Agri Marketing dept targets 150 Sufal Bangla stalls by March 2019

Kolkata: The state Agriculture Marketing department has set a target of setting up as many as 150 Sufal Bangla stalls by March 2019, after becoming successful in reaching its goal of opening 101 stalls.

It may be mentioned that the department had set a target of setting up 101 Sufal Bangla stalls before Durga Puja. Recently, 21 movable and 5 static Sufal Bangla stalls have been inaugurated, which took the total number of such stalls to 101 across the state.

Soon after reaching the target, the state Agriculture Marketing department has carried out an assessment to find out where it is still required to open such stalls. Subsequently, the decision has been taken to introduce another 50 stalls by the end of the 2018-19 financial year.

Tapan Dasgupta, the state Agriculture Marketing minister, said: "Our endeavour is to open another 50 stalls by the end of March 2019."

The main idea behind setting up Sufal Bangla stalls is to help common people staying in the urban or semi-urban parts of the state get fresh vegetables at the right price. At the same time, it also encourages setting up of more Farmers Production Organisations (FPOs). Farmers, who are members of the FPOs, directly supply their produce to the Sufal Bangla stalls that get sold at the right price. As a result, farmers no longer need any middlemen to sell their produce. They also get the right price for their produce and do not incur loss.

There are both static and movable Sufal Bangla stalls. The static ones are situated mainly in urban and semi-urban areas in the state, while the movable ones keep travelling at different points within a particular area to sell fresh vegetables.

Officials of the state Agriculture Marketing department has initiated the task of identifying the places where static ones can be set up and where there is requirement of movable ones.

It may be mentioned that price of vegetables and other items, which are available in Sufal Bangla stalls, is available in the website of the Agriculture Marketing department. After checking the price, one can also place order over phone for home delivery, which is available in some of the stalls. The department is also taking steps to introduce the home delivery service in all of its stalls.