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Marketing of Taro in India

Authors:
Srinivas Tavva at Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Srinivas Tavva
Maniyam Nedunchezhiyan at Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
Maniyam Nedunchezhiyan
Raj Shekhar Misra at Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
Raj Shekhar Misra
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Abstract and Figures

Taro (Colocasia spp.) is an important vegetable grown throughout India, which was in cultivation in wet tropical India before 5000 B.C., presumably coming from Malaysia, and from India further transported westward to ancient Egypt, where it was described by Greek and Roman historians as an important crop. Taro is sometimes called the " potato " of the humid tropics. Taro corms are roasted, boiled or baked and leaves are used for making Pakoda in North India. This paper envisages understanding the role of various functionaries involved in the market channels and constraints in the marketing system of taro in India. The study also generates information on the end uses of it in different parts of the country. A rapid appraisal of taro production centres was made to locate the important marketing places in the country. Detailed market survey for taro markets was made in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and New Delhi and the farmers, traders, middlemen/commission agents, retailers and consumers were interviewed with well structured interview schedules to estimate the price spread. It is grown as mono crop (in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) as well as intercrop (in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh). Taro is available in different states throughout the year either from local production or procured from other states due to differences in planting time. Market channel was identified and price spread for taro in India was estimated. The study indicated good scope for networking these markets so that market intelligence can minimize marketing costs and margins and improve producer's share in consumers' rupee.
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609
Marketing of Taro in India
T. Srinivas, M. Nedunchezhiyan* and R. S. Misra*
Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram-695 017, Kerala
*Regional Centre of Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Bhubaneswar-751 019, Orissa
Email: srinictcri@yahoo.com
Abstract
Taro (Colocasia spp.) is an important vegetable grown throughout India, which was in cultivation in wet tropical India before
5000 B.C., presumably coming from Malaysia, and from India further transported westward to ancient Egypt, where it was described
by Greek and Roman historians as an important crop. Taro is sometimes called the “potato” of the humid tropics. Taro corms are
roasted, boiled or baked and leaves are used for making Pakoda in North India. This paper envisages understanding the role of
various functionaries involved in the market channels and constraints in the marketing system of taro in India. The study also
generates information on the end uses of it in different parts of the country. A rapid appraisal of taro production centres was made
to locate the important marketing places in the country. Detailed market survey for taro markets was made in Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and New Delhi and the farmers, traders, middlemen/commission agents, retailers and
consumers were interviewed with well structured interview schedules to estimate the price spread. It is grown as mono crop (in
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa) as well as intercrop (in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh). Taro is available in
different states throughout the year either from local production or procured from other states due to differences in planting time.
Market channel was identified and price spread for taro in India was estimated. The study indicated good scope for networking
these markets so that market intelligence can minimize marketing costs and margins and improve producer’s share in consumers’
rupee.
Introduction
Taro (Colacasia spp) is native to Southeast Asia
(Kolchar, 2006). It is a perennial, tropical plant
primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible starchy
corm, and as a leaf vegetable and is considered a staple
in African, Oceanic and Asian cultures. It is believed to
have been one of the earliest cultivated plants (Annon,
2006). It is an important vegetable grown throughout
India and is sometimes called the “potato” of the humid
tropics. Globally, it is grown in an area of 1.6 m ha
producing 11.66 mt with an average productivity of
7.25 t ha-1 (FAO, 2009).
In India, it is grown in localised pockets in different
states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra
Pradesh, West Bengal and Kerala. It is cultivated
throughout India by marginal and small farmers who
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have a limited voice while marketing their produce.
Hither to no study on marketing of taro was available.
This paper envisages understanding market structure,
the role of various functionaries involved in the market,
channels of marketing, and constraints in the marketing
system of taro in India. The objectives of this study are
to identify major production and marketing centers for
taro in India and to estimate market margins in the
identified market channels, price spread and producer’s
share in consumer’s rupee and marketing efficiency
index.
Initially, a rapid appraisal of production centres of taro
was made to locate the important marketing places in
the country. Detailed market survey of taro markets was
made in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and New Delhi and interviewed the
farmers, traders, middlemen/commission agents,
retailers and consumers with well structured interview
schedules for collecting information to estimate market
margins, price spread and marketing efficiency for the
identified market channel.
a. Marketing pattern of Elephant foot yam
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and
Orissa were identified from the surveys as potential taro
production and marketing centers in India. Taro is
available in different states throughout the year either
from local production or procured from other states
due to differences in planting time. Different marketing
centres and the pattern of marketing in each centre is
presented in Table 1. As the taro farm holdings are small,
quantity available with the farmers for sale is also small.
No collective marketing is in practice. Marketing is done
mostly by commission agents.
Uttar Pradesh: Agricultural Produce Market
Committee, Baruvasagar, Jhansi district is the biggest
wholesale taro market in India. Taro produced in Uttar
Pradesh and Orissa is sold here for further distribution
to the Azadpur market in New Delhi. Open auction
system of selling taro is in practice in Baruvasagar
market. Registered traders participate in the taro
auction. Traders after purchase in the auction, farmers
are paid immediately the amount accepted in the
T. Srinivas et al.
Table 1. Major production and marketing centres of taro in India
State Production center Marketing center
Madhya Pradesh Kumti (Khandwa district)Indore Local sales in Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi
Uttar Pradesh Baruvasagar (Jhansi) Azadpur market
Bisholi (Badaun/ Farookhabad) Local sales in Uttar Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Pithapuram (East Godavari dt) Local sales,
Perakalapudi (Guntur dt) Orissa (Bhubaneswar)
Venkatagiri (Chittoor dt) Chennai
Orissa Birdihi (Nayagarh dt.) Uttar Pradesh
Cuttack Azadpur market Local sales in Orissa
Chattisgarh Raipur, Bilaspur Local sales in Chattisgarh
611
auction. Traders grade the produce into large and small
tubers and wash the tubers and pack in gunny bags
before transporting to long distance markets such as
Azadpur.
Andhra Pradesh: It is grown as mono crop in Krishna,
Guntur and Nellore districts and as intercrop in East
Godavari district. Taro is available in the market
throughout the year due to the supply from different
places/markets in the state as well as from the
neighboring Orissa. Farmers bring the produce to the
market packed in 75 kg bags without any grading.
Farmer Village Trader
/Commission
agent
Primary Wholesaler/
Commission agent
Secondary Wholesaler
/Commission agent in
other states
Exports
Retailer
Consumer
Fig. 1. Market channel for taro in India
Marketing of taro in India
Table 3. Taro in Azadpur market
Months Supplied from
April-May Bilaspur and Raipur
May-June Khandwa and Indore
June to September Baruvasagar
August to September Muradabad, Etah and
Mainpuri
November to December Dehradun (Hill Taro)
Table 2. Taro markets in Andhra Pradesh
Months Supplied from
March to May East Godavari district
(Pithapuram)
March to June From Orissa (Nayagarh and
Cuttack)
June to September Krishna and Guntur districts
September to January Nellore district (Venkatagiri)
Nevertheless grading was done at wholesaler level.
Commission agents play a major role in taro marketing
who charges 5 to 8% of the value of the produce as the
commission charge.
Orissa: Taro is produced mainly in Nayagarh and
Cuttack districts in Orissa. Taro is packed in 35 kg
baskets and brought to the market. Traders from Jhansi
and Lucknow, collect taro from farmers of Nayagarh
for selling in Northern states.
Madhya Pradesh: Taro is produced in Indore and
Khandwa districts in Madhya Pradesh for supplying to
Azadpur market in New Delhi, Baruvasagar market in
Jhansi, Rajasthan and to local markets from May to
August. Approximately 50,000 t of taro is marketed
per year from Indore and Khandwa markets. Farmers
bring the produce to market in 60-80 kg Jute gunny
bags.
New Delhi (Azadpur market): It is the largest
distribution centre of taro after Baruvasagar and
Khandwa markets. Large taro arrivals are during from
May to October in this market. Taro from Azadpur
market is supplied to local consumers and to Punjab
and Himachal Pradesh. Year long availability of taro in
this market is possible due to the supply from different
states in different months as given in Table 3.
612
T. Srinivas et al.
Table 4. Price spread in taro marketing in
Baruvasagar
Market margins Per 100 kg
Farmer’s sale price 1500
Labour charges for unloading,
grading, washing, packing, weighing) 15
Gunny Bag @ Rs38/ 100 kg capacity 38
Stitching charges 1
Market cess @ 2.5% 38
Nagarpalika cess @ 0.5% 8
Commission of Commission agent @ 3% 45
Transport charges to Azadpur market 150
Deductions in Azadpur market @
price of 7 kg taro 105
Purchase price of whole saler in
Azadpur market 1899
Unloading charges by wholesaler 3
Loading Charges 3
Margin of wholesaler 286
Sale price of wholesaler/purchase
price of retailer 2189
Transport charges 10
Unloading charges by retailer 3
Retailer’s maintenance charges 5
Retailer’s margin 441
Consumer price 2648
Total marketing cost 376
Total market margin 772
Price spread 1148
Producer’s share in consumer’s rupee 57
Shepherd Index of Marketing Efficiency 1.30
from farmer through village trader/commission agent
for further distribution to consumer through secondary
wholesaler/commission agent and retailer. Price spread
and Producer’s share in consumer’s rupee in taro
marketing in major channel (Baruvasagar market) is
presented in Table 4. Producer’s share in consumer’s
rupee was 57% and the price spread was Rs 1148 per
100 kg . Shepherd index of marketing efficiency was
estimated at 1.30. As the number of market functionaries
increases, marketing cost and margin also goes up
resulting in lower producer’s share in consumer’s rupee.
Conclusions
The study indicated good scope for networking these
markets so that market intelligence can minimize
marketing costs and margins and improve producer’s
share in consumers’ rupee. Also value can be added at
wholesaler level by grading and at secondary wholesaler
exporting the tubers by good packing. Introducing
collective marketing of the produce from small and
marginal farmers can also help to improve their share
in consumer’s rupee.
References
Country profile: Samoa, New Agriculturist Online new-agri.co,
accessed March 1, 2011
FAO, 2009. Food and Agriculture Organization of United
States, Rome. (www.faostat.org)
Kolchaar, K. 2006 Economic Botany in the Tropics, Macmillan
India
Market channel for Taro was identified and presented
as in Fig. 1. Primary wholesaler collects the produce
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Colocasia esculenta leaves possess vital nutritive and nonnutritive components in significant amounts, but are underutilized, and lesser explored. The chemical composition varies significantly depending upon climatic conditions and other agronomical factors of the location of cultivation and variety. Micronutrients, viz. iron (3.4–11.7 mg 100 g–1), copper (0.29–0.8 mg 100 g–1), magnesium (170–752 mg 100 g–1), potassium (0.4–2.4 g 100 g–1), and zinc (0.6–4.2 mg 100 g–1) are present in high amounts. The ratio of sodium to potassium (1:40) in the leaves add specifically to the antihypertensive properties. Preclinical and clinical studies provide evidence of its antidiabetic, antihemorrhagic, neuropharmacological properties, and as a remedy for stomach and liver ailments. Assessment of phytochemical compounds like chlorogenic acid, anthraquinones, cinnamic acid derivatives, and other phenolics validates these biological properties. The major limiting factor of this plant is oxalate that can be suppressed through food processing strategies. Colocasia leaves are promising green leafy vegetables with nutritional and clinical potential. Practical applications Colocasia leaves have demonstrated the ability of antidiabetic, antihypertensive, immunoprotective, neuroprotective, and anticarcinogenic activities. The detailed assessment of phytochemical compounds present in various extracts of the leaves shows the presence of active chemical compounds like anthraquinones, apigenin, catechins, cinnamic acid derivatives, vitexin, and isovitexin which are possibly responsible for the exhibited biological properties. Colocasia leaves are rich sources of micronutrients; however, the presence of oxalates can prohibit proper utilization of these nutrients. Various food processing strategies like soaking, cooking, and so on can significantly reduce the antinutritional content and make these nutrients available for utilization. Documentation of traditional uses and food products from Colocasia leaves show that these leaves have immense potential in the functional food product as well as drug development.
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Economic Botany in the Tropics, Macmillan India Market channel for Taro was identified and presented as in Fig
  • Jan 2006
  • K Kolchaar
Kolchaar, K. 2006 Economic Botany in the Tropics, Macmillan India Market channel for Taro was identified and presented as in Fig. 1. Primary wholesaler collects the produce
Food and Agriculture Organization of United States, Rome
  • Jan 2009
FAO, 2009. Food and Agriculture Organization of United States, Rome. (www.faostat.org)