Information and Communication Technologies for Marketing of Horticultural Crops in India

In most developing countries, including India, agriculture is moving away from traditional self sufficiency goals (subsistence) to commercialization. In this changing scenario, an efficient marketing system is central to future growth of the sector. Horticultural crops are highly vulnerable to market fluctuations. Problems due to perishable nature of the crop are compounded by lack of storage facilities, weak infrastructure, and poor transport. This often leads to market glut and distress sale at low paying outlets. In the context of developing countries, it has been suggested that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can play a significant positive role by improving arbitrage and reducing information asymmetries. The Market Information Centre (MIC) in Kerala was established to provide vital market information to the state’s fruit and vegetable cultivators. This paper describes the use of price information provided by MIC to banana cultivators for making market transactions. The study was conducted in Wayanad district of Kerala, India. Data was collected using structured schedule and in depth interviews. Information on price realized by the farmers was collected from both users and non users of information provided by MIC centres.