Price variation in vegetable market: a study on effective supply chain management in Bangladesh

Abstract

This report attempts to investigate the efficient marketing channel of vegetables. Appropriate marketing channels and market functionaries are important in the movement of vegetables from the producers to the consumers. The outputs of the present study are expected to fill up the information gap and thereby contribute greatly to find out efficient marketing options in order to formulate a meaningful national policy to improve the fragile marketing systems of vegetables in Bangladesh. To conduct this research both primary and secondary data have been used. For collecting primary data a group of 10 Producers, 10 Farias, 10 Aratdars, 10 Wholesalers, and 10 retailers have been selected as respondents of different categories of samples. No statistical formula has been used to determine the size of those samples. Rather personal judgment is used to determine the size of the sample. For the convenience of the study data on two cold storages have also been collected. The main objectives of the study is to identify the factors for price variation, actors or intermediaries involved in the Supply Chain Management System of vegetables, net profit margins for each category of vegetables and to identify the problems and remedy of the existing Supply Chain. In the present study two important vegetables (Potato and Brinjal) have been selected. Substantial amounts of secondary data on production and market prices of the selected vegetables have been collected. The collected data are analyzed and required tables and graphs have been prepared to present and discuss the results. An extensive primary survey has also conducted to study marketing channels, market actors, gross and net margins and marketing constrains.