Assessments of Milk Marketing Channels and Marketing Efficiency

A Case Study of Ghazipur District, Uttar Pradesh

सार

The dairy sector is a cornerstone of the rural economy in Uttar Pradesh, yet a significant portion of milk is marketed through informal, inefficient channels that reduce farmers' income. This study analyzes the structure, efficiency, and constraints of milk marketing channels in Ghazipur district. A multistage sampling technique was employed to collect primary data from 100 dairy farmers and various market intermediaries (private collection centres, vendors, halwais). The study employed Garrett's ranking for constraint analysis and calculated price spread, producer's share, and marketing efficiency. Findings reveal that only 44.06% of the marketed surplus is sold through organized channels, with the rest (55.94%) dominated by local vendors and halwais. The producer's share in the consumer's rupee decreases significantly with an increase in intermediaries, from 100% in direct sales to 61.38% in the longest channel. Marketing efficiency, measured by the modified measure, was highest for the producer-halwai-consumer channel (3.51) and lowest for channels involving multiple intermediaries (1.58). Major constraints include the high price of concentrates, low availability of green fodder, and irregular payments. The study concludes that strengthening formal market linkages, promoting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and investing in cold chain infrastructure are crucial to enhancing marketing efficiency and ensuring equitable returns for dairy farmers in Ghazipur.