and the more so for tropical fruits, which are very perishable and mostly seasonal in nature.
Marketing systems for fruits are generally less complex than that of cereals and other agricultural commodities. Although different characteristics do exist among specific markets, depending on the type of fruits, all are from local traders to wholesale and retail markets, operating freely according to the existing supply and demand conditions. Among various activities involved in the marketing system, transportation (coupled with road condition) is the most important component of marketing cost. Therefore, any location having poor transport and communication facilities will be disadvantageous in terms of market competitiveness. Although the fruit processing industry is at present highly developed and modernized, the lack of quality raw material and an irregular supply has become a primary constraint that prevents the industry from operating at full capacity, and this has also affected the export.