Production Surplus, Marketing Behaviour and Problems of Pearl Millet Growers in Gird Region, Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is a drought-tolerant cereal crop cultivated under arid and semi-arid conditions, particularly in rainfed and low-fertility areas. The present study examined production surplus, marketing behaviour and constraints faced by pearl millet growers in the Gird region of Madhya Pradesh, India, during the agricultural year 2019-20. Morena district was purposively selected because of its importance in pearl millet production. A total of 90 pearl millet growers were selected through stratified random sampling and classified into small-scale (<2 ha), medium-scale (2-4 ha) and large-scale (>4 ha) farm groups, with 30 respondents in each group. Primary data on production, consumption, marketable surplus, marketed surplus and marketing constraints were collected through personal interviews. The average production of pearl millet was 14.00 qtl, 13.00 qtl and 14.80 qtl per farm for small-, medium- and large-scale farmers, respectively. Marketable surplus was highest among small-scale farmers (10.15 qtl), followed by medium-scale (7.77 qtl) and large-scale farmers (6.54 qtl). In contrast, marketed surplus was lower across all categories, at 4.00 qtl, 3.00 qtl and 2.66 qtl, respectively. The findings indicate that immediate cash requirements, inadequate storage and limited holding capacity influenced marketing decisions. The most frequently reported constraint was lack of transportation facilities (92.22%), followed by adverse weather conditions (81.11%), malpractices by middlemen (77.77%), high price fluctuations (75.55%), lack of improved varieties (72.22%) and inadequate marketing intelligence (71.11%). The study suggests that improved transport, storage, market information, access to improved seeds and institutional marketing support may improve market participation and returns for pearl millet growers in the region.