Abstract: The fruit processing units in Chittoor district process largely mangoes. Other fruits processed, though in small quantities are guava, papaya, grapes and tomato. In addition to catering to the domestic markets, the mango processing units contribute substantially to mango pulp exports from India. These units, developed into a cluster over the last two and a half decades, spontaneously have also contributed to the emergence of a large network of support providers in the form of raw material suppliers, transport providers, suppliers of packing material, machinery and equipment servicing firms, exporters and skilled labour etc. The development of Chittoor fruit processing industry assumes significance considering the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the units.
The strengths relate to the presence of a dependable raw material base, good export potential for tropical and sub-tropical fruit pulps and juices, expanding urban markets within the country for natural fruit juices, easy accessibility to better technologies, major domestic markets for end products and a seaport for exports.
The weaknesses relate to highly seasonal operations of the units, narrow product mix, inadequate effort to enhance product range and explore domestic markets, lack of cost optimization effort, limited inter-firm interaction, absence of critical common facilities, varying product quality, excessive dependence on merchant exporters, lack of alternative market effort, no waste utilization and objectionable practices of waste disposal.
This research focuses on the problems faced by mango pulp entrepreneurs and enterprises during the pre-export marketing of mango pulp in Chittoor district.
Keywords: Fruit processing, Cluster, Common facilities, Cost optimization.
Title: A Study on Pre-Export Marketing Problems of Entrepreneurs and Enterprises of Mango Pulp in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh
Author: G. Suresh Babu
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
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