Bengal batting for 100 more Sufal Bangla stalls

Kolkata: The state government has set a target of setting up 100 Sufal Bangla stalls by the end of the current financial year. Locations have been identified where the stalls will be set up and at the same time, some mobile Sufal Bangla stalls will also be introduced.

At present, there are 46 such mobile stalls that visit different locations in urban parts of the state, to let common people get fresh vegetables at the right price. Apart from the mobile stalls, there are around 21 stalls which have been constructed at different places, including Kolkata and its adjoining areas in Salt Lake and Mandirtala.

The state Agriculture Marketing department has ensured smooth functioning of the existing 68 Sufal Bangla stalls, including some in North Bengal as well and it has also resulted in helping farmers by creating a platform to sell their produce at the right price.

The new stalls will come up in districts including Arambagh, Barasat, Krishnagar, Contai and Digha in South Bengal. In North Bengal, Cooch Behar, Raiganj, Malda, North Dinajpur, Behrampore and Itahar are the places where the stalls will be set up.

It may be mentioned that Sufal Bangla stalls were introduced to ensure that common people get fresh vegetables at the right price. The stalls are mainly run by different Farmers' Producers Organisations (FPOs), which collect vegetables directly from farmers and sell in the Sufal Bangla stalls.

It benefits both farmers and common people. The farmers get the right price for their produce and hence are not required to depend on middlemen and people get fresh vegetables at the right price.

Initially, it was introduced in South Bengal. After its success in South Bengal districts, the state Agriculture Marketing department has taken up the project to introduce the same in Kurseong, Kalimpong and other parts of North Bengal.

It may be mentioned that initially, one had to visit a Sufal Bangla stall to buy the goods. Later, the home delivery system was introduced and the price of all sorts of vegetables, including the organic ones, was made available in the Sufal Bangla website.

In a bid to make the task easier, a cell phone app has also been introduced, that has ensured a sharp increase in the sale of the products available in the Sufal Bangla stalls.