Market Arrivals and Price Behaviour of Cumin in Mandor Market of Jodhpur District of Rajasthan

The study was under taken in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. The district was selected purposively, as production under cumin crop was maximum in this district. Secondary data were used to compute the correlation co-efficient between arrivals and prices. Monthly data on arrivals and prices were taken for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10. It was noted that 63 per cent cumin produce arrived in the first quarter (March-May) of the year. The arrivals were 17.93, 8.54 and 10.02 per cent in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Farmers got 10.36 per cent higher price by selling cumin in the second quarter over the post harvest season (peak season or first quarter). Sale of cumin in the third and fourth quarters of the year was not found advantageous. The correlation co-efficient between monthly wholesale prices and arrivals of cumin in the corresponding months and in the subsequent months were -0.578 and -0.588, showing that there existed inverse relationship between the two. The value of correlation co-efficient was estimated to be higher for the subsequent months than for the corresponding months. The value of correlation co-efficient between yearly arrivals and prices of cumin were negative in four years and positive only in one year out of the five years study period. This indicated that prices of cumin were not only affected by arrivals, but were also affected by factors such as demand, export-potential and seasonality of the crop.