Linking small farmers to emerging agricultural marketing systems in India—the case study of a fresh food retail chain in Punjab^§

Linking primary producers with global and national markets through fresh food retail chains is seen as one of the emerging agricultural marketing practices in India to improve small producer’s livelihoods. The fresh food retail chains are investing from farm to fork to buy fruits and vegetables directly from farmers and sell them to retail buyers. However, fresh food retail chains are largely found working with only large farmers and exclude small farmers for various reasons. In this context, this paper has examined the operations of a fresh food retail chain named ‘Easy Day’ and its interface with farmers in Punjab. The study has revealed that fresh food retail chain primarily works with small intensive vegetable cultivators. It has been found that the retail chain farmers could realize higher profits compared to non-RC (traditional market supplying) farmers mainly because of higher yield and higher price realization in the traditional market because of better quality produce. The retail chain procures only a part of the farmers’ produce and the remaining produce has to be sold in the local markets. The retail chain has not made a genuine effort to provide agriinputs and extension services to the farmers. The study has proposed a number of strategies to further facilitate the marketing of produce of small farmers.