An Analysis of Marketing Constraints Faced by Farmers in Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

For farmers in India, agricultural marketing is still a major obstacle, especially in areas like Tamil Nadu's Salem district where informational, structural, and infrastructure limitations still obstruct development. With an emphasis on issues like middlemen exploitation, price volatility, a lack of storage and transportation facilities, restricted access to formal markets, and insufficient market information, this study attempts to identify and analyses the main marketing challenges that farmers in the district face. The study's foundation is a mix of secondary data from institutional and governmental reports and primary data gathered from local farmers' by using structured questionnaires. The ample size is 200 farmers and timeframe is January 2024 to May 2025. The collected data is analyzed using Garett ranking and chi square test. Due to inadequate connectivity and ignorance of alternative market platforms like e-NAM, the majority of farmers, according to the findings, rely significantly on intermediaries. In order to guarantee fair pricing and lower post-harvest losses, the study also emphasizes the necessity of increased institutional support, Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) promotion, and infrastructure development. The paper's conclusion makes recommendations for community-driven solutions and policy-level interventions to improve farmers' access to markets and profitability in the Salem district.