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CARE IN HANDLING GOODS
A few words about the care with which goods are
marketed, are essential at this stage. We do not want to
enter into an elaborate discussion of this topic. Suffice it
to say that in this area, sales are made by the primitive
method of handling individual units to the most modern
one of grading. Grading is, however, done only in the
case of Alphonzo mango-fruits when they are exported
by the farmer direct to his broker at Bombay.
S E C T I O N II.
MARKETING OF PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF EXPORT
It need not be too often repeated that the more import-
ant problem, at present for the agriculturist is how best to
market agricultural produce. We have already given a
few general characteristics of marketing of cereals, pulses
and commercial crops of this area. Now we propose to
undertake a detailed study of the methods of marketing
three main articles of export from this village, namely,
paddy, gul and mango-fruits. Before doing so we shall
give a brief history of marketing, in this village, which
throws considerable light on the attitude of the peasant-
proprietor to the importance of marketing.
History of marketing in general. It may be mentioned
at the outset that though no records on this subject are
kept by the government, or the people, we had the good
luck to get the following detailed information from some
of those who are conversant with the work of marketing
as at present carried on.
In 1900 people knew very little of marketing as now
understood. There was nothing like a systematic market-
ing of paddy or mango-fruits. The money-lender was
all supreme. The usual practice was to hand over all
exportable surplus produce to him, in repayment of debt.