Marketing of Elephant foot yam-An upcoming commercial crop in India

T.Srinivas, M.Nedunchezhiyan and R.S.Misra

Central Tuber Crops Research Institute Thiruvananthapuram 695 017 Kerala India

Introduction
Commonly known as "Suran" or "Jimmikand". Traditionally cultivated on commercial scale in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala states Slowly spreading to other States like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and so on. Tubers have both nutritional and medicinal value.

Introduction
In northern and eastern states, local cultivars are grown. The most popular variety for commercial cultivation in India is Gajendra. Generally used as vegetable and for making pickles and indigenous ayurvedic preparations for various ailments. Highest income earner to the cultivator irrespective of the production system and temporal variations.

Statistics
State West Bengal Kerala Andhra Pradesh Other states Chattisgarh Tamil Nadu Bihar Gujarat Jharkhand Total Area (ha) 11,730 11,182 3,439 3,000 898 807 408 350 198 32,012 Production (Mt) 163,560 279,550 100,829 54,000 8,675 20,175 17,883 14,400 8,250 667,323 Yield (t ha-1) 13.94 25.00 29.32 18.00 9.66 25.00 43.83 41.14 41.67 20.85

Source: Unpublished statistics from Department of Agriculture/Horticulture of various states, 2008-09

Objectives
To understand the role of various functionaries involved in the market. To identify channels of marketing. To estimate price spread in different channels of marketing. To identify the constraints in the marketing elephant foot yam, and To generate information on the end uses of tubers in different parts of the country.

Methodology
Identified production centres of the crop through different surveys conducted earlier. A rapid appraisal of production centres of elephant foot yam was made to locate the important marketing places in the country. Detailed survey of identified market places was made to identify market channels and to estimate price spread in each identified channel.

Methodology
Detailed market survey for elephant foot yam was made in
Andhra Pradesh Kerala West Bengal Bihar Tamil Nadu New Delhi -Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari -Ernakulam and Wayanad -24 Parganas and Nadia -Samstipur, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, and -Tirunelveli -Azadpur market

Interviewed the farmers, wholesalers, middlemen/ commission agents, retailers and consumers using structured interview schedule.

Results
Difference in planting time and staggered harvesting of the crop in different months and in different places enabled traders to supply throughout the year. Village agents, commission agents, wholesalers, semiwholesalers, retailers and consumers are the different market functionaries involved. No organised marketing of elephant foot yam tubers in practice. Marketing is dominated by commission agents. Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and New Delhi are the main marketing and distributing centres for elephant foot yam.

Results
Grading of tubers is done by the commission agent/ trader at farm level itself according to size, marketing place and quality (infested or not) of tubers. Storage of Elephant Foot Yam tubers from February March for two to three months in anticipation of high price in the period of June-July is practiced. Traders in Bihar are practicing hedging to minimize the effects of price fluctuations.

Production and marketing centers of elephant foot yam

State Production Centres Marketing Centers

Andhra Pradesh

East Godavari West Godavari Krishna Guntur Tirunelveli Erode

Orissa West Bengal Tamil Nadu Maharashtra Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Kerala

Ernakulam- Manyali Kerala Wayanad- Pulpally Tamil Nadu Malappuram- Perinthalmanna 24 Paraganas Nadia Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Begusarai Surat- Chikki Ahmedabad- Billimora Jaunpur West Bengal North Eastern states Bihar and West Bengal Gujarat New Delhi Uttar Pradesh

West Bengal Bihar Gujarat Uttar Pradesh

Production and Marketing Seasons of Elephant Foot Yam

State
Andhra Pradesh

Planting Season
1. June July (Krishna & Guntur districts) 2. November-December (East & West Godavari districts) 1.November-December (Manyali & Perinthalamanna) 2.April-May (Wayanad) January-March (24 Paraganas & Nadia) June -July June-July (Surat, Ahmedabad) March-April (Samastipur, Muzaffarpur)

Harvesting season
December-March June-July

Marketing center
West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu

Kerala

June

Kerala and Tamil Nadu

November-December October-November West Bengal and North Eastern states Tamil Nadu H.P, Punjab & New Delhi West Bengal

West Bengal

Tamil Nadu Gujarat Bihar

January February - March November-December

Market preference for Elephant Foot Yam tuber size

Size/Weight 1.5 - 2 kg 2 kg 2 - 3 kg 2 - 4 kg 5 - 6 kg 6 - 7 kg

Market Places Hyderabad market, Mumbai Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu & Mumbai Andhra Pradesh West Bengal Kerala

Market Channels for elephant foot yam in India

Farmer

Village Trader/ Commission agent

Primary Wholesaler

Secondary Wholesaler

Retailer

Commission agents in other states

Exports

Consumer

Market channels for elephant foot yam

Channel 1: Producer-Consumer Channel 2: Producer-Village Agent-Consumer Channel 3: Producer-Commission agent Primary wholesalerSecondary wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer Channel 4: Producer-Commission agent in A.P-Commission agent in Other states-Wholesaler-RetailerConsumer Channel 5: Producer-Commission agent-Wholesaler-RetailerConsumer

Price Spread in Elephant Foot Yam Marketing in India

Channel 1 Producer's price (Rs/kg) Marketing cost (Rs/kg) 0.80 Marketing margin (Rs/kg) 0 Consumer's price (Rs/kg) 5.00 Price spread (Rs/kg) 0.80 Producer's share in consumer's rupee (%) 84.00 2.00 60.00 6.50 31.58 7.00 30.00 9.00 50.00 5.00 9.50 10.00 18.00 1.20 3.42 3.29 4.72 0.80 3.09 3.71 4.24 4.20 Channel 2 3.00 Channel 3 3.00 Channel 4 3.00 Channel 5 9.00

Price Spread, marketing costs and margins in marketing of elephant foot yam in india (Rs/kg)
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
l1 l2 l3 l4 l5 Ch an ne Ch an ne Ch an ne Ch an ne Ch an ne

Producer's price (Rs/kg)

Marketing cost (Rs/kg)
Marketing margin (Rs/kg)
Consumer's price (Rs/kg)
Price spread (Rs/kg)

Rupees

Market Channel

Producer's share in consumer's rupee in different market channels of elephant foot yam marketing in India
100
Percentage

80 60 40 20 0 Channel Channel Channel Channel Channel 1 2 3 4 5 Market channels

Producer's share in consumer's rupee

Planting April-May Harvesting- October-November

Pulpally EFY

Monocrop in low lands Inter crop in Black Pepper Orchards

Local Commission agent in Pulpally Wholesaler in Angamaly market (November-December Planting) Local Commission agent in Manyali Wholesaler (Thrissur, Palakkad) Retailer Consumer Wholesaler in Perinthalamanna market (January-February planting) Local Commission agent Wholesaler (Coimbatore)

Market channel for Elephant Foot Yam in Kerala

Price spread in elephant foot yam marketing in Kerala

Farm harvest price (Rs. per kg) Weighing Charges Deductions Agent Commission (8%) from farmer Agent Commission (8%) from wholesaler Loading charges Transport charges Market cess Unloading charges Marketing cost of commission agent Commission charges of commission agent Purchase price of wholesaler /Sale price of commission agent 9 0.04 0.25 0.8 0.96 0.07 0.75 0.03 0.06 1.2 1.76 12

Price spread in elephant foot yam marketing in Kerala

Weighing charges Loading charges Rent for shop Transport to local market Marketing cost of wholesaler Marketing margin of wholesaler Sale price of wholesaler/Purchase price of Retailer Rent for shop Transport charges Loading charges Weight loss Marketing cost of retailer Marketing margin of retailer Sale price of retailer/Consumer price Producers share in consumer 's Rupee Price Spread Total Marketing Cost Total Marketing Margin 0.05 0.07 0.07 0.05 0.24 1.76 14 0.07 0.2 0.07 0.7 1.04 2.96 18 50.00 9 4.24 4.72

Problems in marketing of elephant foot yam

Glut in the market during harvest season. Farm harvest price decreases and farmer will get less income. Tubers cannot be stored for long in Kerala due to immature harvest and in West Bengal due to peeling of outer skin while harvesting. Labour availability during harvest season is a problem. No value addition to the tubers. Commission agent exploitation is high. Farmers depend mostly on commission agents for procuring seed material as well as for selling the harvested produce.

Elephant Foot yam cultivation in Manyali, Ernakulam dt. In Kerala

Elephant Foot yam cultivation in Black Pepper orchards in Wayanad district in Kerala

Storage of Elephant Foot Yam tubers for seed purpose in Wayanad dt.

Elephant Foot Yam tuber stored for seed purpose

Elephant Foot yam tubers yet to be harvested

Farmers selling the Elephant Foot Yam tubers directly in the Rajamundry (AP) market

Elephant Foot Yam tubers collected by the commission agent

Elephant Foot Yam tubers packed in gunny bags and ready for sale

Taro+Yam cultivation in Andhra Pradesh

Elephant Foot Yam, Bombay Yam cultivation in Banana orchard

Bombay Yam cultivation in Banana orchard

Harvesting Elephant Foot Yam in Krishna dt. Of AP

Packed Elephant Foot Yam tubers for sale at Vijayawada market

Growing Black gram in the Elephant Foot Yam field

Elephant Foot Yam from Gujarat sold in Azadpur market, New Delhi

Weighed produce for delivery

Weighing Elephant Foot Yam tubers

Packed Elephant Foot Yam tubers ready for sale

Farmer himself selling in weekly markets WEST BENGAL Farmer bringing the harvested tubers to weekly market

Weighing elephant foot yam tubers

Elephant Foot Yam tubers Packed in bamboo baskets

Value addition in elephant foot yam

Vermicelli produced from elephant foot yam