PROBLEM AND PROSPECTS OF AGRICULTURAL MARKETING IN NORTH-EAST INDIA: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ASSAM

Agricultural marketing comprises all activities involved in supply of farm inputs to the farmers and movement of agricultural products from the farms to the consumers. It has basically two processes namely, input marketing and product marketing. Input marketing deals with marketing of farm inputs to the farmers like fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery, electricity etc. Whereas, product marketing deals with the marketing of agricultural outcome products and the movement flow from farmers, primary traders, wholesalers, importers, exporters and retailers. It plays an important role in not only production and consumption but also in accelerating multiplier effect to the pace of development. The economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with 69% of the population engaged in it. Over the last decades, the agriculture of Assam shows an upward trend including rising the supply of agricultural commodities, increase in urbanization, and increase in income levels. Therefore it is high time to deal with the importance of agricultural marketing for optimization of resource use and output management, widening of markets, growth of agro-based industries, adoption and spread of new technology (ICT), employment creation, and addition to national income and creation of utility. The present study brings out past and present scenarios of agricultural marketing prevailing in Assam. This paper is an attempt to see the challenges and opportunities relating to agricultural marketing in Assam. In future there is a policy requirement of ICT’s business strategy for efficient and better management practices of agriculture in Assam