ISSN 2167-0447
International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 387-394, February, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Marketing trend and channels of Asparagus racemosus in Nepal: A study from Sarlahi district
Bechu Kumar Vinwar Yadav
Department of Forests, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Email: [email protected]. Tel: +977 9849218021, Tel: +977 1 4257870, Tel: +977 1 4221455
Received 23 October, 2012; Accepted 22 February, 2013
Abstract
Asparagus is a valuable medicinal plant. Most of its parts are useful. Its tender leaves and shoots are mostly cooked as vegetable. Root tubers are used as sex tonic and to cure many diseases. But its markets and price rate were unstable. So, this paper focuses on marketing channels and the trends of price, quantity and income obtained as well as suitable months for harvesting. Forty percent of total cultivators’ households were randomly selected from the eleven village development committee of Sarlahi District. Both primary data using Participatory Rural Appraisal tools and secondary data from different sources were collected and analyzed in Ms-Excel. Suitable marketing channels were developed through separate group discussions of cultivators, officials and businessmen. The trend of price rate of asparagus racemosus wild was increasing to Nepalese rupees (NRs) 225.00 per kilogram in 2008 from NRs 104.00 per kilogram in 2004, whereas price rate of asparagus racemosus hybrid was almost stable that is, NRs 80.00 from 2004 to 2006 and NRs 120.00 from 2007 to 2008. March-April were found to be the suitable months of harvesting and March is the best month for harvesting of cultivated asparagus to have the highest yield and availability of markets.
Key words: Asparagus racemosus, markets, trend, cultivators, Nepalese rupees.