International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Associate Professor Dr. S.Sureshbabu, Research Scholar Mr. A.kannan
Abstract: This study investigates farmers' perceptions of the effectiveness of marketing support provided by Cooperative Marketing Societies (CMS) through a comprehensive multi-dimensional analysis. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and K-means cluster analysis on data from 620 farm-members, the research identifies two critical dimensions of marketing effectiveness: Cost Efficiency and Price Benefits, and Market Access and Sales Stability. The findings reveal that farmers strongly perceive CMS as effective in reducing transaction costs (mean = 3.76) and protecting them from middlemen exploitation (mean = 4.00), yet express relatively lower confidence in CMS's ability to expand sales volume (mean = 2.41) and ensure consistent market access (mean = 2.72). Cluster analysis reveals a tri-segmented farmer population: 65.2% highly satisfied, 18.9% moderately satisfied, and 16.0% less satisfied with CMS services. The study underscores the multifaceted nature of agricultural marketing effectiveness and provides actionable insights for CMS policy reformulation and targeted service improvements.
