This primary study exposes that Theni district in Tamil Nadu leads with 82.57% share of total production of grape in the year 2004-05. In a season, the production of small farmers per acre is 5,484 kg, which is relatively higher than the medium and large farmers. Further, it is evident that wholesalers, commission agents and retailers are involved in the purchase of grapes from the farmers. In this study, the farmers report that they are facing the problems like lack of remunerative price for their product and protecting the grape vineyard from the diseases; where as the traders complain that there are no adequate infrastructural facilities such as road, transportation, cold storage, etc. Therefore, the authors suggest certain measures such as opening agricultural clinics for the effective pest management and productivity of the vineyard, provision of cold storages, support prices for grapes, procurement centers to purchase grapes from the farmers for export. Furthermore, training for the proper post harvest handling of grapes, establishment of information board by the traders to avoid price differentials, provision of bank loans to the cultivators and traders, etc., are some steps in this direction.

Grape is one of the important fruits cultivated in India. Its cultivation has a prolonged history in human civilization. Its association with man is older than that of wheat and rice. At the global level, it is cultivated in a larger-scale in many temperate regions of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. In 2001, the global production of grape was estimated at 62,586 million tons, with a 5% increase when compared with 59,842 million tons in 1990. In 2001, Italy ranks first with a share of 14.70% in the global production of grape, followed by France, USA and Spain.

In India, grape is cultivated in almost all the important states, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and is available throughout the year. India produces more than 1,083 million tons of grapes annually, of which about 20,000-25,000 tons are exported. Since grape cultivation occupies an important place in Indian agriculture, this paper makes an attempt to examine the issues relating to the production and marketing of grape cultivation in Uthamapalayam taluk of Theni district in Tamil Nadu.

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