A STUDY ON EXPORT PERFORMANCE AND MARKET EFFICIENCY OF TAMARIND PRODUCTS OF SELECTED DISTRICTS OF TAMILNADU

Abstract

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.), a major tropical tree crop, holds significant commercial value in India, the world's leading producer and exporter, supplying raw tamarind, pulp, and value-added products to global markets. Despite its growing agro-industrial importance, the sector faces persistent challenges, including fragmented marketing systems, the dominance of intermediaries, and weak market integration, with limited integrated evidence available from the major producing districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu. This study aimed to analyse the export performance and market efficiency of tamarind products in these districts. Both primary and secondary data were utilised for the study. Primary data were collected from farmers, traders, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and exporters, while secondary data were used to analyse India's tamarind export trends and market stability. The study employed Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) analysis to assess trends in area, production, and productivity, Markov chain analysis to identify stable export destinations, Acharya's Modified Marketing Efficiency (MME) model to evaluate marketing channel performance, and Garrett ranking technique to prioritise stakeholder constraints. Results revealed that Channel III (Farmer–Trader Processor–Industrial User) recorded the highest marketing efficiency (MME = 0.40). Export performance indicated an overall positive growth trend with moderate instability, and Markov chain analysis identified Vietnam, Pakistan, and Malaysia as the most stable export destinations, while Malaysia and Vietnam are projected to remain the leading export markets by volume. Garrett ranking revealed that inadequate price realisation and low yield were the major constraints faced by farmers, whereas processors identified low profit margins and climate variability as their primary constraints. The findings highlight the need to strengthen value addition, improve processing infrastructure, and enhance export market linkages to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of India's tamarind sector.