Factor analysis of production and marketing problems faced by banana farmers in Thoothukudi District

The study is a combination of both descriptive and analytical methods. The present study is empirical and hence field survey method and personal interview technique were adopted. The study indicated that the all factors favour to cultivation of banana production. Hence the adequate steps may be laid to reduce the cost of production. The study also concluded that there are nine factors that had Eigen value exceeding “one”. Among those four factors, the first factor accounted for 23.834 percent of the variance, the second 43.812 percent, the third factor 61.396 percent, fourth factor 72.446 and last factor 100.00 per cent of the variance in the data set. The first five factors are the final factors solution and they all together represent 100.00 percent of the total variance in the scale items measuring the factors related to influence in production and marketing of banana. From the above factor matrix, it is found that coefficients for factor-I have high absolute correlations with High Transportation Charges, Late Payment by wholesalers/village merchants, and Perish ability of the Banana that is,.507,.432, and.365 respectively. Similarly factor-II has high absolute correlation with variable Weight Loss, Absence of Cold Storage and Lack of Ripening Chambers that is,.209,.153, and.078 respectively. Next, factor III has high absolute correlation with variable Lack of Assured Price, Low Price per Unit and Collusion among the traders that is,.800,.335 and.125 respectively. If the factors are uncorrelated among themselves, then in the factor correlation matrix, the diagonal elements will be 1’s and off diagonal elements will be 0’s. Since matrix was rotated with Varimax, barring some variables all other variables are found to have, even if not zero correlations but fairly, low correlation.