Physical distancing, popularly called as social distancing, experts firmly believe, alone was a guaranteed safety measure against the COVID-19 pandemic from getting spread. Our fruit and vegetable markets need decongestion on two counts ; one – for enforcing physical distancing in view of the threat of the corona virus infection as too many people assemble daily in these Mandis for buying, selling, loading and unloading and; two- for ridding these markets of brokers, middlemen and others. Towards that objective, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir recently decided to allow direct marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce thus pre-empting any more meddling by brokers and other elements for getting their undeserved pound of flesh. In other words, we are set to see Mandis at Jammu and Srinagar mainly Narwal and Parimpora respectively as also in other towns, sparsely crowded in peak “business hours” instead of being concentrated, crowded and noisy provided the decision was enforced in letter and spirit.
Why this move was furthered by the administration now when for quite some time, it has been observed that not only exorbitant prices were charged for vegetables and fruit but even some sort of scarcity too of certain items was artificially created. That obviously was being intermittently done only for purposes of making undue profits by people engaged in this trade, the benefit of which, however, even in negligible form, did not reach the core producers and growers. We feel that decongesting and alleviating overcrowding in these Mandis became necessary to mitigate as much as possible, if not fully rule out, the chances of spreading of the infection of the virus. Truckers from different states have to reach the Mandis carrying their consignments collected from different places which cannot be believed to be properly sanitised, thus vulnerability to virus infections.
Whatever the circumstances under which these Mandis in Jammu and Srinagar are sought to be decongested and proper social distancing strictly promoted, buyers and consumers of vegetables and fruit expect some sort of relief in the prices of these items? Even small buyers are expected to gain to a larger extent as they can lift the farm produce at their own convenience at a site which is nearby. Since the trend of the pandemic is uncertain, sufficient provision for facilities for farmers and growers during lockdown and even afterwards, has to be made in order to relieve them of the hardships faced in respect of selling their produce. Direct marketing of the produce, however, is subject to creation of some small infrastructure by identifying and providing collection and aggregation centres which should be nearby to the production areas. Most probably, instead of Government agencies doing it, the people in the actual trade could do it under the administrative decision by getting formally registered with Market Administrative Committees of respective jurisdictions. However, the process of registration etc should be made hassles free, transparent and on merits for which a single window procedure is the best option. This is really a workable idea as now from such points, the produce could be easily lifted.
Market Administrative Committees (MAC) have to play an important role in the entire structural changes proposed in respect of marketing as direct Wholesale purchases can be carried out from outside the principal market yard, sub- market yard and private market yard etc. Monitoring in the shape of inspections of sale outlets, maintaining of accounts, records, etc related to daily trade transactions shall have to be made by the Market Administrative Committees and weekly reports submitted to the Administrative Department. That would give a clear picture of the quantum of purchases and all about pricing to determine whether retail pricing was genuinely fixed. Hoarding in one or the other form, needs to be discouraged along with eliminating the uncalled for part played by middlemen, brokers, agents and other layers of unsolicited elements, the role of whom only encouraged high retail pricing of these items of daily consumption. Both growers and consumers are believed to be benefitted in the shape of increased incomes for growers and buying by consumers at comparatively low prices. MACs shall have to devise norms and measures to discourage hoarding of the farm produce.
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