Value Chain Analysis of Tamarind production in Jharkhand

Tamarind once collected from trees are sold to markets in both raw and seedless form. Mostly, the usual
practice of selling tamarind is in the raw form, however the practice of drying was also observed in some
villages. This is done to extend the shelf life of tamarind. Tamarind is mostly used as a flavoring agent
hence it is sold mainly in retail channels including groceries.
Value Chain analysis framework is carried out for a single organization where starting from the raw
materials to the end of the chain, certain processes are carried out which add on the value of the product and
ultimately the end product is put out to the market for consumption. E.g. From raw iron, iron TMT bars are
made and sold to the market for construction purposes.
In this regard, it must be mentioned that the current status quo doesn’t allow any sort of value addition to be
made to the tamarind collection and it changes hand in the same form. Hence, it is more of a supply chain
than a value chain as the tamarind reaches the end consumers. A brief understanding of the value chain (or
more precisely, supply chain) is shown below:

Village or Weekly
Town
collection selling zones
Market
center or haat

Wholesale
Retailers Big Trade
Indian
Centers
Markets

This picture opens up scope for intervention to place power in the hands of the collectors and introduce
innovations in value addition processes which may further bolster the ecosystem. Some of these possible
interventions are listed below:
1. Popularizing best practices in material handling like de-seeding, de-shelling, drying and grading
through trainings and camps
2. Realizing market potential of tamarind flowers as well. This will positively re-enforce the morale of
the collectors for success in the 1st point.