Bankura administration aims to boost linkage with state for bulk sale of vegetables, fruits

Kolkata: The Bankura district administration is trying its best to boost up market linkage within the state for bulk sale of its vegetables and fruits produce. A major portion of vegetables and fruits under normal circumstances is sent to Jharkhand, which is not happening because of the lockdown. Bankura has witnessed a bumper produce of pumpkin and watermelon with 800 metric tonnes and 1000 metric tonnes respectively, which are lying in stock of the district administration.

"We export a huge quantity of pumpkin and watermelon to places like Dhanbad, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. But this is not happening because of the lockdown. We are providing pumpkin as part of our relief package in the district for the poor and needy and have been able to send a portion to Asansol and Durgapur through our market linkage," said Subhasis Batabyal, Vice President of West Bengal Agro Industries Corporation.

District Magistrate of Bankura, Arun Prasad said that though restrictions in exporting essential commodities have already been lifted but majority of truck drivers are refusing to join work in the apprehension of spreading COVID-19 virus. "We have recently introduced two mobile vans of Sufal Bangla, one each at Bankura and Bishnupur so that people in the district can have fresh vegetables at a reasonable price," said Prasad said.

Khatra, Raipur, Sarenga, Simlapal are some of the blocks in the district that has seen record production of

pumpkin.

Santanu Biswas, Agri marketing officer of the district said that they are trying to link up the farmers with the registered traders in eNam portal so that the latter can purchase in bulk from the farmers, so that the former get the price for the produce. A linkage has already been established with a trader at Muhammad Bazar in Birbhum, who will purchase pumpkin in bulk. 60 quintals have already been sent on Thursday.

"We have already sent 200 tonnes of watermelon to Siakhala in Hooghly. They used to procure the fruit from another district but now they are preferring watermelon from Bankura because of its high quality. We are working on developing other linkages in the state so that the farmers get the price," said Batabyal.