Context: A series of working papers from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reveals that farmers receive a significantly lower share of the consumer rupee in the fruits and vegetables market, with middlemen and retailers profiting substantially.
| Category | Product | Farmers’ Share of Consumer Price |
| Bananas | 31% | |
| Fruits | Grapes | 35% |
| Mangoes | 43% | |
| Tomatoes | 33% | |
| Vegetables | Onions | 36% |
| Potatoes | 37% | |
| Milk | 70% | |
| Dairy & Poultry | Eggs | 75% |
| Poultry Meat | 56% (Farmers + Aggregators) | |
| Gram (Chana) | 75% | |
| Pulses | Moong | 70% |
| Tur | 65% |
Source: RBI Working Papers on Fruits, Vegetables, Livestock, Poultry, and Pulses.
Note: You don’t need to remember all the data but try to remember certain specific data which can be used as value addition in exam.
Relevance to UPSC GS3 Syllabus:
- Agricultural pricing & marketing: Highlights inefficiencies in the value chain and role of middlemen in lowering farmers’ earnings.
- Food inflation: Case studies for understanding food price dynamics.
- Agricultural reforms: Discusses reforms to enhance farmers’ income and reduce dependency on middlemen
