Agri marketing centre to come up in Sagar

Kolkata: State government is all set to construct an agriculture marketing centre in the Sagar area of South 24-Parganas so that

farmers from interior pockets get a platform to sell their produce at better prices.

The Mamata Banerjee government has already given a platform to the farmers to sell their products directly to customers. A new centre is coming up at Rudranagar market which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.25 crore. A guest house will be set up where the farmers will be able to stay. Cultivators from other states will get accommodation at the guest house as well. The farmers in the region often have to sell their products through middlemen as a result of which they do not get genuine prices. Once the new centre is set up, the farmers of Sagar will be able to receive the appropriate price.

A huge storage facility will also be set up at the centre so that farmers can store their products at the agricultural marketing facility.

A huge quantity of paddy, vegetables, dry fishes, sea fishes, agricultural products are sent out from Kakdwip. But the farmers have to depend on middlemen to sell their products. They will now be able to directly sell their products at the centre once it is ready.

Sunderban Development minister Bankim Chandra Hansda has laid the foundation stone of

the proposed agricultural marketing centre.

The state government has already formed core groups, involving agriculture marketing and other allied departments and wings of the state government, for preparing a road map on agri-business activities for implementation in districts. The state has received suggestions for developing a road map for agri-business in an integrated cluster-based approach that will be taken forward by the departments. The core groups will have agri-business industry people as members and there will be timelines for implementation of the roadmap for agriculture and allied sectors. There has been rapid increase in the agricultural scenario of Bengal under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bengal is the leading producer of rice, jute, vegetables and fish seeds. A staggering seven-fold increase has been made in maize production. Pulses production registered a growth of 2.5 times and oilseeds production 1.5 times.