MSc

The study entitled ‘Supply Chain Management in Mango: A Critical
Analysis’ was conducted in Palakkad district of Kerala and Krishnagiri district of
Tamil Nadu during the year 2021-2022 among the actors identified in the supply
chain. The objectives of the research were identification of the existing supply
chains and the supply chain management activities related to mango in Kerala and
Tamil Nadu; comparative assessment of the performance effectiveness of supply
chains in the selected districts and formulation of extension strategies based on
the constraints identified, to strengthen the performance of the supply chains. Five
respondents of each mango supply chain actor namely input suppliers, farmers,
wholesalers, processors, retailers, logistic partners and consumers and officials
who work on the mango supply chain from each of the four panchayats were
randomly selected, totalling the sample size 160. The independent variables in the
study selected through judges rating were age, education, annual income, market
perception, perception about supply chain, information seeking behaviour,
alertness, problem solving skill and risk orientation and dependent variable
performance effectiveness of the mango supply chain was measured using the
scale developed for the study.
On performing Mann-Whitney U test on independent variables among all
the actors it was found that there exists a significant difference between age of the
farmers in Kerala (52.4) and Tamil Nadu (63.5), education status of the farmers in
Kerala (5.4) and Tamil Nadu (2.9), annual income of the wholesalers in Kerala
(685000) and Tamil Nadu (285000), market perception of the wholesalers in
Kerala (6.1) and Tamil Nadu (7.2) and the retailers in Kerala (5.4) and Tamil
Nadu (7.5), perception about supply chain of the wholesalers in Kerala (14.0) and
Tamil Nadu (14.8), alertness of the retailers in Kerala (13.2) and Tamil Nadu
(12.5), problem-solving skill of the wholesalers in Kerala (8.1) and Tamil Nadu
(8.9), retailers in Kerala (8.7) and Tamil Nadu (8.0) and logistics partners in
Kerala (8.1) and Tamil Nadu (7.4) and risk orientation of the farmers in Kerala
(17.5) and Tamil Nadu (19.1) with the P-value less than 0.05 at 0.05% level of
significance, whereas other actors are relatively significant with the P-value
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greater than 0.05 at 0.05% level of significance for all the independent variables.
From the analysis of Mann-Whitney U test on the performance effectiveness of
the mango supply chains in Kerala and Tamil Nadu it was found that there exist
no significant differences in the performance effectiveness scores of the
respondents in Kerala and Tamil Nadu with a P-value of 0.571 which is not
significant at 0.05% level of significance. It was also observed that the P-values
for the input suppliers (1) and processors (1) were equal, which may be attributed
to the fact that the input suppliers and processors operating across the border in
Tamil Nadu is depended upon by the mango supply chains operating in both the
states. It was pertinent to observe that there were no input suppliers and
processors for mango in Kollengode block in Kerala.
On performing Principal Component Analysis for the influence of the subdimensions on the performance effectiveness scores of the supply chains it was
found that the first principal component accounts to the largest percentage
variance (73.25%) in the performance effectiveness scores of the respondents in
Kerala and the first three principal components accounts for a cumulative
variance of more than 97 percent. It was also revealed that it is the product quality
ensured by the supply chains and the efficiency of the supply chains which largely
influence the performance effectiveness of the mango supply chains in Kerala
whereas in Tamil Nadu it was found that the first principal component accounts to
the largest percentage variance (70.55%) in the performance effectiveness scores
of the respondents and the first three principal components accounts for a
cumulative variance of more than 97 percent. It was also revealed that it is the
efficiency of the performance of the supply chains and the responsiveness of the
supply chains which largely influence the performance effectiveness of the mango
supply chains in Tamil Nadu. Comparative analysis of the PCA-biplots revealed
that majority of the mango supply chains in Kerala (60%) were having higher
flexibility, efficiency, product quality and responsiveness compared to 40% of
mango supply chains in Tamil Nadu giving similar results.
From the analysis of multiple regression for the influence of actors on the
performance effectiveness of the mango supply chains in Kerala and Tamil Nadu
it was found that the performance effectiveness scores of the seven actors viz.,
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input suppliers (0.026), farmers (0.000), wholesalers (0.044), processors (0.012),
retailers (0.050), logistics partners (0.003) and consumers (0.003) were significant
in influencing the performance effectiveness of the mango supply chains. It was
further observed that the performance effectiveness of the farmers was found to
be highly significant in influencing the performance effectiveness scores of the
mango supply chains.
Since the respondents of input suppliers and processors from Kerala and
Tamil Nadu are same, major constraints faced by the supply chain actors in
Kerala and Tamil Nadu were unavailability of good quality saplings, delay in
payments, post-harvest management losses, lack of awareness about production,
lack of financial support from Government, competitive pricing of the products,
inadequate storage facilities, lack of communication among the actors upstream
and downstream the chain and miscommunication of feedback to upstream actors
in the supply chain.
Suggestions to strengthen the performance effectiveness of the mango
supply chains in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are assisting the farmers in choosing
reliable suppliers for availing good quality inputs during peak seasons and
providing useful training programme for better production. Assisting the farmers
with subsidies to provide purchasers with quick payment options. Imparting
knowledge to farmers and wholesalers on proper grading, standardizing,
processing and careful handling of the products which can help in reducing postharvest and handling losses. The real-time data sharing of information across the
actors in the supply chain can be improved with the help of social media,
newspapers, APMC markets, market information sharing platforms, etc.,
Improvements can be brought in scientific transportation facilities like cold
storage vans and providing infrastructure facilities for setting up of warehouse,
processing units, cold storage units in rural areas. Pricing of products should be
set after considering the market conditions that actually exist and limit pricing
competitions among the retailers. Improving the large scale organised direct
retailing by farmers in Agriculture Produce Market Committee markets.
Increasing the supply chain visibility by ensuring technology assisted traceability
of the supply chains for better communication across the actors.
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The major extension strategies suggested are providing training on the use
of mobile applications and software of the improved agricultural technologies for
input suppliers. Sensitising the farmers on direct marketing of their produce
through APMC markets which reduces the intervention of middlemen thereby
increasing the profit. Conducting workshops to familiarize the wholesalers with
the real-time data sharing tools to ensure better co-ordination in the supply chain.
Awareness on the importance of cold storage facilities, capacity building
programmes for the managers of the processing units and demonstrations on the
improved technologies in value addition in mango. Empowering the retailers on
the use of ICT based applications and platforms for improved communication
within the supply chain. Capacity building programmes to facilitate computerised
documentation for the logistics partners. Awareness regarding consumer rights,
quality produce, pricing of products. Sensitization on their role in providing
feedback on the supply of the produce by the consumers and creating awareness
on traceability of the products.