proceeds, price of the commodity, distance to market education and access to credit were significant for the farmers who are selling their produce to retail malls and distance to market and own transport facility, gender, household size and farming experience were significant in case of rythu bazars. Study also revealed that the low bargaining power of farmers, low price of the product especially in the harvesting season, poor infrastructure of marketing channel, poor handling and storage facilities were the major constraints faced by the farmers in marketing of vegetables. Study suggested that proper care has to take to maintain the vegetables availability throughout the year, proper storage and transport facilities to reduce the wastage and post-harvest losses and FPOs and NGOs may strengthen farmer linkages (forward & backward) were important measures for the better marketing of vegetables.