A study has been conducted on the production, marketed surplus, disposal channels, margins and price-spread for maize cultivation in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique has been used to select the sample of blocks (2), villages (10) and maize growers (120) for the year 2001-02. The study on factors affecting marketed surplus, and cost & margins in the marketing of maize has revealed that farm-level marketable surplus is comprised of 53.21 per cent of the total production. The practices of storing maize for sometime and selling at a later date for higher price have led to storage losses to the extent of 0.16 quintal (2.80% of marketable surplus). Much of the marketable surplus of maize (66.92%) was... |