Author(s):

N Kumarasamy and R Dhanasekarapandian

Abstract: Potato is a major vegetable crop widely consumed throughout Tamil Nadu but grown only in the hilly regions of Dindigul, Nilgiris, Krishnagiri and Erode districts. The post-harvest activities for potato have not picked up commensurate with the level of production. This study primarily focuses on i) to identify the different marketing channels ii) to estimate the post-harvest losses of potato in different transaction points (farm level and market level). Among the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, Dindigul and Nilgiris districts are the major potato producing districts with large area under potato during 2016-17. Considering the area, production and productivity indicators, Dindigul and Nilgiris districts were selected purposively. Multistage purposive sampling was adopted for this study. A total of 120 sample farmers from 12 villages and 155 market functionaries were selected for collecting field level information. The results of the study are majority of the farmers (60 per cent) had the practice of selling the produce through institutional markets. The Identified the marketing channels from Kodaikanal had two marketing channels and Ooty had seven marketing channels. In Kodaikanal, the total post-harvest losses were 88.06 kg and 27.94 kg per tonnes in marketing channels I and II, respectively. In Ooty, the total post-harvest losses were high in marketing channel VII it accounted for 152.83kg per tonnes. The policy implications of this study are institutions should come forward to promote farm level post-production management system should be created to minimise losses in the different transaction points.

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