Factors affecting market outlet decision of pineapple producers in Meghalaya: A multivariate probit approach

The choice of appropriate outlets for marketing and the accessibility of market outlets play a pivotal role as it impacts the income of households. The present study was carried out to determine the factors influencing the market outlet decisions of pineapple growers in Meghalaya, with the aim to identify possible areas of intervention. A multistage sampling technique was followed to select 100 pineapple farmers from Ri-Bhoi and West Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya. Data were analyzed using Multivariate Probit and Binary Probit model. The results of the model identified distance to market, quantity of pineapple produced, age, gender and education of the household head, access to market information and farming experiences significantly influencing the farmers decision on outlets. Price is an important factor in selection of outlets, however, it was observed that producers in the study area prefer to market in outlets that minimize their marketing costs rather than targeting outlets which provide higher price. They select multiple outlets for selling their produce as a strategy to minimise loss and maximise their income. Hence, the study recommended formation of cooperatives marketing or farmer producer organisations (FPOs) for efficient marketing through shared cost, more investment in infrastructural facilities and proper connectivity linking production cluster to market to facilitate efficient marketing.