This NABARD-funded study carried out by a team from the MaolKeki Foundation interviewed over 1700 farmers, traders and consumers of different types of crops in Manipur between April 2021 and November 2021. The interviews were conducted using a defined set of questionnaires in both the valley and hill areas of Manipur.

In many emerging markets, especially in places as remote as Manipur and with limited development, value chains are relatively straightforward with producers selling to traders who sell to consumers, perhaps after some basic processing. This study was an attempt to understand how horticultural produce flowed from farm to mouth, gather a good understanding of the costs involved at each stage, and make recommendations to address some, if not all, of the gaps identified. The study also coincided with the worst phase of Covid19 in Manipur with the team having to work around multiple lockdowns and movement restrictions leading to limited trading activities. Unfortunately, many of the team members were also affected by Covid, directly or indirectly, and very sadly led to the loss of a team member.

Horticultural sector is a $21 billion market globally, and horticultural crops are also a key part of agriculture in Manipur with an estimated 109,000ha area under production. Manipur’s diverse topography and agroecological ranges offer scope for the production of a number of different crops and the sector provides seasonal incomes and nutritional security to thousands of families in Manipur. This study interviewed around 1,700 individuals in multiple districts of Manipur covering both the valley and hill areas with each interview geotagged for monitoring and reference purposes.

Download the study  here  .