Demonetisation renders Okhla mandi wholesalers hapless, margins low as Re 1

The wholesale vegetable market in Okhla did not bear a deserted look, instead, one has to make way to move an inch. However, despite such overwhelming footfall, the vegetable sellers are not happy. The cash crunch they are facing along with the low margin in vegetable sales has made life difficult for them.

Due to more production, the prices of vegetables has dropped considerably. The customers are happy but the vegetable sellers in the Okhla wholesale market cannot sport a smile on their face.

Satinder is 76-year-old and has been selling vegetables in the mandi since 1990. “I have been here for decades now. It’s hard to spend time in the winters in the open selling vegetables at such a low margin. People have forgotten that once they bought cabbage for Rs 30/kg. They are bargaining even when its sold for Rs 30 for 5 kg.”

The vegetable sellers are seen yelling at the top of their voices “sasta ho gaya hai tamatar, sasta ho gaya hai aalu” (potato and tomato have gone cheap). The winters is the season of green leafy vegetables but the vegetables have been selling at low costs now. However, with less cash in hand, the sellers are cautious in buying more stocks of the otherwise perishable edibles.

Sachindra Nath sits with a heap of green peas and gets anxious while he talks to Millennium Post. He said: “People are not even in a mood to buy green peas even for Rs 10 per kg. I remember I sold it at Rs 100 per kg some days back. We have little cash. How will we manage our budget with such a low margin. The margin is as down as Re one.”

Abdul Rasheed, a commission agent in the mandi is not happy either with the present scenario. He feels that the farmers are facing the heat of demonetisation.

“The farmers are not accepting cheque payments. They are sceptical about it. They are ready to sell their produce at a low cost but want payment only in cash. Some people involved in the business of vegetables have now lowered their purchase. Mostly, the vegetables are coming from the nearby markets like Hapur. Post demonetisation, things have really worsened.”