Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies

Wholesalers perspectives on mango supply chain efficiency in India

Saurav Negi, Neeraj Anand,
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Saurav Negi, Neeraj Anand, "Wholesalers perspectives on mango supply chain efficiency in India", Journal of Agribusiness
in Developing and Emerging Economies, https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-02-2018-0032
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 Wholesalers perspectives on mango supply chain efficiency in India

Purpose – The paper aims to identify the factors & most significant reasons
leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to high cost, high lead time and
poor quality at wholesale stage of mango supply chain in India and also to find
out the measures which may be taken to improve supply chain efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach– The paper opted for an exploratory study

using the quantitative and qualitative method of research. The study was
conducted at Asia's largest and world’s second largest Fruits and Vegetable
wholesale market (Mandi) in Azadpur, Delhi. Factors have been identified using
factor analysis and the measures to improve supply chain efficiency in fruits
sector have been found out through semi structured interviews with agri and
food supply chain experts.

Findings – Based on the factor analysis, 3 factors were identified for high cost,
namely, Operational Charges, Labour, and Resources; 4 factors were identified
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for high lead time, namely, Operational issues, Labour, Resources, and
Infrastructure; and 4 factors were identified for poor quality, namely,
Operational issues, Infrastructure, Resources, and Poor Ambience.
It was also found that Operational factor is the most significant factor leading to
supply chain inefficiency. The study also highlighted the measures for improving
supply chain efficiency based on the outcome of the interviews.

Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to the wholesale

stage of fruit supply chain with the focus on Azadpur Mandi, Delhi, India with
specific reference to mango. Also, the measures have been identified for only the
most significant reasons under each factor leading to supply chain inefficiency
with respect to cost, time, and quality.

Practical implications – This study would be helpful in improving the supply

chain of fresh produce in India. The identified factors will pave a path for the
stakeholders (wholesalers, APMC, government) to address the most important
issue and also suggests what necessary action may be taken to improve the
wholesale market in India. The suggested measures, if taken would help to
reduce the unnecessary cost and high lead time involved in the operations at the
wholesale stage, and will also extend the shelf life of the produce.

Originality/value – There is a dearth of literature on improving the supply

chain efficiency pertaining to the wholesale stage of fruits and vegetable sector
in India. This paper tries to fulfill the gap and contributed to the literature on
agriculture supply chain, which may be helpful for the researchers as well as the
practitioners to improve food supply chain pertaining to developing countries.

Keywords: Food Supply Chain, Supply Chain Efficiency, Smart Mandi

Infrastructure, Wholesale, Food Loss and Wastage.

Article Type: Research paper

Introduction
 Efficiency, according to Beamon (1998) is the measurement of how well the resources
expended are utilized. In general, it describes the extent to which time, effort or cost is well
used for the intended task or purpose. The most efficient Supply chain has the lowest possible
cost and at the same time meets the customer’s expectations on service like delivery precision
and lead-time (Pettersson, 2008). High customer service, less lead-time, low cost, less
wastage, high value, quality, resource utilization, and profitability are the main factors that
define supply chain efficiency (Negi and Anand, 2014). “Supply chain efficiency must ensure
that it upholds the promise to the customer while eliminating non-value add or waste in the
process”. Supply chain efficiency, therefore, is the measure of getting the right quality
product to the right place at the right time at the least cost (Labs, 2010).

The Supply Chain Management (SCM) of Fruits and Vegetables (F&V) constitutes the
processes from production to delivery of the agro-fresh produce, i.e. from the farmer to the
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customer. SCM of F&V is complex as compared to other SCMs due to the perishable nature
of the produce, high fluctuations in demand and prices, increasing consumer concerns for
food safety & quality (Vorst & Beulens, 2002), and dependence on climate conditions (Salin,
1998).

There are several players involved in fulfilling the needs of the consumer in the supply chain
management of F&V. Those are farmers, local traders, agents (commission agents),
transporter, auctioneers, wholesalers, processors, a traditional retailer of all type of formats
family run 'mom and pop' stores, roadside shops, pavement shops and cart vendors apart from
farmers and customers. From a farm gate to a consumer, a horticulture product passed
through six-seven different distribution channels (Viswanadham, 2007).

Supply Chain inefficiency is the major problem in the supply chain of F&V sector in India
which leads to supply chain losses and wastages, finally results in higher prices paid by final
consumers and less income to the farmers and other stakeholders (Negi and Anand, 2014).
Hence, there is a comprehensive requirement of research in the area not only equipment but
to identify the opportunities for improvement and also to reduce several inefficiencies in the
supply chains (Bhardwaj & Palaparthy, 2008). F&V are highly perishable in nature; and
because of the high level of wastage and inefficiency in this sector, efficient supply chain
after the farm gate to the final consumer has become an absolute necessity, hence there is an
urgent need to develop intelligent supply chain to curb losses and increase the shelf life of
F&V and ensure safety and desired quality (Narula, S., 2011; Rathore et al., 2010). The
 extent of wastage can be reduced only by proper and efficient supply chain (Shukla &
Jharkharia, 2013).

The efficient supply chain is very important in F&V sector and it will lead to increase the
profit of the stakeholders involved in the chain and most importantly reduce the losses and
wastages in this sector. It will also reduce the chances of deterioration in the quality of F&V
produce and help to enhance the value and makes a reliable delivery to the consumer at the
right time with right quality and at the right prices.

All the F&V pass on through Wholesale market, generally called as Mandi. Mandi (market)
system has a number of inefficiencies like non-transparent price setting where seller and
buyer are often cheated (Modekurti, 2016), high losses due to non-scientific handling and
storage. There exists inadequate infrastructural support leading to high losses, as high as 40
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percent in case of F&V. Sidhu et al. (2010) in his study found that more than 90 percent of
the produce disposes through commission agents/wholesalers and a small proportion sells
through retailers and directly to consumers. While national and export demand is
progressively rising, the distribution and logistics of F&V face tremendous uncertainties on
numerous counts.

The present study is focused on the supply chain of fruits with specific reference to mango as
mangoes account for approximately half of all tropical fruits produced worldwide, also, India
is the largest mango producer, accounting for about half (45.11%) of the global mango
production (NHB, 2017) and maximum losses have been found in mango in past studies due
to high lead time and poor quality. Mango is one of the most perishables produce and has its
own importance in daily requirements of human beings. It is also one of the popular and
extensively grown crops in the world and used as the raw material for many food processing
companies. India is the largest producer of mango in the world with the total production of
about 19.70 million tons of mango (NHB, 2017). Mango is widely grown in the northern as
well as the southern region of India, especially in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Andhra Pradesh
(AP).

Owing to the very limited shelf life and high perishability, these items require less lead time
in operations performed at various stages and proper quality so they can deliver from farm to
plate in a fresh manner without deteriorating the quality. Over India, F&V is widely grown
but the supply chain is characterized by inefficiencies which consequently results in poor
price realization for the producers on one hand and high purchase prices to consumers on the
 other hand due to an improper quality of produce at the final point of sale. Many studies
found the highest amount of losses in mango supply chain (Bhushan, N. 2013; Sinha, 2011;
CIPHET, 2010; Murthy, D.S. et al., 2009; Chadha and Pareek, 1993) due to inefficiencies in
the chain. Increasing issues and amount of losses due to supply chain inefficiencies motivated
this research to identify the factors and most significant variables leading to supply chain
inefficiency at wholesale stage of mango supply chain in India.

The rest of this article is structured as follows. First, a review of relevant literature on the
supply chain of perishable products in developing nations is presented. Second, the research
methodology is presented. Third, the results are outlined and discussed. Fourth, a conclusion
and opportunities for future research are presented.

2.0 Literature Review

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Agriculture is one of the most significant and thrust sector of Indian economy. Wastage in the
perishable fresh produce F&V supply chain from harvesting stage till it reaches the consumer
is very high in emerging markets like India (Balaji and Arshinder 2016). Mango is one of the
most perishable commodities in agri-sector and is laden with the major issue of post-harvest
losses and wastages due to various factors impacting quality and time (Bhushan, N. 2013;
Sinha, 2011; CIPHET, 2010; Murthy, D.S. et al., 2009; Chadha and Pareek, 1993). The
identification of the factors may pave a path for planning and implementation of effective
mitigation strategies. This review majorly focuses on developing nations as they will exhibit
characteristics different from those of supply chains in developed nations.

The importance of logistics and supply chain management is increasing at the global level,
especially in the food sector. Mazzawi and Alawamleh (2013) studied the supply chain
performance drivers of food supply chain, and the value chain, to evaluate their
implementation and the effect they have on food companies. Bhattarai et al. (2013) also
assessed the performance of a supply chain for organic vegetables from a smallholder
perspective in Kathmandu region, Nepal. Odongo et al. (2017) examine the role of power in
supply chain performance (SCP) in the context of small and medium-sized agribusiness
enterprises (SMEs). Important factors that have spurred interest in food value chain include
growing urban demand for added-value foodstuffs in developing countries, more stringent
quality and food safety standards by governments and private firms (Donovan, et al., 2015).
Ortega and Tschirley (2017) in their study on “Demand for food safety in emerging and
developing countries” found that consumers in developing countries will become increasingly
 aware of food safety issues as urbanization proceeds and incomes continue to rise at robust
rates. Food safety is becoming a very important aspect of food supply chain starting from the
production to its transportation and receiving increased attention from consumers (Ortega et
al., 2014).

Chiadamrong and Sophonsaritsook (2015) explored the degree of relationships between

supply chain capabilities and competitive advantages towards the business performance of
food supply chain. Dharni and Sharma (2015) explored the status of supply chain
management in the food industry of Punjab, India and the results indicated that logistics and
supply chain management is still in its infancy in the food sector.

Losses and wastage in fresh produce have been highlighted as one of the major causes of the
food problem in most developing countries (Gunasekera et al., 2017; Ojo, 1991; Babalola,
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Megbope, and Agbola, 2008). The major concern for F&V supply chain management is the
post-harvest wastage. A huge amount of F&V is lost in various operational phases (Murthy et
al., 2007). Negi and Anand (2014) discussed supply chain inefficiency in fresh produce and
highlighted inefficiency as the major reasons contributing to the huge amount of losses in the
supply chain which ultimately results in less income to the stakeholders and high prices of
necessary items required in our daily routine. Aramyan, et al., (2007) identified efficiency as
one of the most key performance components of the Agri supply chain performance
measurement system.

The issue of food losses is of high importance in the efforts to combat hunger, raise income
and improve food security in many developing countries (Macheka et al., 2013). Globally,
the average loss of perishable fresh produce over the entire chain from farm to the retail shelf
and to the consumers’ end is estimated to be around 35% (Parfitt, et al., 2010), in other terms,
one-third of the fresh items produced for human beings get wasted and never consumed
(Gustavsson, et al., 2011). The amount of post-harvesting losses varies from 20% to 60% of
the total amount of production across the countries (Widodo, et al., 2006). (Macheka et al.,
2013) conducted a study with the aim to identify causes of mechanical defects in food supply
chain in Zimbabwe and to also establish critical control points at which incidence of the
defects can be minimized in the chain.

Negi and Anand (2015a) discussed the importance of lead time in the supply chain of
perishables agri-commodities in India. According to Chaharsooghi and Heydari (2011), Lead
time is one of the most important factors that affect all participants in business systems. In
 practice, effective management of supply chain needs to make proper decisions regarding
operations with lead time as an important measure. They investigated the effect of lead time
statistical specifications on supply chain performance under uncertainty and proposed some
guidelines in the appropriate planning of supply chain regarding lead time. Xu, et al., (2016)
proposed a new method for optimization research of food cold chain network based on the
extenics theory to study the uncertainty of food cold chain. Battese, et al., (2017) identified
the factors influencing the efficiency of small-scale agro-business in Pakistan and highlighted
the measures to improve it. Negi and Anand (2015b) and Negi and Anand (2017a) also
discussed the issue of high lead time and poor quality in the supply chain of perishable agri-
commodities in Uttarakhand region and suggested various mitigation strategies.

Bhardwaj and Palaparthy (2008) carried a thorough review of available literature and explain
the factors that are influencing F&V markets in India and their effects on the various partners
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involved in the supply chain. Routroy and Behera (2017) also carried a thorough and
systematic review of the literature on agri supply chain management and provide an insight
into various aspects by highlighting the importance of efficient supply chain. As per NCCD
(National Centre for Cold Chain Development), India, “The excess amount of waste in the
fresh produce occurs during its transportation from the farm to wholesale Mandis and
thereafter.” Verma and Singh (2004) assessed the post-harvest losses of fresh produce in
quantitative terms at transportation, storage, and sorting level and found overall losses vary
up to 25%. Hazarika (2006) also found post-harvest loss was greater during the storage and
transportation of the product. Sharma and Singh (2011) estimated the losses in UK state of
India with respect to different activities at producer-level (e.g., harvesting, sorting, grading &
packaging, handling, transportation, and marketing) and trader-level (e.g., transportation,
loading-unloading of loads, sorting and grading, and selling). Gunasekera et al. (2017)
reviewed the post-harvest loss experience of several Asia-Pacific economies to analyse the
potential impacts of the reduction of such losses using a range of remedial measures. Authors
found that Limited access to vital farm inputs and credit, poor infrastructure and lack of
technical and market information are some of the critical challenges confronting agri
stakeholders in developing economies.

It has been witnessed that losses in transportation are the major operational causes of wastage
in the supply chain of perishable horticultural produce (Murthy, et al., 2009; Rehman, et al.,
2007), followed by inventory management (Shukla and Jharkharia, 2013). Relying on the
fact, the survey of internet of things (IoT) applications in food supply chain was conducted by
 Maksimovic, et al. (2015) to demonstrate the significance of IoT appliance and defined
concepts, a proposal of low-cost solution based on IoT for real-time food traceability and
monitoring in food logistics process was presented. With the help of IoT connected testing
equipment, food quality can be monitored at any point in time from farm to table, connecting
at the same time food producers, transportation, wholesalers, and retailers. In logistics and
transportation of perishable commodities, time is a critical factor as the fresh produce must
reach to the customer in a timely manner with proper handling (Singh, Kushwaha, and
Verma, 2008). Verma and Singh (2004) found delays in moving the harvested fresh produce
to the market as the reason for losses. The losses at the market-level are primarily due to the
handling practices followed in marketing channels (Verma and Singh, 2004). Zilberman, et
al. (2017) developed a framework for the design of supply chains to implement innovations.

Negi and Anand (2016) examined the various retail supply chain models pertaining to F&V
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in India wherein they discussed the importance of lead time in food supply chain. Sakawa, et
al., (2013) and Sakawa, et al., (2017) also considers planning for food retailing in Japan and
formulates a linear programming problem where the profit of a food retailer is maximized.
Chiadamrong and Lhamo, (2017) also conducted a research on perishable products in a retail
business which was limited to and focused majorly on managing perishable products
inventory in a certain business environment. Faulty supply chain systems and delayed
delivery of fresh produce due to high lead time cause food loss and wastage in the retail
market (CEAGESP, 2002). At retailers end, it arrives too late with a very short remaining
shelf life which leads to wastage at the retailer level (Mena et al., 2011), and additionally
results in the form of penalty sometimes (Shukla and Jharkharia, 2013). Reducing the lead
time in a distribution system not only can have tremendous results in improving operational
management and reducing the cost of poor quality, but it can also have a substantial effect on
customer satisfaction in delivery performance (Nabhani and Shokri, 2009).

It has been seen from the literature that supply chain inefficiencies due to poor quality and the
high lead time leading to losses and wastage in F&V, is a matter of concern for every nation.
In developing countries, the extent of losses is higher than the developed ones. Efficient
supply chain, therefore, plays a very important role in case of the fresh supply chain by
delivering right quality product to the right place at the right time at the least cost.

3.0 Research Gap & Research Questions

 Based on the above literature review, a gap was identified as there was a dearth of literature
available on the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to high cost, high
lead time and poor quality at the wholesale stage of fruits supply chain with reference to
mango.

This leads to the research question we address:

i. What are the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to high cost,
high lead time and poor quality at the wholesale stage of mango supply chain?
ii. What is the most significant reason leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect
to high cost, high lead time and poor quality in the identified factors?
iii. What measures need to be taken to improve supply chain efficiency at the wholesale
stage of mango supply chain?
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Answering this question allows us to identify the factors and the most significant reason for
supply chain inefficiency at the wholesale stage of mango supply chain in wholesale market
(Azadpur Mandi, New Delhi). Hence, the present study has been conducted with the
following objective:

1. To identify the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to high cost,
high lead time and poor quality at wholesale stage of mango supply chain.
2. To identify the most significant reason leading to supply chain inefficiency with
respect to high cost, high lead time and poor quality in the identified factors.
3. To suggest the measures for most significant reasons to improve supply chain
efficiency at wholesale stage of mango supply chain.
4.0 Research Methodology

Secondary literature for this research was collected from various research papers, case studies
published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, presentations and white papers
from the industry.

Primary data was collected from Asia’s largest F&V wholesale market at Azadpur, Delhi
India which has the highest arrival of F&V across India.

Questionnaire development:

A questionnaire was designed on the basis of variables extracted through literature review
and brainstorming among the wholesalers (also known as commission agents) at the
wholesale market. Initially, the questionnaire was sent to 17 respondents and experts and
based on their inputs, the questionnaire was modified. The questionnaire was handed over
 primarily in person. Total 15, 17 and 26 variables were used for high cost, high lead time and
poor quality in the identified activities after modifications of a questionnaire to detect the
factors leading to supply chain inefficiency at wholesale stage of mango supply chain.

Variables leading to High Cost:

1. High Labour Charges for Unloading the vehicle

2. Damage to crates/boxes while unloading
3. Large number of Labour required for Unloading
4. Manual operations for Unloading
5. Pre unloading labour charges
6. Non-availability of tools and equipment for unloading the load
7. High Labour Charges for Handling, Loading, and Stacking activities
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8. Manual operations for Handling, Loading, and Stacking activities

9. Pre-loading labour charges
10. Non-availability of tools and equipment for handling & loading
11. Expensive packaging materials
12. High electricity charges
13. High charges of cold storage
14. Damage to boxes/crates due to rough manual handling while storage
15. Labour charges for maintenance and security
Variables affecting Lead Time:

1. Manual unloading
2. Improper and High stacking of crates
3. Employment of inadequate labour for unloading operations
4. Non-usage of skilled labour for unloading the crates
5. Inadequate space for unloading operations
6. Non-availability of equipment for unloading
7. Arrival of Larger Quantity of goods
8. Improper planning for scheduling of Incoming Goods
9. Delay in auctioning of mangoes
10. Inadequate and non-availability of timely demand information
11. High Stock/Volume of unsold mangoes at Mandi
12. Holding of goods in anticipation of high prices
13. Handling and Loading by the means of head load
 14. Single manual handling while loading
15. Bulk handling of the crates/packages
16. Non-usage of skilled labour
17. Non-availability of tools and equipment for handling & loading
Variables affecting Quality:

1. Insufficient storage and temperature controlled facilities

2. Lack of cold storage facility
3. Rough handling while storing
4. Improper and high stacking while storing
5. Compression of mangoes due to heavy load in storing
6. Inadequate ventilation at the place of storage
7. High temperature at storage area
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8. Damage to the mangoes caused by pest and fungal infection during storage
9. Non-availability of cooling shed at the place of storage
10. Holding of goods in anticipation of high prices
11. Overstock due to Inadequate and non-availability of timely demand information
12. Non-availability of skilled labour for unloading the crates
13. Rough handling while unloading
14. Inadequate space for unloading operations
15. Expose to direct sunlight/heat while unloading
16. Open dock area which expose to direct sunlight/heat
17. Unloading in an inappropriate manner
18. Non-availability of skilled labour
19. Non-availability of equipment for handling & loading
20. Rough handling at the time of loading & stacking
21. Improper and high stacking
22. Dumping of Crates into the vehicle
23. Bulk Handling at the time of Loading and Stacking
24. Single manual handling while loading & stacking
25. No proper arrangement of packages/crates for air circulation while stacking
26. Open dock area which exposes to direct sunlight/heat
The questionnaire was divided into two sections and contained open-ended and close-ended
questions. Respondents' socio-demographic characteristics were asked in the first section
 (e.g. age, education level and experience in wholesale business). The second section
consisted of close-ended questions concerning wholesaler's attitude and perception of supply
chain inefficiency; therefore, the quantitative research methodology was used for analysis. A
Likert scale of 1 to 5 (“1” as strongly disagree and “5” as strongly agree) was used to
measure the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost, time and quality
(Brown, 2010; Vagias, 2006; Vogt, 1999).

Pilot testing: Based on the final list of variables, a questionnaire was prepared and prior
tested with 44 respondents to check its reliability as suggested by Bryman and Bell (2007)
and Hair et al. (2010).

Administration of the survey: The questionnaire was administered to the wholesalers at

Azadpur wholesale market. Azadpur wholesale mandi was selected as it is the largest
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wholesale F&V market in Asia and has the highest amount of arrival of such produce. Hence
based on this judgment, data has been collected randomly from the wholesalers based at this
mandi. In total, 160 valid and complete responses were received against 175 questionnaires
distributed, giving 91% response rate. This was judged to be a sufficient number for analysis,
as the general norm to conduct factor analysis is to have five respondents for each variable
(Hair, et al., 2008). Bryant and Yarnold (1995) also state that "one's sample should be at least
five times the number of variables. The subjects-to-variables ratio should be no lower than 5
(Garson, D, 2008; Gorsuch, 1983; MacCallum, et al., 1999; Everitt, 1975; Arrindell and van
der Ende, 1985, p. 166). It was satisfied in the study.

Data Analysis Method: Both descriptive analysis and factor analysis (separately to identify
factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost, time and quality) were
carried out to analyze the data in detail. Factor analysis was carried out using SPSS:
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 21) to analyze the data and determine the
factors.

To suggest the measures for the identified factors, qualitative research has been used wherein
in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with food supply chain experts,
agribusiness experts, supply chain experts etc. After data collection through semi-structured
interview, the responses were recorded, transcribed and codes were generated and on the
basis of transcribed conversation and codes, measures were taken out, as suggested by the
experts. 5.0 Data Analysis and Discussion
 The results and discussions related to the study are presented in the following two sub-
sections. The first section includes the summary of the profile of respondents in which
descriptive analysis was used. The second section discussed an analysis of the factors leading
to supply chain inefficiency at the wholesale stage of mango supply chain.

5.1 Descriptive analysis

160 mango wholesalers were interviewed. Table 1 shows the age, education and experience
profile of the wholesalers from the selected wholesale market. Table 1 illustrates that
majority of the wholesalers (45%) were in the age category between 51 or above years,
followed by the age category of 36-50 years (35%) and 25-30 years (20%). The education
level of respondents was categorized into four categories: all the respondents have been to
school, most of them had completed secondary education (48%), 39% graduated with tertiary
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education before entering into wholesale agribusiness, and 10% passed primary education. In
terms of experience in this business, total 67 (42%) wholesalers have more than 20 years of
experience, 28% wholesalers have 15-20 years of experience, 17% wholesalers have 10-15
years of experience, 10% wholesalers have 5-10 years of experience, and only 3%
wholesalers have newly entered into this business and having 0-5 years of experience.

Table1. Sample Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Age, Educational

Qualifications & Experience in Wholesale Agri-business of Mango
Stage Respondent Age Total Percentage
20-35 32 20%
Wholesaler 36-50 56 35%
51-above 72 45%
Grand Total 160 100%
Respondent Education Total Percentage
No Education 5 3%
Primary 16 10%
Wholesaler
Secondary 77 48%
Wholesale
Tertiary education 62 39%
Stage
Grand Total 160 100%
Respondent Experience Total Percentage
0-5 Yrs 5 3%
5-10 Yrs 16 10%
Wholesaler 10-15 Yrs 27 17%
15-20 Yrs 45 28%
20< above 67 42%
Grand Total 160 100%

5.2 Reliability analysis

Reliability test needs to be conducted and it is essential before going for any discussion on
factor generated by the factor analysis. In reliability analysis, the Cronbach’s alpha is an
“index of reliability” related with the “variation accounted for” by the true score of the
 “underlying construct”. The construct is the hypothetical variable that is being measured
(Hatcher, 1994).

From the analysis based on primary data collection, the internal reliability for all the variables
have been tested and the score representing alpha is presented in Table 2 for high cost, high
lead time and poor quality. The result of the test shows that the alpha score is more than 0.7
in all the cases. It meets the criterion outlined by Peter (1979) and Churchill and Peter (1984);
the criterion is that those reliability levels that are greater than 0.5 are acceptable in social
sciences. In this case, the Cronbach alpha is 0.900, .827 and 0.889 in high cost, high lead time
and poor quality which is greater than 0.5. Hence, the data is reliable to proceed with Factor
Analysis.
Table2. Reliability Statistics (Supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost, time and quality)
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Supply Chain Inefficiency: Cronbach's Cronbach's N of Items

with respect to Alpha Alpha Based on
Standardized
Items
Cost .900 .901 15

Time .827 .828 17

Quality .889 .891 26

5.3 Factor analysis

Factor analysis was used to examine the interconnection and interrelationship among the
explanatory variables and to determine the important factors that are leading to supply chain
inefficiency. Factor analysis refers to a “variety of statistical techniques whose common
objective is to represent a set of variables in terms of a smaller number of hypothetical
factors” (Kim and Mueller, 1978). The basic assumption of factor analysis is a linear
combination of the factors that are not actually observed (Ruslan, et al., 2013; Arumugam et
al. 2010; Negi and Anand, 2017 a).

The factor analysis of 15, 17 and 26 statements was conducted using the “principal
component method”.

i. The criterion for the number of factors: Eigenvalue of each factor had to be equal
or higher than one.
ii. The numbers of extracted factors were then rotated by the varimax method.
iii. Each of the variables was assigned to the factor which had the highest correlation.
 5.3.1 Measure of sampling adequacy

The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were
used to measure sampling adequacy and the presence of correlation among the variables.
Table 3 explains the KMO and Bartlett’s test of sphericity. It was initially performed on the
data and confirmed the appropriateness of conducting the PCA (Principal Component
Analysis) (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2001). The Bartlett’s test showed that the correlation
matrix was at a suitable level to perform the factor analysis. The KMO static value differs
between 0 and 1. Small values for the KMO shows that the factor analysis of the variables
may not be suitable since the associations (correlations) between the variables cannot be
described by the other variables (Norusis 1993). The values which are higher than 0.6 are
considered as satisfactory to carry out factor analysis. The KMO test here, in this case, is
more than 0.8 and reached the value of 0.866, 0.873 and 0.914 with respect to cost, time and
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quality, which means the values, are great and superb (in case of quality) so it is judged to be
acceptable. After the confirmation of sampling adequacy, it is clear that the sample is
adequate and factor analysis can be carried out as an appropriate analysis.
Table3. KMO and Bartlett's Test (Supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost, time and quality)

Cost Time Quality

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .866 .873 .914

Approx. Chi-Square 1470.581 1849.904 2890.041

df 105 136 325

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity

Sig. .000 .000 .000

6.0 Results and discussion

This section discusses the findings of the Research Objective 1, 2 and 3. This section also
comprises the detailed discussion on the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with
respect to cost, time and quality; the most significant reason leading to supply chain
inefficiency and finally the measures to improve supply chain efficiency in mango supply
chain has been suggested on the basis of the interview with the experts.

6.1 Factors Leading to Supply Chain Inefficiency with respect to Cost

Table 4 lists the Eigen value connected with each linear component and the factor before
extraction and after rotation. The eigenvalue is the column sum of squares for a factor; it also
presents the mount of variance accounted for by a factor (Hair, Anderson, & Ronald, 1991).
 A total of three identified factors have eigenvalues exceeding one, collectively accounting for
63.343% of the variation across the sample. In isolation, component one or factor one
explained 32.902% of the total variance; factor two explained 21.055% of the total variance;
and factor three explained 9.386% of the total variance.
Table4. Total Variance Explained

Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 6.718 44.787 44.787 4.935 32.902 32.902

2 1.443 9.621 54.408 3.158 21.055 53.957
3 1.340 8.935 63.343 1.408 9.386 63.343
4 1.150 7.668 71.011
5 .857 5.713 76.724
6 .698 4.654 81.378
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7 .598 3.986 85.364

8 .541 3.608 88.972
9 .362 2.416 91.388
10 .321 2.138 93.526
11 .275 1.836 95.361
12 .259 1.728 97.089
13 .182 1.211 98.300
14 .154 1.030 99.330
15 .100 .670 100.000

The factor analysis discovered three broad issues (factors) which are leading to supply chain
inefficiency with respect to cost in Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. An
operational charge is the most important factor leading to supply chain inefficiency with
respect to high cost, followed by labor, and resources. These three latent factors are
summarized in Table 5.

Factor 1– Operational Charges: Operational charge is recognized as a first factor that leads
to high cost in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. This factor consists of
seven sub-variables and has a total variance of 32.902%. High charges of cold storage (0.857)
ensures highest factor loading in the operational charges factor, followed by high electricity
charges (0.835), expensive packaging materials (0.833), damage to boxes/crates due to rough
manual handling while storage (0.795), manual operations for handling, loading and stacking
(0.766), damage to crates/boxes while unloading (0.758), and manual operations for
unloading (0.581). The results indicate that high charges involved in day to day operations
 like rental charges for cold storage, high electricity charges, high packaging material charges,
and unnecessary cost due to damage contributes to cost escalation in the Wholesale/Mandi
stage of mango supply chain.

Table5. Summary-Factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost in Wholesale/Mandi
stage

Component Variance
(% of
Variables Factor Name
1 2 3 explained)
eigenvalues
High charges of cold storage 0.857
High electricity charges 0.835
Expensive packaging materials 0.833
Damage to boxes/crates due to rough Operational
0.795 32.902
manual handling while storage Charges
Manual operations for HLS 0.766
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Damage to crates/boxes while unloading 0.758

Manual operations for Unloading 0.581
High Labour Charges in HLS 0.775
Large number of Labour required for
0.760
Unloading
Labour charges for maintenance and
0.643 21.055 Labour
security
High Labour Charges-Unloading 0.606
Pre unloading labour charges 0.541
Pre loading labour charges 0.528
Non availability of tools and equipments for
0.857
handling & loading
9.386 Resources
Non availability of tools and equipments for
0.643
unloading the load

Factor 2 – Labor: The second factor leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost
in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain is labor, which has a total variance of
21.055% and comprises of six sub-variables. High Labour Charges in handling, loading and
stacking activities (0.775) ensures highest factor loading in this factor, followed by large
number of Labour required for unloading (0.760), labour charges for maintenance and
security (0.643), high labour charges in unloading of vehicle (0.606), pre unloading labour
charges (0.541), and pre loading labour charges (0.528). The results indicate that high
charges by labor for handling, loading, unloading, maintenance and security activities
incurring high cost in this stage.

Factor 3–Resources: Lack of resource availability is the third and final factor leading to high
cost in this stage, which has a variance of 9.386% and consists of two sub-variables namely,
 Non availability of tools and equipments for handling & loading, and Non availability of
tools and equipments for unloading the load from the vehicle. Non availability of tools and
equipments for handling & loading the vehicle (.857) ensures highest factor loading, followed
by non-availability of tools and equipments for unloading the load (.643). This factor
indicates that due to non-availability of tools and equipments for loading and unloading
operations, large number of manpower is required to perform the operations, which increases
the unnecessary manpower cost.

6.2 Factors Leading to Supply Chain Inefficiency with respect to Time in Wholesale/Mandi
stage

Table 6 lists the Eigen value connected with each linear component and the factor before
extraction and after rotation. A total of four identified factors have eigenvalues exceeding
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one, collectively accounting for 71.956% of the variation across the sample. In isolation,
component one or factor one explained 33.217% of the total variance; factor two explained
15.009% of the total variance; factor three explained 14.545% of the total variance and factor
four explained 9.185% of the total variance.
Table6. Total Variance Explained
Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 7.583 44.603 44.603 5.647 33.217 33.217

2 2.209 12.993 57.596 2.552 15.009 48.226
3 1.409 8.290 65.886 2.473 14.545 62.771
4 1.032 6.070 71.956 1.561 9.185 71.956
5 .822 4.832 76.788
6 .610 3.587 80.376
7 .562 3.307 83.683
8 .530 3.117 86.800
9 .454 2.670 89.470
10 .333 1.961 91.431
11 .323 1.899 93.330
12 .252 1.480 94.810
13 .238 1.397 96.207
14 .225 1.326 97.534
15 .179 1.051 98.584
16 .163 .962 99.546
17 .077 .454 100.000
 The factor analysis discovered four broad factors which are leading to supply chain
inefficiency with respect to time in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain (Table
7). Operational issue is the most important factor leading to supply chain inefficiency with
respect to high lead time, followed by labor, resources, and infrastructure. These four latent
factors are summarized as follows.

Table7. Summary- Factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to time in Wholesale/Mandi
stage

Component Variance
(% of Factor
Variables
1 2 3 4 explained) Name
eigenvalues
Delay in auctioning of mangoes 0.808
Holding of goods in anticipation of high
0.793
prices
Arrival of Larger Quantity of goods 0.789
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Improper planning for scheduling 0.777

Manual unloading 0.763
Inadequate and non-availability of timely
0.727
demand information 33.217 Operational
Improper and High stacking of crates 0.672
Single manual handling while loading 0.623
High Stock/Volume of unsold mangoes at
0.590
Mandi
Handling and Loading by the means of
0.540
head load
Bulk handling of the crates/packages 0.512
Employment of inadequate labour for
0.879
unloading operations
Non usage of skilled labour-HLS 0.842 15.009 Labour
Non usage of skilled labour for unloading
0.658
the crates
Non availability of equipments for
0.922
unloading
14.545 Resources
Non availability of tools and equipments for
0.920
handling & loading
Inadequate space for unloading operations 0.889 9.185 Infrastructure

Factor 1– Operational: Operational issue is recognized as a first factor leading to high lead
time in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. This factor consists of eleven sub-
variables and has a total variance of 33.217%. Delay in auctioning of mangoes (0.808)
ensures highest factor loading in this factor, followed by the variables namely, holding of
goods in anticipation of high prices (0.793), arrival of Larger Quantity of goods
(0.789),improper planning for scheduling (0.777), manual unloading (0.763), inadequate and
non-availability of timely demand information (0.727), improper and high stacking of crates
 (0.672), single manual handling while loading (0.623), high stock/volume of unsold mangoes
at Mandi (0.590), handling and loading by the means of head load (0.540), and bulk handling
of the crates/packages (0.512). The results indicate that most of the variables underlying in
this category are operational related issue which are leading to high lead time in
Wholesale/Mandi stage.

Factor 2 –Labor: The second factor leading to high lead time in this stage is labor, which has
a total variance of 15.009% and comprises of three sub-variables. The variable named,
Employment of inadequate labour for unloading operations (0.879) has the highest factor
loading in labor factor. This is followed by the variables namely, non-usage of skilled labour
for handling, loading and stacking activities (0.842), and non-usage of skilled labour for
unloading of the vehicle (0.658). The results indicate that non-availability of skilled labor and
usage of inadequate labor are the issue of concern in this factor which is leading to high lead
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time.

Factor 3 – Resources: Lack of resources is the third factor which is leading to high lead time
in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. This factor has a total variance of
14.54% and comprises of two sub-variables namely, Non availability of equipments for
unloading, and non-availability of tools and equipments for handling & loading. Non
availability of equipments for unloading (0.922) ensures highest factor loading in this
category, followed by non-availability of tools and equipments for handling & loading
(0.920). The results indicate that lack of resources pertaining to tools and equipments for
loading and unloading operations are leading to high lead time.

Factor 4 – Infrastructure: The fourth and last factor leading to supply chain inefficiency with
respect to high lead time in this stage is infrastructure, which has a variance of 9.185% and
comprises of only one sub-variable, namely, inadequate space for unloading operations with
the factor loading of 0.889. The results indicate that at Wholesale/Mandi stage, there is an
inadequate space for proper unloading operations which leads to high turnaround time.

6.3 Factors Leading to Supply Chain Inefficiency with respect to Quality in

Wholesale/Mandi stage

Table 8 lists the Eigen value connected with each linear component and the factor before
extraction and after rotation. A total of four identified factors have eigenvalues exceeding
one, collectively accounting for 64.441% of the variation across the sample. In isolation,
component one or factor one explained 31.52% of the total variance; factor two explained
 15.57% of the total variance; factor three explained 10.47% of the total variance, and factor
four explained about 6.86% of the total variance.
Table 8. Total Variance Explained
Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 11.049 42.497 42.497 8.196 31.522 31.522

2 2.865 11.018 53.515 4.050 15.576 47.098
3 1.553 5.974 59.489 2.724 10.475 57.573
4 1.287 4.952 64.441 1.786 6.868 64.441
5 1.088 4.186 68.627
6 .919 3.536 72.163
7 .827 3.180 75.343
8 .666 2.562 77.906
9 .637 2.449 80.354
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10 .559 2.150 82.504

11 .512 1.968 84.472
12 .459 1.767 86.239
13 .434 1.669 87.908
14 .404 1.556 89.463
15 .372 1.429 90.892
16 .324 1.247 92.140
17 .314 1.209 93.348
18 .289 1.113 94.461
19 .270 1.037 95.498
20 .240 .923 96.421
21 .217 .835 97.256
22 .196 .754 98.010
23 .161 .619 98.630
24 .142 .546 99.175
25 .117 .451 99.626
26 .097 .374 100.000

The factor analysis discovered four broad factors which are leading to supply chain
inefficiency with respect to quality in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain
(Table 9). Operational issue is the most important factor leading to poor quality of fresh
produce at this stage, followed by infrastructure, resources, and ambience. These four latent
factors are summarized as follows.

Table 9. Summary-Factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to quality in

Wholesale/Mandi stage

Variables Component Variance Factor Name

 (% of
1 2 3 4 explained)
eigenvalues
Damage to the mangoes caused by pest
0.854
and fungal infection during storage
Compression of mangoes due to heavy
0.841
load in storing
Holding of goods in anticipation of high
0.837
prices
No proper arrangement of packages/crates
0.784
for air circulation while stacking
Rough handling while storing 0.769
Expose to direct sunlight/heat while
0.746
unloading
Improper and high stacking 0.721
Overstock due to Inadequate and non- 31.552 Operational
0.720
availability of timely demand information
Rough handling while unloading 0.703
Dumping of Crates into the vehicle 0.698
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Unloading in an in appropriate manner 0.697

Bulk Handling at the time of Loading and
0.674
Stacking
Rough handling at the time of loading &
0.628
stacking
Improper and high stacking while storing 0.448
Single manual handling while loading &
0.442
stacking
Lack of cold storage facility 0.772
Insufficient storage and temperature
0.762
controlled facilities
Open dock area which expose to direct
0.739
sunlight/heat-UfT
15.576 Infrastructure
Non availability of cooling shed at the place
0.734
of storage
Inadequate space for unloading operations 0.666
Open dock area which expose to direct
0.537
sunlight/heat-HLS
Non availability of skilled labour for
0.821
unloading the crates
Non availability of skilled labour-HLS 0.809 10.475 Resources
Non availability of equipments for handling
0.766
& loading
High temperature at storage area 0.852
Inadequate ventilation at the place of 6.868 Ambience
0.828
storage
Factor 1–Operational: Operational issue is recognized as the first factor that leads to poor
quality of fresh produce in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. This factor
consists of fifteen sub-variables and has a total variance of 31.52%. The variable named
damage to the mangoes caused by pest and fungal infection during storage (0.854) ensures
highest factor loading in operational issue. This is followed by the following variables
 namely, compression of mangoes due to heavy load in storage (0.841), holding of goods in
anticipation of high prices (0.837), no proper arrangement of packages/crates for air
circulation while stacking (0.784), rough handling while storing (0.769), expose to direct
sunlight/heat while unloading (0.746), improper and high stacking (0.721), overstock due to
inadequate and non-availability of timely demand information (0.720), rough handling while
unloading (0.703), dumping of crates into the vehicle (0.698), unloading in an inappropriate
manner (0.697), bulk handling at the time of loading and stacking (0.674), rough handling at
the time of loading & stacking (0.628), improper and high stacking while storing (0.448), and
single manual handling while loading & stacking (0.442). Most of the variables which are
underlying in this category are operational level issues. The result indicates that operations
are not performed in an appropriate manner resulting to poor quality of fresh produce.
Factor 2–Infrastructure: The second factor is Infrastructure, which has a total variance of
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15.57% and comprises of six sub-variables. Lack of cold storage facility (0.772) ensures
highest factor loading in this category, followed by insufficient storage and temperature
controlled facilities (0.762), open dock area which expose to direct sunlight/heat while
unloading the vehicle (0.739), non-availability of cooling shed at the place of storage (0.734),
inadequate space for unloading operations (0.666), and open dock area which expose to direct
sunlight/heat while handling, loading and stacking the load into the vehicle (0.537). The
result indicates that lack of cold chain infrastructure; open dock area and inadequate space at
Wholesale/Mandi stage are the main reasons for poor quality of the fresh produce at this
stage.
Factor 3–Resources: Resource is the third factor leading to poor quality in the
Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. It has a total variance of 10.47% and
comprises of three sub-variables. Non availability of skilled labour for unloading the crates
(0.821) ensures highest factor loading in this category, followed by non-availability of skilled
labour for handling, loading and stacking activities (0.809), and non-availability of
equipments for handling & loading (0.766). The result indicates that due to non-availability
of skilled manpower and equipments at the Wholesale/Mandi stage, the quality of fresh
produce gets deteriorates which leads to high losses.
Factor 4–Ambience: Ambience is the fourth and last factor leading to poor quality in the
Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. It has a variance of 6.86% and comprises of
two sub-variables namely, High temperature at storage area, and inadequate ventilation at the
place of storage. High temperature at storage area has the highest factor loading of 0.852,
followed by inadequate ventilation at the place of storage (0.828). The result indicates that
 the problem of high temperature and inadequate ventilation is also an important issue of
concern at Wholesale/Mandi stage which impacts the quality of the fresh produce.
Operational issues, Operational charges, Labour factor, and Infrastructure factor are the
important factors leading to supply chain inefficiency in mango supply chain.

6.4 Most Significant reason leading to Supply Chain Inefficiency with respect to High
Cost, High Lead Time and Poor Quality in the identified factors.

To determine the major reasons, the factor loading of each variable has been looked out.
After that, the important variable under each dimension/factor has been classified based on
the highest factor loading (Tiwari, 2012; Negi and Anand, 2018). The larger the factor
loading the more the variable has contributed to that factor (Harman, 1976; Hair et al., 2010;
Malhotra, 2007; Field, 2009). The variable with highest factor loading is the reasons which
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are highly contributing to the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost,
time and quality. Factor loadings are very similar to weights and they represent the strength
of the correlation between the variable and the factor (Kline, 1994). This also provides the
directions, to decide which of these reasons needs to be focused on an urgent basis to
improve the supply chain.
So, it can be inferred that the variables with highest factor loading are the most important
reasons which are highly contributing to the factors leading to supply chain inefficiency and
need higher consideration for improving supply chain efficiency (Tiwari, 2012; Harman,
1976; Hair et al., 2010; Malhotra, 2007; Field, 2009).
So it can be seen from the analysis (also shown in Table 10) that High rental charges of cold
storage under the factor operational charges in the activity of Storing of Crates/ Cartons
/Wooden Box at Mandi; High Labour Charges in handling, loading and stacking activity
under the labour factor; and Non availability of tools and equipments for handling & loading
activity under the factor named resources has the highest factor loading in each factor, hence
these variables can be considered as the most important reasons leading to supply chain
inefficiency with respect to cost (as shown in Figure 1).

Table 10: Most significant reasons leading to supply chain inefficiency in Wholesale/Mandi Stage

STAGE III-WHOLESALE/MANDI STAGE

Loading
Effect Factor Highly Contributing Variable to the Factor in its
Factor
Operational Charges High charges of cold storage 0.857
Leading to
Labour High Labour Charges in HLS 0.775
 High Cost Non availability of tools and equipments for handling &
Resources 0.857
loading
Operational Delay in auctioning of mangoes 0.808
Leading to Employment of inadequate labour for unloading
Labour 0.879
High Lead operations
Time Resources Non availability of equipments for unloading 0.922
Infrastructure Inadequate space for unloading operations 0.889
Damage to the mangoes caused by pest and fungal
Operational 0.854
infection during storage
Leading to Infrastructure Lack of cold storage facility 0.772
Poor Quality Resources Non availability of skilled labour for unloading the crates 0.821
Ambience High temperature at storage area 0.852
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Figure 1: Most significant reasons leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost

Source: Author’s Findings

Delay in auctioning of mangoes under operational factor, Employment of inadequate labour

for unloading operations under labour factor, Non availability of equipments for unloading
under resource factor, and Inadequate space for unloading operations under infrastructure
factor are found the most significant reasons leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect
to time in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of mango supply chain. The diagrammatic
representation of the same is depicted in Figure 2.
 Figure 2: Most significant reasons leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to time

Source: Author’s Findings

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With respect to poor quality, Damage to the mangoes caused by pest and fungal infection
during storage, Lack of cold storage facility, Non availability of skilled labour for unloading
the crates, and High temperature at storage area are found the most significant reasons
leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to quality in the Wholesale/Mandi stage of
mango supply chain in the identified factors namely, Operational, Infrastructure, Resources,
and Ambience. The diagrammatic representation of the same is depicted in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Most significant reasons leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to quality

Source: Author’s Findings

6.5 Measures to Improve Supply Chain Efficiency at Wholesale stage of Mango Supply
Chain
 In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the measures for these major
reasons. Measures for rest of the reasons are out of the purview and one the limitation of this
study. The semi-structured interviews involve the use of some pre-formulated questions;
however, there is no strict adherence to them as new questions might arise during the
conversation (Myers, 2009, p. 124). Thus, it gives the interviewee the opportunity to add
important insights.
Based on the highest factor loading, the only variable which has been found as the most
significant reason for supply chain inefficiency in each factor were used for conceptualization
and accordingly, protocols/questions were designed to accomplish the third objective. On the
basis of detailed discussion and output, the measures are suggested to improve efficiency in
the wholesale stage of mango supply chain to reduce high cost, high lead time and improve
quality. To make it more clear and comprehensive, the measures are represented in
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diagrammatic form as shown below in Figure 4-Figure 6.

 Reasons for Inefficiency Measures to Improve Efficiency

Creation of good policy environment to promotes investment

Formation of alliances for commodity-based clusters to set up cold
storage facilities
Encourage subsidy from government and investment from the
private sector

High rental Formation of Cooperatives societies to establish cold storage

charges for Measures Encourage private agencies to establish cold storage at nodal
cold storage
facilities points.
Users must be accompanied by a sustained information and
promotion campaign. Emphasis must be laid on the benefits to the
farmer.
Realistic rental rates and practice of payments after the sale of the
product to attract the farmer to use the facility.
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Provision of 50% subsidy by Govt. on the electricity costs of cold

stores to encourage cold storage infrastructure
Role of National Cold Chain Development (NCCD) and Govt.
 Encourage and develop skilled local labour
Power utility bodies to reduce the cost.
 Focus on near sourcing or local sourcing of labours
Most Significant Financial assistance to establish multi-chamber/multi-commodity
Reasons-High Cost  Intervention of Govt. supporting institutions for development
cold storages for the short- and long-term storage
in High manual  Training & development of local labor
labour Measures Agents associations may develop the cold storages with
Wholesale/Mandi  Role of NSDC, NGOs for training & development of local labours
charges for
Stage of Mango SC assistance from supporting institutions and government.
HLS  Collaboration with labors to avoid high charges during season
 Shift to the process of mechanization
 Adoption of Automation to handle the large quantity of load.
 Use of Mobile truck loader and unloader, truck loading-unloading
conveyors, fork-lift etc.
 Adoption
Provision ofofequipment
subsidy pooling model of loading & unloading
on purchase
 Encourage private player for
equipment for agricultural use supply chain solution incorporating
equipment pooling
Non-
availability of  Service provider manages the network, providing customers with
tools and
Measures
equipment when necessary
equipment for
handling &  Model allows farmers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to
loading utilize the equipment without having to make a capital investment
 Government support to create and provide technological
infrastructure at wholesale mandi
 Distribution of mechanical devices through government centers
 Horizontal integration between agents for pooling of tools and
equipment
 Well trained workers provided with appropriate tools and
equipment

Figure4- Measures to improve SC Efficiency (with respect to Cost) in Wholesale/Mandi Stage of Mango SC
 Reasons for Inefficiency Measures to Improve Efficiency

 Avoid Over-purchase of cheap and highly perishable fruits and

vegetables
 Maintain day wise inventory level and make buying decisions
accordingly
Delay in
Measures  Forward integration with Food processing units/companies
auctioning of
mangoes  Focus on timely completion of activities
 Fix best suitable prices to start an auction
 Tie-ups and collaboration with fresh retail companies
 Avoid overstock in anticipation of getting higher prices
 Minors and Women’s
Responsive shouldthan
strategy rather be strictly prohibited for operations
anticipation
 Strict
Stock regulations by government
holding should on use
be inspected andofmonitored
inadequatebylabor/workers
government
 Proper
officialsinspections
on a regularand regular visit to Mandi by government officials
basis
Employment
of to control the issue
inadequate
Measures
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 Use of machinery and equipment for loading unloading operations

labour for
operations  Shift to process of mechanization
 Adoption of Automation to handle the large quantity of load.
Most Significant
 Use of Mobile truck loader and unloader, truck loading-unloading
Reasons-High Lead
time in conveyors, fork-lift etc.
Wholesale/Mandi  Adoption of equipment pooling model
 Provision of subsidy on purchase of loading & unloading equipment
Stage of Mango SC  Encourage private player for supply chain solution incorporating
for agricultural use
equipment pooling

Non-  Service provider manages the network, providing customers with
availability of 
tools and Measures equipment when necessary
equipment  Model allows farmers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to
utilize the equipment without having to make a capital investment
 Government support to create and provide technological
infrastructure at wholesale mandi
 Distribution of mechanical devices through government centers

 Horizontal
Development integration between
of open area agents foror pooling
by government of tools
mandi samiti and
for safe
equipment
and timely loading and unloading activity
Inadequate  Well trained workers
Preparation of actionprovided
plan bywith appropriate
government andtools and equipment
estimation of fund
space for
unloading & Measures requirement for development
loading  Proper scheduling of trucks to optimize the space and operate
operations
effectively
 Government focus needs to be emphasized on the infrastructure
development at mandi area
 Development of concept of Smart Mandis on the line of Smart city
by the National Horticulture Mission with the help of NCCD and
other related authorities
 Dock area should be enlarged to park different vehicles
 Day wise scheduling to avoid high traffic during peak season

Figure5- Measures to improve SC Efficiency (with respect to Time) in Wholesale/Mandi Stage of Mango SC
 Reasons for Inefficiency Measures to Improve Efficiency

 Regular pest survey and monitoring to control pest and infection

 Properly maintained temperature to control pest and fungal infection
 Treatment of HWT (Hot water treatment) + Wax coating to prevent
pest
 Storage structure should be cleaned and fumigated before placing
the fresh produce
Damage to the
Mangoes  Training on how to properly clean plastic crates between uses
caused by pest Measures  Discard damaged fruits & vegetables to avoid quality deterioration
and fungal
infection during  Use of Food irradiation technology to destroy or sterilize bacteria
storage  Encourage adoption of pallet to stack the load
 Encourage usage of insect-proof boxes
 Stack 18 inches off the floor and 18 inches away from walls as per
"18-inch rule of sanitation."
 Aisles should be left between stacked containers and walls for
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proper inspection and cleaning

 Eliminate cracks and crevices in storage areas by proper
construction or repairs
 Concept
 Food of Topand
handling Icing/Contact
storage areasIcingshould
can bebe applied for short-term
accessible to routine
storage which would result in
cleaning and collection of waste quicker cooling

Optimum temperature
Packaging material mustforbe
crop asofquickly
free as possible
chemical substances & smell
NeedFIFO
The of cold chain
(First network
in First out)from farm should
method to pointbe
of applied
sale to clear the
Access to low-cost handling and storage technologies (e.g.,
 stock
Most Significant  evaporative
Don’t coolers, storage bags, crates)
use anti-fungal/insects/rodent sprays and pesticides, which
Reasons-Poor Lack of cold Measures  Use of Zero energy
are not permitted. cool chamber/Evaporative coolers to extend the
Quality in storage
facilities shelf life of food and avoid spoilage
Wholesale/Mandi
Stage of Mango SC  Encourage APMC and other agencies to develop cold storage
facilities at wholesale market
 Realistic rental rates and payments after the sale of product to
attract the users to use the facility
 Use of Low-cost, low-energy, environmental friendly cool chambers
made from locally available materials
 Room cooling technique consisting refrigeration unit
 Use of Night
Proper ventilation
handling technique
and safety of where variation
produce shouldbetween
be theday and
prime
night temperatures can be used to keep stores cool
importance
 Subsidy
Conduct by government
skill on the
development cost
and of building
capacity cold-storage
building programmes in
 Focus on development
association with NSDC of micro cold chain solutions
 Need
Developof information
Good policy environment
materials promotingto the
and disseminate investment
workers and
and
Non-
availability of formation of
stakeholders alliances/commodity-based clusters
Measures
skilled labour  Establish
Academicmulti-chamber/
organizations multi-commodity cold storage
& Ventures focusing on logistics training
for unloading
and development may conduct training programs and sessions for
the local workers as their CSR activity
 Training & knowledge on best logistical practices like sorting and
grading, effective and new techniques of packaging, handling
perishable produce etc.
 Investment by Government agencies like NHB, NCCD, NSDC etc.
on training
 Mandatory training and certification emphasizing the setting of
  Storage site structure should be protected from excessive humidity,
.
excessive heat, and direct sun rays
Most Significant  Need of cold chain and cold storage
High
Reasons-Poor temperature  Use of Normal plastic containers with ventilation slots
Quality in Measures
at storage  Storage at 10 to 13 °C (50 to 55 °F) with 85 to 90% RH, give a
Wholesale/Mandi area
Stage of Mango SC shelf life of 14 to 28 days
 Better if fruits are precooled before keeping them at low
temperature
 Proper air circulation during stacking and arrangement of crates
 Control environmental conditions during storage
 Use of cooling fans inside the premises
 Need of electronic management systems and controllers assist by
controlling
Figure6- Measures to improve SC Efficiency (with respect the storage
to Quality) environment automatically
in Wholesale/Mandi Stage of Mango SC
 Proper storage temperature before the fresh produce is delivered
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6.6 Managerial contributions

The identified factors must be addressed properly by the wholesalers and the suggested
measures need to be adopted to improve the supply chain efficiency which would reduce the
unnecessary cost, high lead time and improve the quality. The wholesale stage is considered
as the backbone of F&V supply chain in India and also acts as a bridge between the farmers
and retailers. This research is also important as the identification of these factors and
suggested measures will benefit the stakeholders involved in the process of decision-making
like wholesalers, commission agents, Agro Produce Marketing Committee (APMC),
agriculture & horticulture marketing board, policy makers and private agri-business firms in
planning and executing the operations in a manner so the cost involved in operations can be
minimized and fresh produce can be delivered to the market with less lead time, proper
quality and in minimum prices to the customers.

6.7 Limitation of the study

The present paper has some limitations. It is limited to wholesale stage of fruit supply chain
at Azadpur Mandi, Delhi, India with specific reference to mango. The identified factors may
vary in different wholesale location. Therefore, there are several opportunities for future
research. For suggesting measures through the interview, only the most significant variable in
each factor has been considered with respect to cost, time, and quality on the basis of highest
factor loading. Further, a model can be developed on the basis of the results and can be
empirically tested with different modeling technique like SEM etc.
 Conclusions

In this study, factors leading to supply chain inefficiency with respect to cost, time and
quality are identified which are ultimately leading to huge amount of losses and wastage. The
study has identified three latent factors for high cost, four factors for high lead time and poor
quality. The factors are operational charges, labour, operational issues, infrastructure,
resources, and poor ambience. The most significant factor leading to supply chain
inefficiency are high operational issues and operational charges. The wholesale stage which
plays a vital role in the supply chain is suffering from maximum inefficiency and become one
of the key impediments in food supply chain. The suggested measures, if taken would be
helpful in improving supply chain of fresh produce in India. Proper infrastructure at
wholesale market pertaining to cold storage, proper dock area, and other operations, access to
technical resources and skilled labor will play a beneficial role in improving the supply chain.
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Skilled labor, training, and capacity building programs, proper supporting infrastructure like
cold storage facilities, packing houses to perform operations, technological advancement and
adequate resources to handle produce is the need of the hour in fruits supply chain.

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