A critical study on understanding the importance of grading and standardisation of agricultural produce on its marketability and bargaining power of farmers

Rise in the production of various agricultural produce is not sufficient for the economic development process in this country and also of the farmers. It also requires a scientific and systematic marketing system for the purpose of marketing agricultural produce in domestic market as well as in international market. Marketing of agricultural produce means a series of activities involved in the movement of agricultural produces from the point of production to the point of consumption. According to experts, agricultural marketing comprises all operations involved in the movement of farm produce from the farmer to the ultimate consumer. Agricultural marketing essentially includes the operations like collecting, separation, grading, standardising, processing, preserving, transportation and selling.

Since independence in India, agricultural marketing is characterized by pervasive government intervention. This intervention took place for various purposes in various forms. With the passage of time the need for agricultural marketing also changed. In the initial period, marketing for agriculture was required to increase productivity, provide a market for agricultural produce, arrangement for agricultural credit, Etc. But in today's scenario, agricultural marketing is needed to enhance the efficiency of the producers to market their agriculture produce so that they can earn desired market margin, especially due to the deficiency of proper grading facilities and standardised measures for categorisation of agricultural produce at the farmers’ level. This essentially leads to weak bargaining power of farmers, lower price for agricultural produce and eventually the lower margins.