Seasonal variation of arrivals and prices of Kharif sorghum in Beed district of Maharashtra state

Introduction

Cereals have been considered as the principal component of human dietary source as almost half of the daily calorie absorption is derived from its consumption. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L). Moench) belonging to the family Poaceae is the fifth most important cereal crop following rice, wheat, maize and barley that serves as staple food for in addition 500 million people across the globe and also as a fodder crop. A major revolution has been introduced by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under a sub mission of National Food Security Mission to deliberately promote sorghum, bajra and ragi through Public Distribution System (PDS) across the country to improve nutrient content in dietary mass and suggested that instead of calling them coarse grains, they should be positioned as "Nutri-cereals". Looking into the importance of nutriacereals, there is a need to popularize the health benefit of these crops through effective and sustainable awareness programmed and encouraging more research works to develop high yielding varieties with longer shelf life. And also it's use of the manufacturing of ethanol, grain alcohol, starch, glue, and paper and in industries for packing, synthesis of organic compounds, health, pharmacological diagnosis, and usefulness products, among others. According to Economic Survey of Maharashtra, sorghum was widely produced at 381000 million tonnes in 2020 to 21 and will be again in 2021 to 22. One of the major sorghumproducing states in India is Maharashtra. In 2020 to 2021, it was grown over an area of 379000 hectors. The sorghum growing major districts in Maharashtra are Solapur, Ahmednagar, Pune Sangli, Satara, Osmanabad, Beed, Parbhani, Aurangabad, Nanded etc. The District Statistic Board of Beed has reported that the cultivation area for Kharif Sorghum in 2020 to 21 will be 7194 hectors. The total amount of Kharif Sorghum produced in the Beed district in 2020 to 21 was 34.60 metric tonnes, and productivity was 481 kg per hector. This study worked on the peak and slack period in arrivals and prices of Kharif Sorghum. Farmers in India are price conscious and in such case the study of seasonal variation of arrivals and price assumes primary focus. The market arrival variation is a major factor in the volatility of agricultural prices. To narrow the gap between market arrivals, it is necessary to comprehend the price behavior of various agricultural commodities and the responsiveness of market arrival to price movement.

Methodology

This study was based on secondary data. The data was collected from Beed district APMCs i.e. Beed, Dharur and www.extensionjournal.com Parli markets. The study period from 2001 to 2020 i.e. 20 years and in the year 2020 from January to December month wise i.e. 1 year. The selection of the markets was based on the quantity of arrivals of Kharif Sorghum among the markets of Beed district of Maharashtra state. The data were analyzed with simple statistical tools for fulfilling set seasonal indices of Kharif Sorghum in Beed district. Seasonal indices of selected markets the range of arrivals of Kharif Sorghum indices increasing and decreasing with ranging for selected APMC's. Seasonal indices are those periodic movements in business activity which occur regularly over period of time and have their origin in the year it self. Since such variations repeats during a period of twelve months, it can be predicted fairly and with higher accuracy level. To obtain a statistical description of a pattern of seasonal variation it is desirable to first free the data from the effects of cycles and irregular variations. Once these other components have been eliminated, seasonal index can be calculated in index form as a measure of seasonal variation. Thus specific seasonal index refers to the seasonal changes during a particular year. To examine the peak and slack period, monthly seasonal indices was worked out by using simple average method.

Seasonal Indices= ×100

Where, Xi = monthly average for 1 years x ̅ = mean of 12-month, average 2. Monthly seasonal indices were calculated in order to ascertain the long run seasonal variations in arrivals of Kharif Sorghum. In comparison to the other two market places, the Parli market had the maximum arrivals of Kharif Sorghum. It was observed that in Beed APMC monthly indices of arrivals were highest in November (178.44 per cent) followed by December (171.53 per cent), October (130.80 per cent), January (123.12 per cent and February (100.92 per cent) in range between July to September arrivals are medium. Whereas lowest seasonal indices observed in August (16.48 per cent) followed by July (35.01 per cent). Seasonal indices of Kharif Sorghum arrivals in Dharur APMC began to highest in the month of November (225.76 per cent) followed by January (200.00 per cent), December (162.12 per cent) and October (104.55 per cent). Whereas lowest seasonal indices observed in the month of May (36.36 per cent), September (48.48 per cent), and August (53.03 per cent). The arrivals in June and July are quite same. APMC of Parli has its seasonal indices of Kharif Sorghum arrivals which started getting its highest arrivals in the month of November (310.86 per cent) followed by January (233.97 per cent), October (182.34 per cent) and December (172.77 per cent). Whereas the lowest arrivals were during August (16.29 per cent) followed by July (19.07 per cent) and September (22.89 per cent). The range of arrival indices were 16.29 per cent to 310.86 per cent during different months of the year 2020. It is also showed that, peak period of arrivals of selected APMC's were www.extensionjournal.com maximum in the month of October to January. The seasonal indices of market prices of Kharif Sorghum in the selected markets are present in Table 3.4. Monthly seasonal indices were calculated in order to ascertain the long run seasonal variations in prices of Kharif Sorghum. It reveals that the seasonal prices indices of Kharif Sorghum went on fluctuating throughout the year. The market of the Beed district showed that the seasonal price indices was highest in the month of January (124.32 per cent) followed by February (112.89 per cent), March (107.01 per cent) and April (102.50 per cent). Whereas lowest seasonal indices observed in July (88.05 per cent) followed by November (90.56 per cent) and October (90.56 per cent). The month of August to November in between prices gives the similar range of Kharif Sorghum. Hence, the months from August to November reported their lowest price indices while the months of January to march saw their highest price indices. In the Dharur market, was shown that price indices were highest from January to March and lowest from April to December. It is observed that seasonal indices of prices were highest in February (135.36 per cent) followed by January (121.46 per cent), March (116.43 per cent) and April (100.52 per cent), respectively. Whereas lowest seasonal indices of prices observed in September (75.39 per cent) followed by October (88.05 per cent) and August (91.30 per cent). The prices variation of Kharif sorghum for the peak season and slack season in the selected markets does not appear significantly due to rainfed conditions. The monthly pricing indices were found to be lowest in the peak arrival months of May to December and highest in the months of January to April in Parli APMC. It was observed that in month of February (138.14 per cent) followed by January (122.18 per cent), March (105.50 per cent) and April (102.91 per cent). Whereas lowest prices were during September (80.53 per cent), followed by October (86.33 per cent) and November (90.61 per cent). The price range was similar and higher in the month January to April and similar but lower range in the month May to August. Prices fluctuated according to seasonal indices, peaked from January to April and slacked from May to December months. Due to sufficient space and rainfed circumstances, the cost of Kharif Sorghum for the peak and slack seasons in the market did not differ much. Surywanshi and Gawade (2011) found that similar result i.e. The pricing analysis of several grains at APMC, Kolhapur, paddy arrival indices were lowest. The seasonal price indices, which range from 98.52 to 102.11 percent, that showed smaller variation in price variation.

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

There was a much variation observed in annually and monthly seasonal indices of prices and greater fluctuation observed in arrivals of Kharif Sorghum in markets.

In annually seasonal indices of selected markets the range of arrivals of Kharif Sorghum indices increasing and decreasing with ranging for selected APMC's from 8.5 per cent to 342.4 per cent.

In various months of the year 2020, the arrivals indices ranged from 52.4 per cent to 310.86 per cent.

In annually seasonal indices of selected markets the range of prices of Kharif Sorghum indices increasing and decreasing with ranging for selected APMC's 24.0 per cent to 246.9 per cent.

In various months of the year 2020, the prices indices ranged from 75.39 per cent to 138.14 per cent.

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