Author(s): Pardeep Puria, KM Singh and Nasim Ahmad

Abstract: This paper attempts to evaluate the price spread of apples in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. The study is based on primary data collected from three blocks of Shimla district i.e., Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohru, and Narkanda. A total of 75 farmers were selected from each block. For the marketing study, 10 respondents were selected randomly from each pre-harvest contractor, post-harvest contractor, farmer producer organization, wholesaler and retailer. Primary data from apple growers was collected using an interviewing method during 2022-23. The present study examined APMC's traditional marketing system, followed by e-NAM and Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) marketing channels. i.e.; Producer -Commission Agent-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer, Producer- Pre-harvest Contractor- Wholesaler - Retailer-Consumer, Producer-Post-harvest Contractor-Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer and Producer-Farmer Producer organization (FPO) - e-NAM-Consumer. Therefore, Shimla's apple business is more lucrative; revealing that 36 percent of the market share and 28.73 percent of the market margin were found in Channel I. Digital Marketing Channel IV had the highest producer share, i.e. 75.02, and the highest market efficiency, 33.

DOI: 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i7Se.1545