Study on Marketing System and Value Addition of Pineapple Fruit (Ananus comosus) in West Bengal^§

This paper has analysed the prevailing marketing systems and activities of value-addition in pineapple fruit (Ananus comosus) using primary data collected from two major pineapple, growing districts of West Bengal during 2010–11. The study has found that raw fruits are marketed domestically and also exported. The measures of marketing efficiency (Shephard: 8.42 and Acharya: 2.42) have suggested that pineapple cultivation is highly remunerative, but marketing of raw fruits is not done properly (a small number of buyers fixing prices with visual inspection). Therefore, price variations at producers’ level are low (CV=8.55%). The producer's share is more than 66 per cent in consumer's price. Out of six marketing channels, two have the complete supply chain mechanism and only one channel is attached contractually with the private processing unit for which information seems to be limited for analysis. The processed products are also exported to the Asian and European countries. The sector has high capacity to provide employment in the rural areas. During lean season, the major demand for pineapple is fulfilled from North-East states, depriving the farmers of West Bengal to take advantage of this sector as reflected in near stagnation of pineapple area (CGR=-1.57%). The paper has suggested formation of pineapple growers’ marketing co-operatives, development of infrastructural facilities (transport and communications), primary markets, storage and handling facilities, subsidization of inputs, etc. Besides, appropriate R&D efforts for up-gradation of technology and quality of raw pineapple fruits in the area are needed to ensure sustainability of the sector and augmenting farm income in the area.