Author: Deepak Mani Pokhrel
AIT Library Call Number: AIT Diss. no.RD-05-03
Year: 2005
Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)
Type: Thesis (Ph.D.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2005
Examination Committee: Gopal B. Thapa (Chairperson); S.L. Ranamukhaarachchi, Soparth Pongquan, Beatrice Knerr(Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: Citrus promotion has been a major component of the agricultural development strategy for the twin objectives of economic growth and environmental conservation in the mountains of Nepal. However, the experience in implementation of this strategy revealed little success in terms of area covered by citrus, despite an ever-increasing demand. Preceding studies on citrus production indicated marketing problem as the major constraint, but failed to provide any solid evidence based on in-depth analysis of the ground situation. This study made an effort to bridge this research gap by analyzing structure, conduct and performance of particularly the mandarin marketing system in an area of Dhading district designed as citrus pocket area by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Nepal. Required information for this study was collected through a household survey and group discussions at farmers’ level. Complementary information was collected through interviews with marketing intermediaries, citrus processors and cold store owners. Besides, information was collected from local leaders, policymakers, program executioners, independent policy analysts and secondary sources. Following an exploration of marketing channels, various aspects of mandarin marketing such as roles and behavior of relevant participants, interactions among them, the limitations they face, the strategies they apply in quality and price setting, the income they share in the prevailing price structure, marketing costs and variations in prices were assessed using descriptive statistics, cost-benefit analyses and multivariate techniques. Focused on major grass-roots problems revealed by such analyses, state policies were evaluated in the light of opinions gathered from various experts by using qualitative techniques. The farmer-collectors purchased the major proportion of marketed mandarin on lump sum per tree basis and sold to retailers through commission-agents. Mostly transactions were made on credit with verbal promise of payment of due after the cle
Scholarship Donor(s): HMG (N), AIT
Note: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
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