Will decongest Fruit, Veg Mandis amid COVID-19
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 30: With the objective to eliminate brokers, buyers and distributors and also to decongest major fruit and vegetable Mandis at Narwal in Jammu, within Srinagar Municipal limits besides other major towns across J&K amidst COVID-19, the J&K administration today allowed direct marketing of Agriculture/ Horticulture produce.
This decision of the Government will provide major relief to the small buyers, who may lift the farm produce at their own convenience at the nearby site and also those who used to visit major Mandis at Jammu and Srinagar cities besides other major towns. It will also remove congestion in Narwal Mandi of Jammu, besides big Mandis in Srinagar City and other major towns.
The sources revealed that with the elimination of brokers and big buyers, the small fruit/ vegetable vendors and shopkeepers would manage to purchase farm produce at comparatively cheap rates and it would bring down the rates of vegetables and fruits giving some relief to the general public as well. Moreover, it will also save the time of the small traders who used to visit big Mandis from the nearby towns of the winter and summer capitals of the J&K UT. It has also been done for facilitating timely marketing of farm produce amid existing COVID-19 restrictions, the sources added.
Principal Secretary to Govt, Agriculture Production and Horticulture Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary in an order issued today said that the purpose behind this move is to decongest major Vegetable and fruit Mandis and also facilitate the farmers who are facing hardships amid lockdown over Covid-19. The order further said that the collection/ aggregation centers in the proximity of the production areas, may be set up by a person after getting registered by Market Administrative Committees (MAC) of respective jurisdictions created vide Govt order No. 27-JK (Hort) of 2020 dated 03-03-2020.
It further said that Director Horticulture (P&M) in consultation with MACs shall notify a simple and single window procedure of registration for direct marketing. Direct wholesale purchase can also be carried out outside the principal market yard, sub market yard, private market yard etc. MACs may identify and declare the place of such purchase, without establishment of any permanent collection / aggregation centre for marketing. Each MAC shall maintain the record and all accounts related to daily trade transactions and shall submit weekly report to the Administrative Department, the order said.
The Govt order further said that each Market Administrative Committee can seek any type of additional information from the direct marketing farmer and also inspect and issue direction relating to functioning of such wholesale purchases and allied activities. The director in consultation with MACs shall notify norms and take measures to discourage hoarding of the farm produce.
Navin K Choudhary when contacted, said that it has been done to decongest big Fruits and Vegetables Mandis in Jammu and Srinagar besides other major towns in J&K. Even during lockdown, heavy rush of buyers and farmers is being witnessed at big Mandis. It will contain the rush and also facilitate the farmers as they will bet new Mandis in their own nearby areas.
Choudhary further replied that local administration (DCs/ SDMs) in consultation with MACs will identify the sites for the new Mandis and farmers would directly sell their produce there. With the elimination of brokers and big buyers, the general public would get vegetables and fruits at lower rates and moreover, it would also enhance the earnings of the farmers and provide market outlets to them in the nearby areas. For the time, this order has been issued as a part of lockdown measure, but it may become permanent feature with the passage of time in future, Choudhary maintained.
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