Appendix-I

Schedule for Retail Chain

1. Retailing/Store Level

Store features Retail Chain

When and where did the company open the first
store in Punjab?
Number of stores in Punjab
Which city has maximum no. of stores?
How many sell F&Vs?
Owned/franchised
If owned, how many in own land?
Nature of franchise arrangement
(land/building/staff)
Area per store type
No. of SKUs/store
Managerial
No. of employees
Shop floor
How many employees are dedicated to F&Vs in
each store?
Per day
Footfalls
On week end
How much space is allocated to F&Vs? (%)
What is the average daily sale of vegetables at
store?
What is % of F&Vs sales in total sales?
Which city has maximum sale of F&Vs ?
After opening up of stores in Punjab, how many
closed recently?
How many customers visit mainly to buy F&Vs?
Is there any price difference between store level
price & local retailer’s price?
How much is the unsold produce at store?
What is done with unsold produce?
How much is the wastages/spoilage at the store?
Is there any promotional scheme at the store?
If yes, what type?
Who are your main buyers at store?
% quantity sold to each buyer?

What is the minimum quantity of F&Vs to be

purchased?

Do you also sell to institutional/bulk buyers?

If yes, nature of the bulk buyers-
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 -Hospitals, hotels, schools, colleges, canteens, military, big restaurants, local
vendors/hawkers, dhabas etc.

2. Procurement:
2.1 Through Collection Centre
1. What are total number of CCs in Punjab?

2. Where are they located?

3. How much is the quantity supplied by each?

4. (i) No. of farmers associated:

(ii) How many farmes are supplying F&Vs daily:

(iii) No. of F&Vs procured from one farmer

(iv) delivery schedule of the farmers

(v) Main F&Vs supplied (quantity-wise ranking): ------------------------------

Daily Quantity procured
Crop No. of farmers
(tonnes)

5. Facilities at the procurement/collection centre:

Weight scale
Crates
Shelves
AC
Grader
Trucks
Any other
labour/staff employed
-Casual
- Permanent

6. How do you decide the procurement price?

a. According to quality/grade
b. Market price +
c. Expected market price
d. Fixed
e. Any other

7. Do you also take B and C grade produce? (Yes/No)

If yes, at what price?

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 8. What is your payment system to farmer?
a. On spot (cash/cheque)
b. Weekly (cash/cheque)
c. Fortnightly (cash/cheque)
d. Monthly (cash/cheque)

9. Procurement cost per Kg.:

10. Distribution cost per kg. of produce:

11. Any commitment to buy definitely & regularly on fixed days/daily?

12. If farmer does grading/packing, how is he compensated? Payment/kg.or packet------

13. Do you have any written agreement with the farmers?

- No - Yes
If yes, what type of agreement?
- Contract farming
- Only procurement
- Any other

14. How do you dispose off the unsold stock every day?

2.2 Through Consolidator/lead farmer/Commission Agent:

1. Did you procure from mandi also?

If yes, how much?

2. Main vegetables procured from mandi?

3. From whom you procure F&Vs: CA/Wholesaler/Trader

4. Did you pay commission in mandi?

5. Mode of procurement? Open auction/price negotiation/secret bidding

6. Which source you prefer to buy: farmer or mandi and Why?

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 7. How are you paying to CA/Wholesaler/Trader in mandi?

Cash/cheque

Daily/weekly/fortnightly

3. Processing and Distribution:

1. How much is the daily quantity of F&V arrivals at distribution centre (DC):

2. In addition to supply from CC, what are the other sources of supply?
Mandi:
Consolidator:
Lead farmer:
Trader outside mandi:
Others:

3. No. of employees at DC---

Casual:
Permanent:

4. DC owned/hired:

5. Area/Size of DC:

6. Facilities at DC:
Weight scale
Crates
Shelves
AC
Grader
Trucks
Any other

7. Are there any cold storage facilities at DC?

If yes, of what kind?

8. How many stores are served through one DC?

9. What is the distance of DC from store and CC?

DC:
CC:
10. For how long, F&Vs stay at DC?

11. At what time F&Vs are supplied from DC to store?

12. No. of supplies during the day?

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 13. Average quantity supplied to each store?

14. What are the total number of DCs in Punjab?

15. Do you do the grading at DC?

16. How much is the rejection rate at DC?

17. What are the wastages of the produce at DC?

18. What is the arrangement for fruit supply?

4. Supply chain from farmer to store level: (in terms of quantity procured,
wastages at each level, time taken, price at each level, rejection rate, grading)

4.1 Farmer/mandi

4.2 Collection centre

4.3 Distribution centre

4.4 Store

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5. What are the problems you face in procurement and supply?

6. How can the interface between the farmers and the retail chains be
improved?

7. What should govt. do?

8. What are you planning to do to improve marketing of fresh fruits and

vegetables?

9. What are the advantages for the farmers to sell F&V through retail chains?

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 Appendix-II
Schedule for Retail and Non-Retail Chain Farmers

1. Name & Location details:

Name of the Respondent:__________________________________
Village Name:_______________ Taluka/Town/District:
_______________________

2. Land holding details (in acres):

Net cultivated
Owned Land Leased-in Leased-out Operated land
area

3. Irrigation Structure:
Source of irrigation (in acres)
Un- irrigated
Irrigated area Micro-irrigation
Canal Tubewell Well area
(Drip/sprinklar)

4. Use of Farm Implements: Yes=1 No=2

Farm Implements Yes/No
Tractor
Trolley
Combine
Thresher
Plough/cultivator
Pumpset/borewell
Diesel engine
Electric motor
Sprayer
Potato digger
Other

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 5. Family Details:
Family Adults Children
Details:
Male Female Male Female

Family
members
How many
help in farm
activities?

6. Education level of the decision maker in farming

7. How many adults have off-farm job:
8. Total off-farm income:
9. No. of milch animals:
10. Income from dairy (per week/month):
11. Cropping pattern (in acres):
Area under crop
11.1 Cropping pattern
Current Three years back
Contact/Contract Crops

Traditional crops

11.2 Reasons for change in area during last three years

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12. Contract specifications with the retailers:
12.1 Nature of contract

Formal/informal

Written/oral

Registered/non-registered
If registered, do you know where the contract is registered (with whom)?

Individual contract/group contract

If group contract, did you negotiate contract prices with the buyer
collectively?

Bipartite/tripartite/quadripartite

Contact on acreage/quantity

Language of the contract (English/vernacular)

12.2 Type of contract:

Only procurement/marketing arrangement

Procurement/input supply

Company takes control of the produce

Credit facilities through the involvement of financial institution

Insurance of the crop/activity

Any other (…………………………………….)
12.3 Did the buyers visit the farm before or during harvest?

13. Advance Payments:

a) Do you get any advance payment on your sale or a loan to buy inputs?
(Yes/No)
b) Is this deducted from your sale price?
c) If no, then how?
- paid separately
-other (specify)
d) Do you get an advance or loan for personal need e.g. Marriage, education & medical
etc?

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14. Inputs:
14.1 Does the company provide the inputs? (yes/no)

14.2 If yes, what are the inputs provided under the contract?

a. Seeds
b. Fertilizers
c. Pesticides
d. Machinery
e. Harvesting equipments like potato digger
f. Credit
g. Extension service
h. Insurance
i. Any other

14.3 If no, where do you purchase the inputs from?

……………………………..

14.4 Are the extension services (e.g.) free or charged?

14.5 Is there any condition to purchase inputs only from the contracting company?
(Yes/No)

14.6 Do you have any idea of cost of input provided by the company?
(Yes/No)
If yes, then how much? .........................

14.7 Is the deduction of input cost transparent? (Yes/No)

14.8 Do you maintain the record of inputs provided by the company?

(Yes/No)

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 14.9 Are the machinery/equipment (like crates for harvesting) provided
charged or free of cost?
14.10 How is the payment for inputs made by you?
a. 50% at the time of input procurement and 50% deducted from the final
price.
b. In installments, if so, then number of installments
c. Total cost deducted from the payment for the produce.
d. Any other system

15. Who made the decisions on the Others

You First buyer
following? (Tick the (specify
Decided decided
appropriate) below)
What seeds to use
How much seed to plant
What chemicals to use
How and when to irrigate
How much to harvest
Which crop/heads/ variety to harvest
first
When to harvest
Do you protect the heads/crop with
Yes/No, If yes, then cost=
newspaper or pin up leaves?
Do you practice green manuring & Yes/No, If yes, then cost=
housing or mulching?

16. Quality Specification:

Foreign
Moisture Diseases/insect Any
Crop Size Shape Color matter
content Infestation other
content

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17. Penalties/fines for
• Delayed supplies…………………….
• Lower quality produce……………….
• Lower quantities……………………….
• Not giving any produce at all……………………

18. Company’s default:

1. Has the company ever defaulted? (Yes/no)
2. If yes, why did the company default?
a. lower prices in open market
b. low quality produce
c. any other
3. What was the form of the default?
• Delayed payment
• Low price
• Not procured crop at all
4. What did you do in case of company default?

19. Farmer’s default:

1. Have you ever defaulted? (yes/no)
2. What was the form of default?
a. Selling to mandi when prices are higher
b. Lower quality
c. Selling to other company
d. Using inputs for some other purpose
e. Stop growing the crop when the prices fall
f. Any other
3. If yes, why did you default?
4. What did the company do when you defaulted?
i. De-registration (black listing)
ii. Sue you
iii. Charge some penalty
iv. Any other
5. Is the criteria for de-registration made known to you?

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20. General aspects related with the contract:
1. Has there been any instance of crop failure since the contract began?
(Yes/No)
2. What did the company do in case of crop failure?
a. Seed cost waiver
b. Partial compensation
c. Nothing
3. Are the retail/contract crops are more susceptible to pests/diseases or not?
4. Do you think the company has introduced any new technology in the area
which sustainable? (e.g. Drip/sprinkler/zero tillage etc.)

5. Are you a member of any farmers’ organization/union?

21. Production & Transaction costs:
21.1 Production cost (Rs./acre):
Cost components> Crop
Rental value of land (Rs./unit of land)
Rent of tractor
Land preparation Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor
Seedling/seed cost (amt. x price)
Nursery raising Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor
Cost (amount x price)
Seed purchasing & planting cost
Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor
Cost (amount x price)
Fertilizers
Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
(Chemical/Bio-fertilizer)
Family labor
Cost (amount x price)
Pesticides/Bio-pesticides Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor
Irrigation charges No. of irrigation x rate
Total irrigation cost
Cost (amount x price)
Weeding Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor
Rent of harvestor
Harvesting Hired labor (No. x days x rate)
Family labor

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 21.2 Transaction costs (Rs/acre)
Transaction costs> Crop
Cleaning
Grading
Packing
Primary processing
Transport
Loading & unloading
Storage charges
Spoilage/weight loss
Commission
Deductions
Any other
Total transaction cost

22. Yield, price, gross income and net income:

Yield (Kg/acre)
Price (Rs/kg)
Gross income (Rs.)
Net income (Rs.)

23. Reasons for higher income after Reasons for lower income after the
the contract (Rank) contract (Rank)
Higher contract price High cost of the inputs
Lower cost of inputs Lower yield
Better quality inputs High transaction cost of the contract
High quality rejection rate/Lower
Better extension service
quality of produce
Company reneging on contract by
Higher yield
giving lower price
Lowered transaction cost Any other
Higher quality of produce

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 24. Consumption and selling pattern of crops:
24.1 Home consumption of the produce (%): …………………………………
Sales transactions Retail chain Mandi Other

%age of total output sold

Mode of packing? (1-gunny bags, 2-plastic

boxes, 3-wooden boxes, 4-loose crop)
In how many sacks/boxes/
Crates/loose or kgs?
How many heads per (sack/wooden
box/plastic box)
For how long are you selling to this type of
first buyer? (in years)
How many times did you use this channel?
In this particular transaction who was the
first buyer?
Rank acc. To better price
Malpractices/hidden cost
Rejection rate

What is done with rejected produce?

Cost of selling rejected produce?

Does the company buy the rejected
produce at lower price?
Reasons for rejection (1-Too small, 2-
Insect damage, 3.discolor due to exposure
to sun, 4-More than they required,
5-Others (specify)
Are you harvesting acc. to instructions of
buyer? Y/N
If yes, what kind of instructions?
1- volume/no. of heads,
2-Specific type of produce to harvest

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Did you grade the produce?
1-Yes, 2-No
Price for each grade
A
B
C
Who asked you to grade the produce?
1- buyer,
2-on your own
Did you pack each grade separately?
1-yes, 2-no
How much of each grade did you sell to
the buyer?
A
B
C
Do you do the processing?
1-yes, 2-no
If yes, what do you do?
(Specify__________)

25. Delivery of the produce:

Channel> Retail chain Mandi Other

Transportation charges
1.Transporter took it to buyer
• fee given to transporter
deducted from price (Rs.)
• toll cost one way (Rs)
2.Buyer took from field
3.Own vehicle
• time spent (hrs.)
Fuel cost
• toll cost one way (Rs.)

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4.Rented vehicle
• rent (Rs.)
• toll cost one way (Rs.)
5. By bus
• bus fare one way (Rs.)
• time taken (hrs.)
• toll cost one way (Rs)
Loading of produce
1. by you
2. Hired labor by you
3.Transporter’ labor
4. Buyer’s labor
Offloading of produce
i)Transporter labor
ii )Labor hired by you
iii)Offloaded by you
iv)Buyer’s labor
How much did you pay for transport of produce?
1-per sack
2-per wooden box
3-per plastic box
4-per head
5-per lot
Payments
When were you paid for the produce for this transaction?
1-At the time of sale,
2-Within a week,
3-A week later,
4- 10 days later,
5-Within a month,
6-Longer period (specify….)
How were you paid?

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1- In cash,
2-By draft,
3-By cheque,
4- By deposit to your account
Price Awareness
When did you know the price for this particular transaction?
1-Before the sale,
2-During the sale,
3-After the sale
Price determination
-Price/volume decided in advance
verbally
-Price/volume decided in advance in
writing
-Price/volume decided on the spot
-The pre-determined price is final
-The pre-determined price is minimum
price of the procurement.
Pricing Method:
- According to the grade (Quality) of
the produce
-Expected marketed value
-Market price + premium

-Cost of production + margin

-Combination of any two methods or

flexible pricing method (Method
chosen by farmer)
-Any other
How did you know the price the
produce was sold at?
After sale has taken place
1-Called,

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2- You called,
3-Buyer visited you
4-You went to buyer
Before sale took place
1-Called,
2- You called, 3-Buyer visited you
4-You went to buyer
While sale was taking place
1-You called, 2-Buyer called,
3-You were present in person
Did you know the prices in any
other channel before or at the time
of sale? (1. Yes, 2. No)
If yes which one?
How did you know?
1-you went in person and found out
2-your friend/relative told you
3-you called somebody there and
found out
4-you found out through the
newspaper
5-the buyer told you
6-other (specify______)
When you were paid, did you get a
price?
1-more that what you were informed
2-the same as what you were
informed
3-less than what you were informed
Was transporter fee, commission fee
and input advance issued deducted
from the final price you received?
1-yes, 2-no

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What amount was deducted from
your final price as commission fee?
(in per cent or in Rs)
Did you have to pay a tax/cess for
this sale? (1. yes, How much?
_____(Rs), 2. No )
If yes, was it deducted from the final
price or If no did you pay it
separately?

26. Will you continue working with the retail buyers in future?

27. What are the major problems you face in this linkage?

28. What can be done to improve the performance of this system in terms of:
A) Role of Govt./ policy:

B) Role of Company/buyer:

C) Role of farmers organisations/NGOs:

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