Market Structure and Marketing Efficiency in Fruits and Vegetables

India is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables (F&V) in the world. In India the share of F&V in Gross Cropped Area increased but productivity growth decelerated over the period of time. Along with deceleration in the productivity growth F&V face several problems in marketing. Some of these include inadequate infrastructure facilities. As a result there has been significant concern in the recent years to enhance the efficiency in production and marketing of F&V crops in India. Therefore this study examine the trends and patterns in F&V crops across states in India with a focus on Tamil Nadu. It also measure technical efficiency (TE) of farm households in F&V and determinants of technical inefficiency. It identify the existing marketing channels for F&V crops and measure marketing efficiency based on the estimates of price spread under major channels. Further it examine the factors that influence farmers’ participation in selected marketing channels for F&V. The study analyse marketing efficiency by testing Asymmetric Price Transmission (APT) in a vertical market system for selected F&V crops. Finally the study provides policy suggestions based on findings.