Evaluation of the Constraints Perceived by Farmers in Production and Marketing of Betel Vines in Bankura District of West Bengal, India

Agriculture is the skeleton of Indian Economy and the stabilising point of social structure and economical skeleton of the country. Apart from providing National Income, ensuring food security or generating employment, Agriculture is the main stay behind the cultural commonality and the economic homogeneity of the society. The present study on betel vines was executed in Taldangra Block of Bankura district, West Bengal. The study area was chosen through purposive sampling due to dominance of commercial betel vines. Sampling was also done following the principle of convenient sampling as the study area is earlierly known to the researchers. To minimise the recall biases a personal rapport was established with the farmers before surveying & data collection. Study was conducted in Agricultural year 2023-24 by Primary data collection from 120 farmers of seven randomly selected villages. The study assessed the constraints faced by the farmers in the production and marketing of betel leaves growing and how much they have been affected by these problems. Primary data were individually taken to assess the intensity of problems at individual level, through a semi-structured and pretested schedule, employing Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) as per requirement. The result indicated that four major production constraints are unavailability of timely credit, yield loss due to climatic variability, high fixed Cost (mainly for establishment of orchard), lack of proper training and extension activities and major marketing constraints are higher degree of price fluctuation, middlemen involvement, lack of export services, lack of definite price policy. Other associated constraints are labour unavailability during harvest, unavailability of good planting materials, storage unavailability, leaves damage during transportation, lack of market information. Major suggestions received from the farmers regarding alleviation of these constraints are arrangement for govt. subsidy and proper training and extension programmes, direct connection with buyers for lowering middlemen frequency and interference which unnecessarily increases the price, construction of storage house for storing betel leaves to reduce post-harvest loss.