State level cattle fairs of Rajasthan play an important role in the socio-economic matrix of the state. In spite of the importance of these cattle fairs, number of both assembled and transacted animals has been decreasing over the years due to several constraints. The present study was conducted during 2011 to identify the constraints faced by different marketing functionaries in the state level cattle fairs. According to sellers, lack of infrastructure, inadequate feeds and fodder availability at fair, un-remunerative margin, difficulty in transportation, lack of sanitation, lack of market information, harassment at check points, lack of security at night and difficulty to convince buyers were major constraints. Buyers on the other hand reported lack of infrastructure, inadequate feed and fodder availability, delay in &ldquo;Rawana&rdquo; (departure date), high &nbsp;market price of animals, malpractices, difficulty in transportation, lack of sanitation, lack of market information, harassment at check points and lack of security at night as some important constraints in the state level cattle fairs of &nbsp;Rajasthan.

Prioritization of constraints faced by different marketing functionaries&nbsp;in the organised cattle fairs of Rajasthan

Indian agricultural marketing system is suffering from various problems viz. improper warehousing, lack of grading and packaging, inadequate transport facilities, presence of large number of middlemen, malpractices of traders, inadequate market information and insufficient funds etc. Long chain of middlemen decrease the producer&rsquo;s share in consumer rupee and exploit the farmer. Though Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) under the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act, 1964 control and regulate buying and selling operations at all regulated agriculture marketing yards but there are lot of inefficiencies involved in practices of APMCs. However amended APMC Act prevents anticompetitive practices. There is no compulsion on the producer to sell their produce in APMC market yards, producer are quite free to sell directly to private companies or private market yards or farmers-consumer market under amended APMC Act. The present Study has analysed awareness and perception of apple growers regarding amended APMC Act. Two districts of Himachal Pradesh viz. Shimla and Kullu were selected on the basis of highest apple production. Apple growers were divided in two groups viz. Group 1 (growers who follow traditional supply chain) and Group 2 (growers who follow traditional and modern supply chain both).&nbsp;

Prioritization of constraints faced by different marketing functionaries in the organised cattle fairs of Rajasthan

Impact of amended APMC act on apple business in Himachal Pradesh, India