Cost and return structure
The total cost of mango cultivation were classified into three categories
i.e. establishment and maintenance cost. The pre-bearing costs incurred in the establishment of mango upto gestation period (7 years) was estimated at the prevailing market price
s and wage rate. The maintenance cost is the recurring cost which would be incurred after the establishment of the orchard normally from seventh year onwards for the up- keeping of the trees so that good yield can be obtained over the economic lifespan of the trees. The maintenance cost is comprised of the expenditure towards the use of labour and other material inputs along with fixed costs. The maintenance cost of orchards was further classified into fixed cost and variable costs, the summation of these two costs are called total costs. The operation and items under fixed cost has been considered accordingly, planting materials, gap filling, watch and ward, depreciation charge of farm building, machinery and equipment, land revenue charge and interest on fixed capital invested by orchardist in their orchards.
On overall basis the average total cost was Rs. 23450.67/ha out of which average variable cost was Rs.18316.39/ ha (78.11%) and average fixed cost was Rs.5134.28/ha (21.89%). Among the fixed cost
s, the highest cost was constituted by watch and ward Rs.3142.46/ha (61.21%) pursued by interest on fixed capital Rs.1239.12 ha/ (24.13%), depreciation Rs.493.97/ha (9.62%). In the average variable cost, major cost share incurred by application of plant protection chemicals Rs.4282.54/ha (23.38%), fruit plucking Rs.4165.75/ha (22.74%), intercultural operations Rs.2659.28/ha (14.52%), plant nutrients Rs.2639.21/ha (14.41%), interest on working capital constitutes 13.00 percent (Table 1). However, the results can be summarized that mango orcharding requires more variable cost than the fixed cost. In variable cost, the highest cost being application of plant protection chemicals and harvesting of fruits. Among the fixed watch and ward of orchard and interest on fixed capital costs incurred maximum in the study area.
Mango being a perennial crop, its lifetime extends over a long period of time. At various stages, cost of production and net return was estimated through the cost and return figures. The age group of the mango orchard was classified into six different stages according to ten year class interval in order to equal frequency distribution. Among all six stages of mango orchard, first stage considerate as establishment phase or gestation phase and the remaining five stages are considerate as productive or economic phase. Upon the 7th year, the establishment phase of the orchard involves cost and no yield takes place.
The growing stages-wise per hectare total cost and returns of mango orchard have been calculated and furnished in the (Table 2). It was observed that establishment cost of mango orchard accounted to be Rs. 16784.83/ha. The second stage of orchard considered as an initial bearing stage, in this stage the average cost increased and continue up to the fourth stage of orchard. In the fifth stage, total cost declined even less than the cost of establishment. The eventually (6
th) stage, total cost was increased and considered as higher. The gross return of mango orchard increased continuously up to 4
th stage, after that orchard enter in declining stage. Among the all productive stages of mango orchard, the lowest gross return was observed in the fifth stage of the orchard. After the end of this stage gross return start to increase but less than the initial fruiting (second stage), third and fourth productive stage of the orchard.
The net return obtained the growers from mango orchard after attaining the age of seven-year onward. In the first bearing stage of orchard, net return amounted to Rs. 46751.89/ha and increases continuously up to 4
th productive stage of mango orchard, thereafter it begins to declined up to Rs. 28308.98/ha in fifth stage. In the last productive stage, net return starts to slightly go up Rs. 30059.67/ha. The overall on an average per hectare cost of production was observed in the study area to be Rs. 23450.67, gross return Rs. 59481.28 and net return was Rs. 36030.61/ha. It concludes that all productive stages of mango orchard were profitable; while, third stage of mango orchard was more profitable.
Marketing of mango
In the study area, the major commercial varieties of mango were marketed by growers and traders like Dashehari, Langra, Chausa, Lucknow Safeda, Ramkela, Bombay Green
etc.
Marketing channels
Based on data collected from the growers, traders and representatives of processing units, it was observed that mangos reach to the consumers through three different marketing channels:
· Grower-village trader-wholesalers-retailer consumer.
· Grower-wholesaler-retailer-consumer.
· Grower-retailer-consumer
Out of these identified channels (Table 3), Channel-I and II were most dominated in study area 54.00 per cent growers were sold their mango through channel-I, 28.50 per cent growers were sold mango through Channel-II and remaining 17.50 per cent farmers ware sold their produce through Channel-III. The net price received by the growers was Rs.1600/quintal and producer share in consumer’s rupee was 46.24 per cent in channel-I. The marketing cost incurred by all the intermediates in this channel was Rs.663/quintal. The total market margin earned by different functionaries was Rs.1197/quintal and it was higher at village trader’s level (Rs.490/quintal) followed by retailers (Rs.412/quintal) and wholesalers (Rs.295/quintal), constituted 14.16, 11.91 and 8.53 percent of consumer’s price, respectively. The price spread was about Rs.1860/quintal in channel-I.
The channel-II revealed that mango moves from grower to consumers through retailers. In this channel net price received by the growers was Rs.1780/quintal and producer share in consumer’s rupee was 53.13 per cent. The marketing cost incurred by all the intermediaries was Rs.588/quintal. The total market margin obtained by different market functionaries was Rs. 982/quintal, it was higher at retailer’s level (Rs.550/quintal) followed by wholesaler (Rs.432/quintal). The consumer’s share was constituted by 12.90 and 16.42 per cent, respectively. The price spread was found in this channel was Rs. 1570 which is less than channel-1.
It was also depicted from (Table 3) out of total 200 mango growers, 35 (17.00%) growers were sold their mango through channel-III. The net income received by growers in this channel was Rs. 1985/quintal and producer share in consumer’s rupee was 66.17 percent. The market cost incurred by retailers was Rs.438/quintal. The market margin earned by retailers this channel was Rs.577/quintal and price spread was Rs.1015/quintal. The percent shares of consumers were 19.23, 14.60 and 33.83 per cent. It is concluded that the growers received net price, per cent share in consumer’s rupees and market efficiency was highest in channel-III followed by channel-II and III, where the numbers of intermediaries were lesser. The involvement of market intermediaries, market margin, marketing cost and price spread were highest in channel-I followed by Channel-II and III. The channel-III was found to be most efficient and profitable for farmers in the study area.
Constraints faced by growers in production and marketing of mango
Mango production is providing an excellent base of livelihood for farmers and workers engaged in its production and allied activities
viz. transportation and distribution, trade, storage, nursery growing and mango processing,
etc. On the other hand, there are plentiful constraints in mango gardening, production, processing and marketing. The constraints along with mean score and rank have been presented in (Table 4). These constraints were making the cultivation is risky business. Among production constraints, there were twelve constraints reported by the farmers in the study area. Shattering of flower and premature fruit dropping have greater impact on fruit bearing was cited as a major constraints with a mean score 81. Outbreak of insect, pest and diseases, farmers opined that even after a careful mango orcharding fruits are being infected with spots (mango diseases), due to which it is fetching the remunerative price was ranked third serious problem (mean score 80).
As evident from the (Table 5), mango growers were faced eleven major constraints for disposal of their products. It reveals that dearth of basic infrastructure like transportation, storage, mechanical grading, processing, proper packaging facilities were major constraints with a mean score of 81. The perishable and bulky nature of mango have more probability of spoilage in the shortest length of time and farmers cannot easily transport to long track of destination having a mean score equal to 78 was ranked the second. Uneven market demand and high bargaining power were depicted as third major constraint with mean score of 76. Excessive number of middlemen and menace of many middlemen ranked as fourth major constraints. Delay in auctioning and low bidding prices in the market during the production glad leads more supply in the market, which, recorded as fifth major constraints with, mean score of 67. Complex marketing system, high marketing charges and difficulties in achieving quality standards due to lack of awareness about export quality production, majority of farmer are not technically aware about global acceptable quality production have been considered to the other major constraints in mango marketing and ranked sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively. Lack of market information about arrivals, prices and irrational deduction by the commission agents are also important and it needs government intervention for the interest of the growers.
