Marketing Practices of Livestock Products by Self Help Groups in Burdwan District of West Bengal

The self-employment programme of Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed under Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) guide lines, is mainly concentrated on the inputs, rather than the outputs, and their marketing. To study the marketing practices of livestock products by SHGs the data was collected with the help of structured questionnaires and and analytical tools like factor analysis, cross tabulation and chi – square test were applied. Most of the SHGs in the area of study are practicing mixed type of farming related to livestock and animal husbandry. Mixed type of farming is fetching them higher returns as compared to other activities like dairy, poultry and goatary. SHG members are mainly facing the problems of distress sale, transportation of products to specific markets and lack of market information. Low volume of production coupled with transportation related problems forces them to sell their products at lower prices through intermediaries. Distress-sale is also forced because of disease conditions, less bargaining power and false market information. Their profit margins too, get affected by the unproductive animals. In some cases Rhode Island Rhode (RIR) breed of poultry which they rear, is not accepted by the local customers. Improved transportation facility to specific local markets can enhance the profitability of the SHG members