Marketing of subsidiary food items produced in Batticaloa district

Abstract

Batticaloa District includes 14 Divisional secretariat Divisions. Out of these Divisions, Manmunai South Eruvil pattu division consists of 80% of the producers of subsidiary food items. They are engaged in producing various vegetables such as brinjals, long beans, ladies’ finger, and bitter gourd, for their livelihood. The production of these subsidiary food items play an important role in the economy of the people in this division. But, most of the producers of subsidiary food items experience heavy losses due to the problems occurring in marketing. The main aim of this research is to find out the problems faced by the producers of subsidiary food items in marketing in Batticaloa district. This research is carried out using product’s price fluctuation, intermediaries’ influence, varied nature of products, availabilityof marketing instructions and transport facilities as main variables. The hypothesis of this research is that “their is no major change in the demand and supply of subsidiary food items produced in the above district” In this research ,primary data and secondary data have been used. 150 famers were selected as samples at random and Questionnaires were issued to them Villages such as Cheddipalayam, Mangkadu, Thettathivu, Kaluthavalai, and Kaluvanchikudi,which engage in the production of subsidiary food items in Batticaloa district were selected and the samples taken at random. The data gathered were subjected to analysis through SPSS and Ms Excel-2007 and the inter standard deviation are expressed through charts and figures. On the basis of this research, considerable number of producers of subsidiary food items said that they face Marketing problems and due to this their income has been decreasing .It has been found that farmers in Batticaloa has been facing marketing problems because of price fluctuations that occur often ,lack of storage facilities, Varied nature of changing products, increased presence of intermediaries, and the local competition that results, non availability of business suggestions at the needed time.