Collective Initiatives for Improving Bargaining Power of Farmers — Role of Agribusiness and Export Knowledge Centre, UAS, Dharwad

Considering the growing importance of marketing in agriculture, the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, established a centre to provide technical guidance to farmers, to act as a liaison agent with several developmental departments and agencies, and to address the problems related to marketing, agribusiness and export of agricultural and horticultural products. The centre organizes growers associations for different commodities under the nomenclature “Sufal” in northern Karnataka and has organized four such associations for chillies (3) and flower (1) in different places. Efforts have been made to popularize ‘Eurep Gap’ and ‘Organic’ certification of farms. It has also facilitated the establishment of infrastructural facilities for export promotion worth of 22 crore in Hubli and Bagalkot. The farmers associations are linked directly to the exporters to realize better prices. The farmers are also educated through mass media in the areas of quality production, marketing and exports. The centre has developed linkages with many development departments for export promotion and marketing.