Marketing of Elephant foot yam-An upcoming commercial crop in India

T.Srinivas, M.Nedunchezhiyan and R.S.Misra

Central Tuber Crops Research Institute Thiruvananthapuram 695 017

Kerala India

Introduction

Commonly known as "Suran" or "Jimmikand". Traditionally cultivated on commercial scale in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala statesSlowly spreading to other States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and so on. Tubers have both nutritional and medicinal value.

Introduction

In northern and eastern states, local cultivars are grown.The most popular variety for commercial cultivation in India is “Gajendra”.Generally used as vegetable and for making pickles and indigenous ayurvedic preparations for various ailments.Highest income earner to the cultivator irrespective of the production system and temporal variations.

Statistics

20.85667,32332,012Total41.678,250198Jharkhand41.1414,400350Gujarat43.8317,883408Bihar25.0020,175807Tamil Nadu9.668,675898Chattisgarh

18.0054,0003,000Other states29.32100,8293,439Andhra Pradesh25.00279,55011,182Kerala13.94163,56011,730West Bengal

Yield (t ha-1)

Production (Mt)

Area (ha)

State

Source: Unpublished statistics from Department of Agriculture/Horticulture of various states, 2008-09

Objectives

To understand the role of various functionaries involved in the market. To identify channels of marketing.To estimate price spread in different channels of marketing. To identify the constraints in the marketing elephant foot yam, and To generate information on the end uses of tubersin different parts of the country.

Methodology

Identified production centres of the crop through different surveys conducted earlier.

A rapid appraisal of production centres of elephant foot yam was made to locate the important marketingplaces in the country.

Detailed survey of identified market places was made to identify market channels and to estimate price spread in each identified channel.

Methodology

Detailed market survey for elephant foot yam was made in

Andhra Pradesh -Krishna, Guntur, East and West GodavariKerala -Ernakulam and WayanadWest Bengal -24 Parganas and Nadia Bihar -Samstipur, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, and Tamil Nadu -TirunelveliNew Delhi -Azadpur market

Interviewed the farmers, wholesalers, middlemen/ commission agents, retailers and consumers using structured interview schedule.

Results

Difference in planting time and staggered harvesting of the crop in different months and in different places enabled traders to supply throughout the year.Village agents, commission agents, wholesalers, semi-wholesalers, retailers and consumers are the different market functionaries involved. No organised marketing of elephant foot yam tubers in practice.Marketing is dominated by commission agents. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and New Delhi are the main marketing and distributing centres for elephant foot yam.

Results

Grading of tubers is done by the commission agent/ trader at farm level itself according to size, marketing place and quality (infested or not) of tubers.Storage of Elephant Foot Yam tubers from February –March for two to three months in anticipation of highprice in the period of June-July is practiced.Traders in Bihar are practicing hedging to minimize the effects of price fluctuations.

Production and marketing centers of elephant foot yam

Bihar and West Bengal

Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Begusarai

Bihar

KeralaTamil Nadu

Ernakulam- ManyaliWayanad- PulpallyMalappuram- Perinthalmanna

Kerala

Uttar PradeshJaunpurUttar Pradesh

GujaratNew Delhi

Surat- ChikkiAhmedabad- Billimora

Gujarat

West BengalNorth Eastern states

24 ParaganasNadia

West Bengal

Tamil NaduTirunelveliErode

Tamil Nadu

OrissaWest BengalTamil NaduMaharashtra

East GodavariWest Godavari Krishna Guntur

Andhra PradeshMarketing CentersProduction CentresState

Production and Marketing Seasons of Elephant Foot Yam

West Bengal and North Eastern states

October-NovemberJanuary-March(24 Paraganas & Nadia)

West Bengal

West BengalNovember-DecemberMarch-April(Samastipur, Muzaffarpur)

Bihar

H.P, Punjab & New Delhi

February - MarchJune-July(Surat, Ahmedabad)

GujaratTamil NaduJanuaryJune -JulyTamil Nadu

Kerala and Tamil Nadu

June

November-December

1.November-December (Manyali & Perinthalamanna)2.April-May (Wayanad)

Kerala

West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu

December-March

June-July

1. June –July(Krishna & Gunturdistricts)2. November-December(East & West Godavari districts)

Andhra Pradesh

Marketing centerHarvesting seasonPlanting SeasonState

Market preference for Elephant Foot Yam tuber size

Tamil Nadu2 kg

Kerala6 - 7 kg

West Bengal5 - 6 kg

Andhra Pradesh2 - 4 kg

Tamil Nadu & Mumbai2 - 3 kg

Hyderabad market, Mumbai1.5 - 2 kg

Market PlacesSize/Weight

Market Channels for elephant foot yam in India

Village Trader/ Commission agent

Primary Wholesaler

Secondary Wholesaler

Farmer Retailer

ConsumerCommission agents in other states

Exports

Market channels for elephant foot yam

Channel 1: Producer-ConsumerChannel 2: Producer-Village Agent-ConsumerChannel 3: Producer-Commission agent –Primary wholesaler-

Secondary wholesaler-Retailer-ConsumerChannel 4: Producer-Commission agent in A.P-Commission

agent in Other states-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer

Channel 5: Producer-Commission agent-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer

Price Spread in Elephant Foot Yam Marketing in India

50.0030.0031.5860.0084.00Producer's share in consumer's rupee (%)

9.007.006.502.000.80Price spread (Rs/kg)

18.0010.009.505.005.00

Consumer's price (Rs/kg)

4.723.293.421.200

Marketing margin (Rs/kg)

4.243.713.090.800.80Marketing cost (Rs/kg)

9.003.003.003.004.20Producer's price (Rs/kg)

Channel5

Channel 4

Channel 3

Channel 2

Channel 1

Price Spread, marketing costs and margins in marketing of elephant foot yam in india (Rs/kg)

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Chann

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Chann

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el 4

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el 5

Market Channel

Rup

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Producer's price (Rs/kg)

Marketing cost (Rs/kg)

Marketing margin(Rs/kg)Consumer's price(Rs/kg)Price spread (Rs/kg)

Producer's share in consumer's rupee in different market channels of elephant foot yam marketing

in India

0

20

40

60

80

100

Channel1

Channel2

Channel3

Channel4

Channel5

Market channels

Per

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Producer's share inconsumer's rupee

Monocrop in low landsInter crop in Black Pepper

Orchards

Pulpally EFYPlanting –April-May

Harvesting- October-November

Local Commission agent in Pulpally

Wholesaler in Angamaly market

(November-December Planting)

Wholesaler in Perinthalamanna market

(January-February planting)

Local Commission agent in Manyali

Local Commission agent

Wholesaler(Thrissur, Palakkad)

Wholesaler(Coimbatore)

Retailer

Consumer

Market channel for Elephant Foot Yam in Kerala

Price spread in elephant foot yam marketing in Kerala

12Purchase price of wholesaler /Sale price of commission agent

1.76Commission charges of commission agent1.2Marketing cost of commission agent

0.06Unloading charges0.03Market cess0.75Transport charges0.07Loading charges0.96Agent Commission (8%) from wholesaler0.8Agent Commission (8%) from farmer

0.25Deductions0.04Weighing Charges

9Farm harvest price (Rs. per kg)

Price spread in elephant foot yam marketing in Kerala

4.72Total Marketing Margin4.24Total Marketing Cost

9Price Spread50.00Producers share in consumer 's Rupee

18Sale price of retailer/Consumer price2.96Marketing margin of retailer1.04Marketing cost of retailer0.7Weight loss

0.07Loading charges0.2Transport charges

0.07Rent for shop14Sale price of wholesaler/Purchase price of Retailer

1.76Marketing margin of wholesaler0.24Marketing cost of wholesaler0.05Transport to local market0.07Rent for shop0.07Loading charges0.05Weighing charges

Problems in marketing of elephant foot yam

Glut in the market during harvest season. Farm harvest price decreases and farmer will get less income.

Tubers cannot be stored for long in Kerala due to immature harvest and in West Bengal due to peeling of outer skin while harvesting.

Labour availability during harvest season is a problem.

No value addition to the tubers.

Commission agent exploitation is high.

Farmers depend mostly on commission agents for procuring seed material as well as for selling the harvested produce.

Elephant Foot yam cultivation in Manyali, Ernakulam dt. In Kerala

Elephant Foot yam cultivation in Black Pepper orchards in Wayanad district in Kerala

Storage of Elephant Foot Yam tubers for seed purpose

in Wayanad dt.

Elephant Foot yam tubers yet to be harvested

Elephant Foot Yam tuber stored for seed purpose

Farmers selling the Elephant Foot Yam tubers directly in

the Rajamundry (AP) market

Elephant Foot Yam tubers collected by the

commission agent

Elephant Foot Yam tubers packed in gunny bags and

ready for sale

Taro+Yam cultivation in Andhra Pradesh

Elephant Foot Yam, Bombay Yam cultivation in

Banana orchard

Bombay Yam cultivation in Banana

orchard

Harvesting Elephant Foot Yam in Krishna dt. Of AP

Growing Black gram in the Elephant Foot Yam

field

Packed Elephant Foot Yam tubers for sale at Vijayawada

market

Elephant Foot Yam from Gujarat sold in Azadpur

market, New Delhi

Weighed produce for delivery

Weighing Elephant Foot

Yam tubers

Packed Elephant Foot Yam tubers ready for

sale

Farmer himself selling in weekly markets

Weighing elephant foot yam tubers

Farmer bringing the harvested tubers to weekly market

WEST

BENGAL

Elephant Foot Yam tubers Packed in bamboo baskets

Value addition in elephant foot yam

Vermicelli produced from elephant foot yam