Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

This study assessed the marketing constraints experienced by grape growers and the measures they proposed for addressing these difficulties in Sangli district, Maharashtra. An ex-post-facto research design was adopted in Tasgaon, Jath and Miraj tehsils. Data were collected through personal interviews with 150 growers from 15 villages using a structured interview schedule and analysed through frequencies, percentages and ranks. Exploitation by middlemen was the most frequently reported marketing constraint (87.33%), followed by complex export procedures (84.00%) and high cold-storage charges (79.33%). Other constraints included fluctuations in market prices (72.00%), low produce prices (68.67%), inadequate storage facilities (60.67%) and lack of processing units (58.00%). Limited export-oriented knowledge (54.67%), delayed cash payments (52.67%) and insufficient market information (48.67%) were also reported. Regarding mitigation, 92.67% of respondents recommended the introduction of a minimum support price for grapes, while 88.00% suggested affordable disease-free planting material and plant-protection chemicals. Additional suggestions included accessible cold-storage facilities (77.33%), marketing and export training (68.67%), exporter cluster schemes (66.00%), processing facilities in grape-growing areas (63.33%) and credit at lower interest rates (43.33%). The findings indicate that growers placed considerable importance on fair pricing, market infrastructure, export-related support and affordable production inputs. The results may inform locally relevant initiatives that respond to the marketing constraints and priorities identified by the surveyed growers.