Exploring agricultural entrepreneurship through marketing channel analysis: Evidence from GI-tagged Kodungallur snap melon

This study evaluates the marketing efficiency of three distinct marketing channels for Kodungallur snap melon, a GI-registered indigenous cultivar from Kerala, India. Using an ex post facto research design with data collected from 60 snap melon farmers and 15 market intermediaries through random sampling, the research assessed marketing costs, margins, price spreads and efficiency. The findings reveal that marketing channel III (producer → retailer → consumer) demonstrates the highest marketing efficiency with a value of 2.72 using Shepherd's method and 1.61 using Acharya and Agarwal's method. A majority (61.66 %) of the farmers adopted organic production methods, which resulted in better price realization and higher marketing efficiency compared to inorganic practices. Producer's share in consumer's rupee was highest in channel III (63.33 %), followed by Channel II for organic produce (54.83 %). These findings highlight the economic advantages of shorter marketing channels and organic production practices for snap melon farmers, providing valuable insights for enhancing agricultural marketing systems and farmer incomes in the region. Furthermore, the results offer critical perspectives not only for optimizing marketing strategies but also for strengthening agribusiness prospects and fostering agricultural entrepreneurship development within the GI crop sector.