PhD Thesis
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Item Analysis of zanzibar's seaweed industry competitiveness and strategy implication for its improved performance(Department of Rural Marketing Management, College of Co-operation, Banking and Management ,Vellanikkara, 2023-02-14) Nina Joan Burra; Ushadevi, K NThe United Republic of Tanzania (URT) is the leading producer and exporter of red seaweeds under genera Eucheuma Denticulatum (commercially known as spinosum) and Kappaphycus Alvezerii (commercially known as cottonii) in Africa and fourth in the global red seaweed industry. The contribution of the URT to the global seaweed industry remains minute (0.30%) despite bringing in considerable foreign currency reserves for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGoZ).Zanzibar island produces ninety per cent of total seaweeds from the URT, and the Zanzibar seaweed Industry (ZSI) is the third revenue earner for RGoZ. The industry has brought in significant socio-economic contributions, including; creating employment for rural Zanzibarians and uplifting the rural coastal livelihoods, especially those of women. However, despite its noteworthy contributions, recent times have witnessed ZSIfailing to tap into the growing demand for red seaweed globally. A review of existing literature on the industry revealed several factors inhibiting ZSI from expanding, summarised by two significant factors: its production system and competition from Asian producers. As a result, ZSI has been attracting low-price offers which have led to substantial farm abandonment and a decline in production. Therefore, the present study titled “Analysis of Zanzibar’s seaweed industry competitiveness and strategy implication for its improved performance” was conducted with four main objectives, namely; to perform a structural analysis of the Zanzibar seaweed industry, to assess its trade performance from 2009-2019, to evaluate the export marketing strategies used by the industry and lastly, to identify current constraints faced by the seaweed farmers and exporting companies in Zanzibar. The study adopted a cross-sectional research approach and followed a mixed-method survey design. The study utilised three sample designs, i.e. seaweed farmers, exporters, and representatives of government institutions linked to ZSI. Farmers’ sample (592) was selected through multistage, quota and convenience sampling techniques. Exporters (4) and representatives of government institutions samples (9) were selected through purposive sampling. Primary data was collected through group interviews, focus group discussions, pre-tested survey schedules and direct observation. Secondary data was collected through the official websites of FAO, UNICTAD Stat, Zanzibar Revenue Board, Tanzania Revenues Authority, Office of Chief Government 3 Statcian Zanzibar, International Trade Centre map and World Bank data. The seaweed section, Department of Fisheries Development, Zanzibar, provided data regarding ZSI farmers, exporters and industry’s production. Primary data were analysed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical tools in SPSS version 22. Similarly, theoretical models for competitiveness analysis (Porter’s five forces and Porter’s Diamond Model) and business environment scanning tools (SWOC and PESTEL frameworks) were adopted. Secondary data was analysed using appropriate trade indices. Trend analysis and forecasting were done through the least squares method (exports) and the Holt-Winters smoothing exponential method (production). Preliminary findings from primary data analysis revealed that most farmers were smallholder female farmers (91%). The majority had attained primary education (42%) as the highest qualification. Most of the farmers (42%) were found to be aged between 48-50 years and lived in extended families (94%).The seaweed production system in Zanzibar was found to be off-bottom/peg and line. Production costs were found to be Rs. 10,251 for a 100 m2 ocean area. The number of seaweed plots owned by farmers differed between Unguja and Pemba, with a maximum of eight plots in Unguja and three in Pemba. Most farmers (32%) were found to earn between Rs. 26,240 – 32,819per production cycle (45-60 days) from seaweed farming.Further, most farmers (65%) made between Rs. 1,607 and 3,290from other sources, including land-based agriculture and small-scale entrepreneurial activities. The average household expenditure for the farmers ranged between Rs. 19,661 and 26,240per month. Farmers in Unguja receive between Rs. 21.42 per kg of dry spinosum, while those in Pemba receive Rs. 16.83for the same. The price differences are mainly due to the buying company and seaweed supply per production cycle. However, farmers get paid Rs. 32.90for cottonii as it is a highly desired variety by foreign buyers and attracts higher export per unit price than spinosum. It was found that a seaweed farmer’s margin is 40% in spinosum export unit value and 34% in cottonii export unit value. Furthermore, it was found that the number of exporters has significantly reduced from 15 companies in 2013 to seven in 2021. The reduction is mainly due to the seaweed business’s unpredicted nature, mainly at the global level. Most of the exporters were found exporters to be foreign-owned/subsidiaries of multinational companies in the Philippines and USA. The exporters were found to have reduced offering farm input subsidies to farmers due 4 to perceived disloyalty from farmers during selling and failure of the RGoZ to recognise farming inputs subsidies as operating expenses hence not factored in during tax calculations. C-WEED and ZANEA companies were found to be the dominant collectors and exporters from Pemba and Unguja, respectively. No exporter was found to perform seaweed valueaddition activities. Analysis of the ZSI’s structure revealed that the industry attracts low profit and has a high degree of rivalry due to high buyer power, high supplier power, lack of industry barriers, presence of substitutes and an increased number of similar producers. Similarly, ZSI was foundto lack sources of competitive advantages due to having basic factor conditions, the absence of a domestic market, industry policy, strategy, vision and goals. In addition, the industry was found to have no linkages to other supporting or related industries. The role of the RGoZ in regulating the activities of ZSI was found to be limited. Similarly, analysis of the ZSI business environment revealed several vital findings; a SWOC analysis of ZSI revealedthat ZSI faces challenges such as; fluctuations in global demand and supply of red seaweeds and increased oceanic tidal winds and temperatures. Similary, PESTEL analysis revealed that the industry faces political-legal challenges, such as a lack of industry policy and conflicting investment priorities by the RGoZ. The economic environment revealed that the industry faces global supply and demand fluctuations of red seaweeds, high unemployment and poverty rates in rural Zanzibar, highinterest rates and inaccessibility of finance and credit sources. Socio-cultural environment revealed negative local attitudes towards seaweeds, and low literacy levels were the industry’s key challenges. Analysis of the technological climate environment revealed that ZSI has limited technology integration into its activities. Ecological environment analysis revealed that ZSI faces ecological challenges such as increased temperatures and oceanic tidal waves leading to plant breakage and high die-offs. Secondary data analysis revealed several key findings. First, between 2010 and 2017, seaweed production in Zanzibar fluctuated significantly. Causes include boom and bust conditions, production challenges and the anticipatory price behaviour of the farmers. Between 2017 and 2020, production further declined mainly due to production challenges and farm abandonments driven by low prices from previous trading years. On the other hand, between 2010 and 2014, exports increased significantly, mainly due to increase in global demand for red seaweed driven by the global hydrocolloid market. Between 2015 and 2017, 5 there was a significant decline in exports mainly due to a reduction in production, specifically of cottonii, and a decrease in demand for carrageenan at the global level. From 2018 towards 2020, export trends revealed an increasing trend despite a fall in production. This observation is explained by exporting previous unabsorbed logs during the preceding trading years and increased cottonii production. Instability analysis of production trends revealed that ZSI had a low instability index (18%) between 2010 and 2020, while export volume and value had medium (30%) and high instability (47%), respectively. Further, trade performance analysis revealed that the URT was found to have a low export propensity, trade dependence and RCA values compared to major competitors. The URT was not competitive (competitive index = 0%) in the export of red seaweeds. Comparing export unit prices revealed that URT received the lowest price margins compared to competitors between 2000 and 2013, but from 2014 to 2019, the prices increased significantly. The export unit price increased due to the production of high-priced cottonii during the same period. Analysis of market share performance revealed that between 2000s and 2013, the URT was the third largest producer and exporter of red seaweeds globally. However, the country dropped position to 5th in 2015, surpassed by Madagascar and has remained in the same position till present The global seaweed industry was found to be an oligopoly and had a consistently high market concentration index of above 4000 (HHI). Export marketing strategies utilised by the seaweed exporters in Zanzibar were as follows; exporters select foreign markets based on historical relationships, past sales records and analysis of business potential in the foreign market. Exporters were found to apply product adaptation strategies and used personal selling as a promotion strategy. The pricing strategies used by exporters were identified as cost and market-based. Place strategies identified were direct and indirect exporting. On the evaluation of the perceived effectiveness of the export marketing strategies, there was a high degree of agreement among exporters (W=0.807) that internal implementation strategies, specifically concerning monitoring/control systems in the company, are well aligned with the needs of the company’s export marketing plan. Similarly, there was a high degree of agreement among exporters that the marketplace has not responded to the company’s current export marketing strategy as intended. Analysis of constraints revealed that the highest-rated constraints for the farmers differ in Unguja and Pemba concerning government-related production, physical 6 infrastructure and value addition. No differences were observed regarding post-harvest, financial, marketing and environmental constraints. Overall, leading challenges for farmers were the limited provision of farming implements, lack of knowledge about the latest seaweed farming methods, limited farming land, lack of capital for value addition, low price offers, lack of processing facilities and seaweed-related diseases. Exporters ranked lack of seaweed policy, limited demand and taxes as the highest faced constraints. Therefore, ZSI was found to be not competitive mainly due to a lack of sources of competitive advantages and facing several challenges from its business environment. Notwithstanding, this study concludes that ZSI is still a valuable tool for enhancing the welfare of rural Zanzibarians as well as being a contributory source of Zanzibar and URT’s national prosperity. Thus, several approaches are suggested to improve the industry’s performance. First, creatinga seaweed-integrated industry policy for the sustenance of ZSI is crucial. The policy, among other things, should focus on efficiently utilising the water resources in Zanzibar, establishing special zones for seaweed farming, establishinggovernment-based procurement and trading, and expanding of marketing channels of ZSI. The policy interventions should also include introducing mechanisms for seaweed disease control and improving extension services to seaweed farmers. At the government level, the interventions should create an enabling environment for foreign direct investment flows into the ZSI to improve its production and value-addition, enhancing exporters’ product variety and various risks associated with the oligopsonistic nature of the seaweed industry. Processing and valueaddition will create opportunities for ZSI to be linked to its domestic and regional markets. Further, researching ways to improve the quality of exported seaweed variety to enable differentiation in quality at the global level. In addition, there is an urgent need to increase the pool of marine scientists in Zanzibar by promoting and funding marine education in the URT. Further, farmers’ skills should also be upgraded through appropriate training to cope with environmental challenges associated with seaweed production. Development of a marketing plan to tap into new markets for red seaweeds at the global level, for example, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands, is crucial. Similarly, remarketing URT seaweed exports in the human food category apart from industrial raw material can be an innovative market strategy to circumvent the oligopsony nature of the global seaweed trade.Revival of seaweed farmers’ associations through capacity building (leadership training, revising the existing structure, financial assistance) and establishment of seaweed-related cooperative societies is vital to aid 7 ZSI’s efficiency and productivity. Lastly, there is a need for active participation and collaboration of marketing and aquaculture academia in the URT with ZSI’s exporters with regard to global seaweed industry trends and market conditions.Item Marketing strategies for export of cashew in Kerala(Department of Rural Marketing Management, College of Co-operation, Banking and Management ,Vellanikkara, 2023-03-07) Haritha , Paul.; Ushadevi , K NCashew (Anacardiumoccidentale L) often referred to as ‘wonder nut’ is one of the most valuable processed nuts traded on the global commodity markets and also an important cash crop. In 2021, the global cashew nut production was 39 lakh tonnes, led by Vietnam and India with a combined 39 percent of the world total (FAOSTAT, 2021). Vietnam (20%) is the largest producer of cashew and the major competitor for India (19%) in cashew export. Vietnam exports 54.24 percent of the total cashew traded in the world compared to India’s share of 16.32 percent (Rajesh, 2019). India is the secondlargest exporter of cashew in the world. India’s export of cashew was 67647 metric tonne valued at 3867.16 crore in 2021. The major markets for Indian cashew during 2021 were the UAE, Netherlands, Japan and USA (GoI). India is the largest importer of raw cashew nuts from African nations. The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) is an agency to promote the export of cashews and acts as an intermediary between global importers and Indian exporters of cashew. Even though Kerala stands 5th position in the production of the cashew in India, it is ranked first in the processing and exporting followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh (GoI, 2021). However, currently, there is a continuous decline in both the area and production of cashews in Kerala from 2013 onwards (Annual Report of CEPCI, 2020). The cashew processing industry in Kerala which has been facing lot of problems due to increased wage rate, trade union issues, continuous use of traditional methods of processing (labour intensive), stiff international competition, fluctuations in international markets etc. The cost of production in Kerala is too high compared to other states. It is around . 3400 for a bag in Kerala compared to 1000 to 1800 in other states. Besides in other states the industry was able to improve the productivity by mechanisation and automation processes as a result it was multiplied by two or three times. In Kerala due to high resistance from the labour force this could not be materialised. More over high dependence on imports and price fluctuation affected our cashew exports. Cashew export processing unit also face supply crunch amid low xiv domestic output. The above listed problems are serious export marketing problems faced by the cashew export industry. Though there are lot of literature related to the trend and pattern and problems of cashew exporters, the study related to export marketing strategies and the determinants of cashew exports is very limited. In this context a study of “Marketing strategies for export of cashew in Kerala” is highly imperative. The study will help to contribute to this research gap. Moreover, the findings of the study will help to identify the existing export strategies and the problems faced by cashew exporters which will in turn help to improve the existing status of cashew exports and find a solution to the problems of cashew exporters. The objectives of the study are: to analyse the trend and pattern in cashew exports, to analyse the export marketing strategies for export of cashew in Kerala, to identify the major determinants of cashew exports in Kerala and to examine the problems faced by the cashew exporters in Kerala. The study used both primary and secondary sources for the collection of data. Secondary data were collected for analysing the trend and pattern in cashew exports from authenticated sources like Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI), Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development Board (DCCD), Department of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and UN Trade Statistics. Primary data were collected from the cashew exporters of Kollam district in Kerala. A sample of 68 exporters who were continuously exporting cashew for the last five years were selected through stratified random sampling method. To analyse the trend and pattern in cashew exports, variables like area, production, productivity of cashew nuts in India and Kerala, price of raw cashew nuts in Kerala, country wise export and country-wise import during the period from 1990-91 to 2019-20 (30 years), and the variables like import of raw cashew nut to India and export of cashew kernel from India were measured. The collected data were analysed with Annual Growth Rate (AGR), xv Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), Instability Index, Regression Analysis and Kinked Exponential Method. To analyse the export marketing strategies of cashew exporters in Kerala, export marketing mix strategies (product, packaging, pricing, payment, distribution and promotion) were taken and analysed by using percentage method. The major determinants of cashew exports were identified by using variables such as legal and political factors, socio-cultural, geographic, economic, export and import policy, international trade agreement, market logistics, competitive and cost factors. Indices method and factor analysis were used to identify the major determinants in cashew export. Internal and external factors were taken into account for identifying the problems of cashew exporters. Garrett ranking method was employed to examine the problems faced by the exporters in Kerala. The trend in production of cashew in India and Kerala state has witnessed a positive growth. The demand for cashew nuts is always increasing in India and also at the world level. On the other hand, in India, the cashew export sector witnessed a negative growth in terms of quantity/value of export throughout the study period due to high competition from other countries and the slashing of the export incentives. Compared to export, import of raw cashew nut showed an increasing trend, because the domestic production of cashew in India is not sufficient enough to fulfill the requirement of the international demand of cashew kernels. The study on pattern of cashew export showed that USA, Netherlands, Japan, UAE and UK were found the most stable markets for Indian cashew. Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Guinea Bissau, Benin and Ghana were found as the major importing countries of raw cashew nuts to India. Additionally, the price of raw cashew nuts in Kerala showed positive growth till 2018. The comparatively lower price of imported raw cashew nuts increased the imports of raw cashew nuts and reduced the demand for domestic raw cashew nuts which in turn resulted in a fall in the price of the domestic cashew after 2018. With respect to the export marketing strategies, the strategies related to product, price, distribution and promotion were analysed. All the exporters are following only the xvi strategies directed by CEPCI nomenclature. The major export product strategies followed by the exporters are offering certified cashew, specified grades of cashew, premium cashew, crispier cashew, level of infestation, minimum broken percent of cashew and high-quality cashew. All the exporters were following premium and competitive pricing as pricing strategies. Further they focus on the distribution strategies like reaching customers via their mail order / WhatsApp/ online modes, exporting through shipping mode and ensuring timely delivery. The promotion of the cashew is ensured by giving samples to new customers, attending trade fairs organised by CEPCI (Kaju India) and BSM (Business Sellers Meet), publishing advertisements in the CEPCI Directory; permitting visitors to the exporting company, sending brochures, photographs and price lists by postal/online mode to their clients. From the factor analysis, quality of the product, the language and communication of the product package, the proximity of the international buyers to India, food quality standards and location where cashew is processed were found as the major critical success factors of cashew export market. After examining the problems faced by the exporters of cashew it is found that they were facing both internal and external problems. Exporters were confronted with internal problems such as high processing costs, Continuous strike of labours in seaport, high wage rates of workers, outdated shelling methods and high penalty charges for the damage of the product during transit. Unattainable Standard Input Output Norms (SION), competition from other countries, the impact of import duty on raw cashew nuts, export incentives are low compared to competing countries and penalties for late clearance cargo were the major external problems faced by the cashew exporters in Kerala. The study put forward some suggestions to improve the cashew export sector in Kerala. Drum roasting method (labour intensive) of processing of raw cashew nuts to cashew kernels to be replaced with machineries in a phased manner without affecting the premium label of cashew kernels from Kerala. This will help to reduce the cost of processing and there by reduction in the price of cashew kernels in the export market. xvii Further the reduced price will attract the price sensitive customers in the international market and will help to boost up export position of India. Effective marketing strategies like featuring of “Indian Cashew” (like brands of almonds, pistachio) as a brand and promoting through films, or television programmes, offering free gift to regular importers at certain intervals etc may be implemented to increase the quantity of export of cashew kernels in the existing markets and to attract more countries to export from India. Abolishment of Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) negatively affected exporting firms of cashew kernels. Recently announced Remission of Duty and Taxes on Export Products (RODTEP) scheme has to be implemented at the earliest so as to help the exporters. Based on the study, it is suggested that, as state of Kerala is exporting only cashew kernels at present, if the exporters can explore the market of value added products of cashew which could help to improve their income generation and premier position in the export. In this regard, promotion and support from the cashew regulatory authorities is essential.Item Institutional intervention in marketing of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Kerala(Department of Rural Marketing Management, College of Co-operation, Banking and Management ,Vellanikkara, 2023) Vijayakumar, N; Ushadevi, K NIndigenous communities living in the forests depends on the forest resources like Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for their survival and livelihoods. The dominance of the middlemen, lack of accessibility of the market and lack of awareness of the price of NTFPs were the main problems faced by tribals in the collection and marketing of NTFPs (Rawal, 2020). There is a growing market for NTFPs, but its large potential still needs to be tapped by both the collectors and the institutions involved. Since efforts have been going on for quite a long time, new agencies and institutions, have been established and programmes and schemes have been implemented to promote the NTFPs and thereby develop the tribal community. It is time that an assessment of these interventions be done to assess whether these interventions are within reach of the tribals, to what extent the policy measures of central and state government have positively affect the marketing of NTFPs and the livelihood of tribes collecting NTFPs, whether the institutions address the problems faced by the tribals and to what extent they succeeded in solving the issues related to marketing of NTFPs. In this context the present study entitled ‘Institutional intervention in marketing of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Kerala’ was undertaken to analyse the existing market structure of NTFPs, to examine the role of institutional intervention in promoting NTFPs, to examine the extent of awareness, accessibility and impact of institutional interventions among selected tribes and to analyse the problems faced by the selected tribes in the collection and marketing of NTFPs. This study will fulfil the research gap of the institutional contributions towards improving the livelihood of NTFPs collectors and would help the institutions to identify and prioritise the areas in need of their interventions. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. As per the data collected from the records of Scheduled Tribes Service Cooperative Society (STSCS) (2018-2019), it was found that Irular, Kattunayakan, Paniyan, and Kadar were the tribes mainly engaged in the collection of NTFPs. Among them Kattunayakan and Paniyan tribes are settled in Wayanad district, Irular tribe is settled in Palakkad district and Kadar tribe is mainly settled in Thrissur district. Through stratified random sampling method, 204 tribals collecting NTFPs, from these four tribes were selected. With respect to the selection of institutions, all the categories of the institutions involved in promoting NTFPs collectors based in Kerala state were selected with a total sample size of 12 viz Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department (KFD), STSCS, Tribal co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), Kerala State Federation of SC/ST Development Cooperative Ltd (SC/ST Federation), Scheduled Tribes Development Department (STDD), Kerala State Development Corporation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (KSDC-ST/SC), College of Forestry (CoF), Kerala Institute for Research Training and Development Studies for SC & ST (KIRTADS), Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) and National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEDB). Data from tribals were collected through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method, by using semi-structured interview schedule. Primary data from the institutions were collected from officials of the institutions by using pre-tested structured interview schedule. Secondary data were collected from annual reports, and official websites of selected institutions. Percentage analysis, pair-wise ranking and seasonal calendar were used to analyse the existing market structure of NTFPs. The role of institutional interventions in promoting NTFPs was examined with the help of Venn Diagram. Awareness was examined with the help of percentage analysis. Mobility Map and Impact Diagram were used to examine the accessibility and impact of institutional interventions respectively. Problems of tribals were identified by using Garret Ranking and by drawing ranking ladder. From the analysis of existing market structure of NTFPs in Kerala, it was found that tribals, SC/ST Federation, STSCS, TRIFED, and KFD are the major players in the market. In addition to this the presence of institutions like STDD, KSDC SC/ST, CoF, KIRTADS, KFRI are also found in promoting NTFPs through conducting training, workshops, exhibitions, promoting NTFPs through social media etc. Tribal community are the sellers and STSCS, KFD and TRIFED are the main buyers. A common market structure for NTFPs does not exist in Kerala .An oligopsony market structure was identified where institutions were present and monopolistic competition was observed in the absence of institutions in certain tribal settlements. The STSCS main activity is regularly procuring NTFPs from tribals and marketing NTFPs with the help of the SC/ST Federation through auction cum quotation and negotiation. Eco-Development Committees (EDC) and Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS) of KFSD collect NTFPs from tribals and market through Vanasree eco shops, Vanasree e-portal and exhibitions under the brand name Vanasree. Institutions provide a pool of information to help the tribals to undertake their operations more systematically and scientifically. Majority of the tribals prefer to sell the collected NTFPs to STSCS. They had expressed, better price, spot payment, flexible payment options, bulk procurement and regular consumers as the reasons for preferring STSCS over other institutions. Among the institutions TRIFED offers an effective product differentiation support. TRIFED had trained the tribals to produce seven value added products from honey. KFD have an effective supply chain logistics which facilitates the prompt delivery of the product to the customers. . Majority of the tribal community consider KFD, CoF, STDD, and STSCS as important institutions. Out of these they considered STSCS as effective in rendering the service. Institutions had provided product development and market development supports to tribals in additions to the implementation of various schemes of the central and state government. However, the services and supports of the institutions are not benefitting the tribals to the expected level due to their low level of awareness The awareness of the tribals with respect to the interventions of the institutions are very low as they had not received any awareness programme on services offered by the institutions till now. The officials from the majority institutions were not visiting the colony and disseminating the necessary information to the tribals. Most tribals mentioned the forest office, STSCS, and its depot as being conveniently accessible to them. Many institutions that assisted NTFPs collectors (tribals) were far away from the colony, making it difficult for them to access these institutions. The study brought out that institutional interventions had resulted in increasing tribals income, reducing school dropouts, increasing the number of women collectors, reducing tribals debt, and tribals migrations. The major problems faced by the selected tribals with respect to collection of NTFPs were negative interactions with wild animals, inadequate availability of NTFPs in the forest and low price availability of NTFPs. Lack of guidance and support from government officials for marketing of NTFPs, no institutional support/follow up after training programme and long distance to market place cause considerable interruption in marketing of NTFPs. The study brought out the need for certain policy interventions which will help to improve the lively hood of NTFPs collectors. Many marketing channels exist in Kerala for marketing NTFPs and the procurement price and selling price differs based on the channels. If a uniform marketing channel can be created uniform pricing of the NTFPs would be possible.. Even though most of the selected institutions were conducting training programme the intended benefits are not reaching to tribal communities due to the lack of follow up measures. It would be better if institutions arrange follow-up programmes and making monthly visit to tribal settlements. This would help them to sell NTFPs as value added products and build a good relationship with the institutions. As the tribals were unaware of much information, the timely communication of various programmes, services and implementation of schemes etc is necessary. Institutions should take utmost care in this respect. It is difficult for tribals to access the services of institutions, as tribals were situated far away from the institutions and they don’t have vehicle or public transport services. Therefore, it is suggested that institutions should visit the colony monthly to provide their services and identify the problems of the tribals. Inadequate availability of NTFPs in the forest will make a negative impact in their collection and income. Arrangement for clearing the forest every month from the part of the Forest Department will help to address this issue. Addressing these suggestions will help to make the existing interventions of institutions more effective and bring out better reflection on the socio economic upliftment of tribals in Kerala.