Market Channels, Marketing Margins, and Post-Harvest Losses in Pakistan’s Mango Value Chain: Evidence from Multan

Mango marketing margins in Multan, Pakistan

Abstract

Mango moves from orchards to consumers through a layered and largely informal marketing system in Pakistan, yet the distribution of costs and returns across market actors remains insufficiently documented at the district level. This study identifies marketing channels in Multan and describes purchase prices, marketing costs, sale prices, and margins reported by major actors. Primary data were collected during the 2023 mango season from 95 purposively selected respondents, including 20 producers, 20 pre-harvest contractors, 20 wholesalers, and 35 retailers. Actor-specific averages were analyzed separately because the data did not link the same consignments across successive transactions. The dominant channel, used by 85% of sampled producers, was Producer → Pre-harvest Contractor → Commission Agent/Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer. Producers received a gross receipt of Rs 15.66/kg, equivalent to 16.2% of the final consumer price, although this is not a profit measure because production costs were unavailable. Retailers recorded the highest net marketing margin (Rs 18.48/kg; 46.3%), followed by wholesalers (Rs 13.26/kg; 33.2%) and contractors (Rs 8.16/kg; 20.5%). Quantity-loss costs were highest among retailers and wholesalers. Key constraints included market information, finance, storage, transport, grading, packing, and debt recovery. The findings identify cost and margin concentrations without establishing causality between losses and margins.