ESTABLISHING AND NETWORKING OF AGRICULTURAL

MARKET INTELLIGENCE CENTRES IN INDIA

(NAIP COMPONENT – I)

The agricultural market environment is changing with

unprecedented speed and in very diverse ways-locally and globally.

These dynamic affect farm prices and thereby farm income. The

majority of the rural producers are unable to understand and

interpret the market and price behavior to their advantages. Thus,

the market information and intelligence are crucial to enable

farmers and traders to make informed decisions.

Importance of Market Information and Price Forecasting

Market information can be used by those who involved in the

marketing process to make better marketing decisions. The primary

aim of the market information service is to increase the degree of

knowledge of market participants (farmers, traders and consumers)

about the market.

Farmers always have to take the decisions like what crop or

combination of crops to grow? When to plant? and where to sell?

Traders i.e. wholesalers, retailers, importers or exporters of

produces must make several marketing decisions which includes

what commodity or commodities to sell? Where to sell? At what

time to sell? etc. Consumers always face the problem like where to

buy? What commodities to buy? In making these decisions, market

information play important role for farmers, traders and consumers.

Market information is also needed by policy makers and

government officials to frame marketing policies.

The project entitled “Establishing and Networking of

Agricultural Market Intelligence Centres in India” has been started

under NAIP, New Delhi at following 11 centres in India with TNAU,

Coimbatore as Lead Centre:

1) Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil

Nadu).

2) Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad (Andhra

Pradesh).

3) Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

(Haryana).

4) Dr. Punjabarao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola

(Maharashtra).

5) G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar

(Uttaranchal).

6) Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh (Gujarat).

7) Kerala Agricultural University, Trichur (Kerala).

8) Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology,

Udaipur (Rajasthan).

9) Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab).

10) University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (Karnataka).

11) University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (Karnataka).

The Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre (AMIC) has been

established at the Department of Agricultural Economics, Junagadh

Agricultural University, Junagadh since July, 2009 to disseminate

timely, comprehensive, current and future price intelligence on

agricultural commodities for better scientific decision-making by

farming community, traders, government officials and researchers.

Groundnut, cotton, sesamum, castor, pigeonpea, blackgram,

wheat, mustard, cumin and chickpea are the mandate crops

selected for the Gujarat State.

Using the real time price data, Agricultural Market Intelligence

Centre forecasts the prices of major agricultural commodities in

Gujarat on regular basis. The resultant outcomes were transmitted

to the farmers through newspapers in Gujarati, radio, regular

meetings/ trainings and voice mail SMS in the collaboration with

IFFCO. This information is also posted on official website of the

university i.e. www.jau.in

Project Objectives:

1. Providing price forecasts during pre-sowing and pre-harvest

periods of major agricultural commodities.

2. Making available product intelligence to all stakeholders.

3. Providing information on high price market to producers.

4. Improving the dissemination of market intelligence.

5. Increasing the capacity to absorbs and use such market

intelligence by all stakeholders.

6. Developing commodity market outlook for selected commodity

for state level.

7. Providing commodity market research report.

We aim to:

Help the farmers in realizing higher net price.

Provide improved regional linkages in the generation,

dissemination and sharing market information for better decision

making.

Provide improved access and use of market intelligence with

better production and marketing strategies to all stakeholders in

the marketing chain.

Progress: At a glance

Database created and updated for representative markets of

mandate crops.

A benchmark survey report of 100 farmers has been prepared to

assess the impact attributable to the project at larger stages of

evaluation.

Thirty seven price forecasts released for major agricultural

commodities and disseminated through major regional

newspapers.

One hundred thirty paper clippings released for maximum

dissemination to end users.

Twenty eight voice mail SMS to the 20,08,580 farmers on board

were delivered at free of cost through the Green Card mobile

holders of IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Ltd., a joint venture of IFFCO with

Bharti Airtel Ltd. with call back facility.

Twenty farmers and ten officers trainings were conducted

involving 1014 farmers and 437 Agricultural Officials as a part of

capacity building with emphasis on utilizing market intelligence

for decision making.

A chickpea price forecast impact study report has been prepared.

Groundnut commodity report has been completed. Also, castor

and cumin commodities reports are in progress.

The validity of price forecast remained on an average about 95

per cent for all the mandate crops.

Price Forecasts

Upto January 2012, the AMIC team of Department of

Agricultural Economics, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh

has given 37 price forecasts for the 10 major crops of the state.

Sr. No.

Crop Time of forecast Forecasted price

1 Groundnut At harvest (Nov., 2009) ` 560-620/ 20 kg2 Mustard At harvest (Feb., 2010) ` 2420-2480/ qtl3 Chickpea At harvest (March, 2010) Bold: ` 420-460/ 20 kg

Small: ` 380-430/ 20 kg4 Groundnut Before sowing (June, 2010) Bold: ` 560-630/ 20 kg

Small: ` 520-580/ 20 kg5 Cotton Before sowing (June, 2010) ` 640-720/ 20kg6 Sesamum Before sowing (June, 2010) ` 1000-1200/ 20 kg7 Blackgram Before sowing (June, 2010) ` 840-900/ 20 kg8 Castor Before sowing (July, 2010) ` 620-670/ 20 kg9 Pigeon pea Before sowing (July, 2010) ` 720-770/ 20 kg10 Blackgram At harvest (Oct., 2010) ` 780-880/ 20kg11 Sesamum At harvest (Nov., 2010) ` 1000-1250/ 20 kg12 Groundnut At harvest (Nov., 2010) Bold: ` 560-650/ 20 kg

Small: ` 520-620/ 20 kg

13 Wheat Before sowing (Nov., 2010) ` 270-320/ 20 kg14 Chickpea Before sowing (Nov., 2010) Bold: ` 440-540/ 20 kg

Small: ` 420-500/ 20 kg15 Cumin Before sowing (Dec., 2010) ` 2400-2700/ 20 kg16 Mustard Before sowing (Dec., 2010) ` 2250-2500/ qtl.17 Cotton At harvest (Dec., 2010) ` 775-925/ 20 kg18 Pigeon pea At harvest (Feb., 2011) ` 700-800/ 20 kg19 Castor At harvest (March, 2011) ` 840-1000/ 20 kg20 Chickpea At harvest (March, 2011) Bold: ` 500-580/ 20 kg

Small: ` 440-540/ 20 kg21 Wheat At harvest (March, 2011) ` 240-320/ 20 kg22 Cumin At harvest (March, 2011) ` 2600-3100/ 20 kg23 Mustard At harvest (March, 2011) ` 2250-2550/ qtl24 Cotton Before sowing (June, 2011) ` 700-900/ 20 kg25 Groundnut Before sowing (June, 2011) Bold: ` 640-740/ 20 kg

Small: ` 600-700/ 20 kg 26 Sesamum Before sowing (June, 2011) ` 1000-1200/ 20 kg27 Blackgram Before sowing (June, 2011) ` 600-700/ 20 kg28 Pigeonpea Before sowing (July, 2011) ` 600-750/ 20 kg29 Castor Before sowing (July, 2011) ` 900-1100/ 20 kg30 Blackgram At harvest (Sept., 2011) ` 700-850/ 20kg31 Sesamum At harvest (Sept., 2011) ` 1050-1250/ 20 kg32 Groundnut At harvest (Nov., 2011) Bold: ` 640-760/ 20 kg

Small: ` 620-720/ 20 kg33 Cotton At harvest (Nov., 2011) ` 700-900/ 20 kg34 Wheat Before sowing (Nov., 2011) ` 240-300/ 20 kg35 Chickpea Before sowing (Nov., 2011) Bold: ` 550-650/ 20 kg

Small: ` 500-600/ 20 kg36 Cumin Before sowing (Nov., 2011) ` 2400-2600/ 20 kg37 Mustard Before sowing (Nov., 2011) ` 500-600/ 20 kg

The forecasted price is disseminated to the farmers through

newspapers, radio, voice SMS, trainings and KVKs.

Farmers’ Trainings

Upto January 2012, the AMIC team of Department of

Agricultural Economics, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh

has conducted 20 farmer trainings, in which 964 farmers

participated.

Training No.

Place Date No. of farmers

1 KVK, Amreli 16/01/2010 502 KVK, Targhadia 22/01/2010 523 SSK, Junagadh 23/02/2010 504 KVK, Khapat 23/03/2010 505 FTC, Jamnagar 05/08/2010 506 FTC, Rajkot 26/08/2010 51

7 FTC, Amreli 18/11/2010 508 Malila, Chalala 30/12/2010 509 Sankhada, Una 29/01/2011 54

10 Sanosara 01/03/2011 5011 Liliya 09/03/2011 5212 Vanthali 19/03/2011 5013 Veg. Res. Station, Junagadh 25/03/2011 5014 Bagasara (Nana Munjiyasar) 23/06/2011 5015 JAU, Halvad 30/09/2011 5516 Valukad (Palitana) 12/10/2011 5017 Moviya 18/10/2011 5018 Patana Bhal (Vallabhipur) 12/11/2011 5019 SSK, JAU, Junagadh 14/12/2011 5020 FTC, Amreli 11/01/2012 50

Total 1014

Officials’ Trainings

Upto January 2012, the AMIC team of Department of

Agricultural Economics, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh

has conducted 10 official trainings, in which 366 officials

participated.

Training No.

Place Date No. of officials

1 DEE, Junagadh 03/08/2010 312 FTC, Bhavnagar 13/08/2010 503 Dir. of Agri., Rajkot 03/12/2010 544 KVK, Amreli 07/01/2011 525 KVK, Jamnagar 17/01/2011 506 DAO, Junagadh 17/02/2011 377 Ag. Econ., Junagadh 17/03/2011 508 FTC, DAO, Surendranagar 21/10/2011 429 JAU, Mahuva 12/01/2012 36

10 KVK, Amreli 18/01/2012 3511 KVK, Khapat 09/02/2012

Total 437

PMAC Review:

Dr. S. S. Acharya, Chairman, Review Committee of NAIP

Component-I, rated the performance and progress of this project as

an “Excellent” during the review meeting held on 17/08/2011 at

NCAP, ICAR, New Delhi.